The Truth about Lying-Honest! (Update)

Flixster - Share Movies

Kate: A healthy person is someone who expresses what they're feeling inside. Express, not repress.

Luc: In that case, you must be one of the healthiest people in the world.

Most of you have seen probably seen the movie, French Kiss. Below, I have posted a slightly exaggerated but funny scene on cultural differences that relates to a kind of "truth." Kate (Meg Ryan) is telling the charmingly cunning and slightly infatuated Frenchman Luc (Keven Kline) that her facial expressions have to match her emotions. Why do I find her sincerity amusing? I think that most of my life, I have been this American type as well...maybe you are too? Perhaps, I fool myself when I think I have absorbed Puerto Rican culture enough to maintain a strategically neutral face. (I secretly think that Puerto Ricans and the French people have a lot in common when it comes to customer service. Perdoname!)

Watch the short scene above

I believe in emotional honesty but tempered with a kindness that fits the situation. For example, truth that hurts sometimes has a hidden motive. I much prefer to hear "You haven't gained any weight" than "What happened? You were sooooo thin!" Why am I thinking about what honesty means?


Linda of Vulture Peak Muse bestowed this clever, "You've been through a lot" (my re-name) award upon me a couple of weeks ago but I haven't been able to address the requirements. I know that the award is for writing with honesty and is given to those who share their life experiences in writing. After receiving this award, Linda took on the challenge and wrote an incredibly honest account of her life but later deleted it. I know how she feels, it's a personal risk to be honest. Sometimes, I think I over-share here at Oasis Writing Link but I've come to accept this aspect of my personality. I love truth in writing-especially when it involves personal emotional risk. I admire people who can accept themselves so well that they are willing to share openly-flaws and all. Of course, everyone has their own understanding of honesty. With that in mind, I will proceed with posting the rules and fulfilling the requirements of this Honest Scrap Award:

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Hi friends, just a bit of self-interruption to tell all of you that Reveda the sweet dimpled baby gave me this award, too. I just found it thanks to Braja. Love to you sweet baby and everyone go over there and look at her darling face.

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The rules of this award are:

1.You must brag about the award.
2.You must include the name of the blogger who bestowed the award on you and link back to the blogger.
3.You must choose a minimum of seven (7) blogs that you find brilliant in content or design.
4.Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog
5.List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself.
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Ten Honest Things About Myself

1. I enjoy writing and would like to finish my dissertation this summer so that I could write in another style with a more personal focus.

2. I'm extremely attached to my daughter and am secretly suffering yet pleased that she has a desire to go off to study far away from me.

3.When I was a child, I wanted to be an artist. I must still have this desire because I surround myself with artistic type people and both of my children study the arts. (music and painting)

4.I also wanted to be a go-go girl -dancer-until my father spoke to me quite strongly, "Being a go-go girl is not a career!" He was so serious and harsh that I realized I might not know what being a go-go girl meant.

5. I'm highly conscious of maintaining healthy lifestyle but also drink coffee...coffee...coffee! (I'm convinced that Puerto Rican coffee is the best coffee in the world and I cannot resist it.

6. I have a vivid memory of people, the past and emotions. When I want to recall an experience-my own or something I read/viewed, I see a picture in my mind and emotions are drawn to the image...so I remember novels I read as a child or young person but not necessarily the author's name or the name of the book. The visual image connected to emotion is alive in my mind...also emotional expressions on people's faces.

7. I avoided taking math at the university; when it was time to graduate, I had to study independently and pass a math competency exam. If I did not pass the exam, I couldn't graduate. The third and final attempt was successful.

8. I have a tendency to worry, which makes me ultra careful about exposing myself to news of all types. Nevertheless, I am completely open to personal sharing and other "real" stories, and consider it an honor when people trust me enough to share.

9. (related to # 8) I have been a "counselor" (career, college, prison) many times and look at all my life interactions in this manner.

10. When I was 20 years old, I climbed to the top of the beautiful Blarney Castle in Killarney, Ireland, leaned back (hung upside down) while my sister, Pamala, held my feet and kissed the Blarney Stone. From that point on, I was blessed with the gift of eloquence and I have a certificate to prove it!


The last requirement:

Then pass it on with the instructions!

1. Colleen's My Journey to Ironman. (She has an incredible way of making a contribution to the world health.)

2. Ms. Lucy of Enchanted by Josephine

3. Natalie of Musings from the Deep

4. Julie of Tangobaby

5. Paris of Remembering Paris

6. Braja of Lost and Found in India

7. Michelle of The Truth as I Know it

Now imagine that you are listening to Billy Joel singing "Honesty" since "they" won't give permission to embed the You Tube!

To Mom on Mother's Day; I Will Always Love You

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Today, naturally, I'm thinking of my mother and appreciating the gifts she has given me. May she be surrounded in light and love...and too, may all of you resonate with the kind of nurturing love that you need in this life.

[Whitney Houston]



Below we have the heartwarming Dolly Pardon singing her song...

[lyrics to three versions]



And why not include Lorelai singing to her daughter, Rori? This clip from the Gilmore Girls reveals the moment when Lorelai shifts her attention to Luke Danes and reveals to everyone that she loves him....or was it just the combination of the song, a few too many drinks and the memory of an old romance?

Happy Mother's Day to you all!

photo credit

Noblesse Oblige Meets The Dust Bowl

Noblesse Oblige Award







The fine writer and book lover, Carol, of The Writer's Porch


has honored me with this colorful and dynamic award. What a charming acknowledgement of my efforts here at OWL blog. Thank you, friend!

Here is a description of the award

This award recognizes the following attributes:

1) The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.

2) The Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.

3) There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture, Sciences and Beliefs.

4)The Blog is refreshing and creative

5) The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking

Wow! What a compliment! Here are my responsibilities:

The Bloggers who receive this award will need to perform the following steps:

1) Create a post with a mention and link to the blogger who presented the Noblesse Oblige Award to you.
2) The award conditions must be displayed in the post.
3) Write a short article about what your blog has thus far achieved preferably citing one or more older post to support:
4) The blogger must present the Noblesse Oblige Award to blogs in concurrence with the award conditions.
5) The blogger must display the award at any location on their blog.

Oasis Writing Link; A Short History of Beginning at an Ending

Oasis Writing Link started almost by itself; I had been thinking about starting a blog after I read the book Julie and Julia by Julie Powell; briefly, it's a book about a woman who started a blog and how it evolved into a book (now it is a film staring Meryl Streep that is scheduled to be released this August!) when a work friend told me I should just type in blogger.com and see what it was all about. She said it was quite simple. (Julie has a current blog where you can comment!)

Without clear intention, I decided to fill out a request for a blog. Many of you know that Oasis Writing Link has the acronym OWL which points to my mother, Susan Pittmann, a Halloween baby, who loved that she was born on the witch's day. She was murdered in 1992 by our neighbor, Mr. Brooks. (James Elwood Brooks); I have written about the circumstances surrounding this hate crime. OWL blog is a tribute to my mother's life.

Recently, my sister, Linda found this photo of Brooks; it appears to be the mysterious missing photo taken by Christine Puckett, my mother's murdered partner, just before they were both shot. I heard that Brooks hit Christine with a shovel before he went into his house to get the murder weapon. I understand that Chris was trying to document his aggression so that the police would take precautionary-preventive action (at least take his weapons away!!!) How shocking to see his blurred angry face just before he shot my mother and Christine. (I saw these photographs for the first time just one hour ago.) From the photo angle, Christine must have been lying on the ground while she quickly took the shot. I remember Mom saying that they needed to prove that he was behaving aggressively because the police wouldn't act on Brook's verbal threats. They said they needed evidence to document his irrational condition. Sadly, it is on this day, cinco de mayo, that they both were shot and killed.














I also have two other new photographs most likely taken just before this one:










Mr. Brooks -as we used to call him as children- is quite angry here, and shouting in the first mini photo. In the second, he is reaching into his car to get the shovel to strike Christine. The larger blurred photo is when he lifted the shovel and moments after, it must have struck Christine. Then he returned to his house, lifted the rifle and shot Christine from his kitchen door. When she fell, he selected the loaded double barrel shotgun, which was along side the door and walked over to her bleeding body. My mother was on the phone talking to a 911 operator (I heard the tape); she said: "My worker's been shot!" They asked for information and likely tried to keep her there but she left the phone dangling and ran out to Christine. By that time, Brooks was again out in our yard with the shotgun, they had some words. Probably, mom tried to calm him down but he just lifted the gun and shot mom at close range. She died rapidly as the blood poured from her aorta just below her heart and into the soil. Brooks then walked over to Christine and shot her again. This is what I think happened; it's what I can piece together from the various stories, hints and facts that I know. Great sorrow swept into many people's lives on that day. Mom had five children, seven grandchildren, many unofficially adopted children and grandchildren, many friends and relatives.

Mom and Christine's deaths were like a dry wind that left a shadow of ash on all of those members of society who passively permit anger and aggression towards those who chose to love someone of the same sex. (For more information about the impact of this crime, you can go to this documentary film website and read about the Pittmann Puckett Story.)

May we all learn to love and accept difference in each other.

The DUST BOWL - natural disaster cause by the violation of our earth, unknowingly caused by the belief that we can dominate nature, and force it to change.







I want to call attention to these blogs that strive to bring understanding and empathy into this world; these blogs uphold a positive faith in our ability to act by the force of love to create a better world.

1. The Soaring Impulse
2. Lori Times Five
3. Lost and Found in India
4. From Forensic to Fine Art
5. Mama Shujaa
6. An Aerial Armedillo
7. Tangobaby
8. Psyche Connections

Please visit these lively blogs that celebrate life and call on all of us to be the best version of ourselves.

La Bamba; Confidence and Self-Importance

Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone.

Carlos Castaneda Anthropologist and Writer

University of California

Do you remember in the movie, "La Bamba" when Ritchie's mother, Connie Valenzuela gets offended because the band does not allow her son to play solo at an evening garage performance? Ricki jumps in the car where his whole family is waiting and she asks, "What did they mean ...not letting you play, Ritchie?" He says, "Don't worry, I'll get them to listen." Connie is angry, though, and she says, "My Grandfather was a full blooded Yaqui Indian..."

I aways smile when I think of that pride. What is it? Mother's pride? Family pride? Some part of me knows that it does not really matter how you came into this world and which group of people you belong to...but another part can relate to that indignant mother! Respect! It's like Aretha Franklin R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

(Photo Yaqui People C1910 Mexico)

I'm thinking about confidence and balancing our needs with the needs of others....of knowing that you can make a difference in your own life and in the lives of others....of putting yourself out in the world. I think many of us are born with a introverted character, we have to learn to express our needs. Others are born with an extroverted tendency and may overlook the needs of others. Neither is necessarily better because we have to learn balance, either way. I know some people who keep giving until they harm themselves...and others who tightly hold on to what they have -but the universe or chance creates hardship and loss anyway. Perhaps, teaching generosity to some children is difficult in some way but so is teaching children to stand up for themselves and be noticed.

Many years ago, when my daughter was singing at a small theatre for a school function, I watched her get pushed away from the microphone by a more aggressive singing partner. (I have it on film so it's clear in my memory.) The other girl's parents had the shame of their daughter's public behavior to deal with but the girl who pushed was the one who was heard the most. I kept thinking that my daughter should have moved back toward the microphone and tried to sing again instead of staying in the background. I always wonder what is the right guidance to give in those situations. I didn't want my daughter to grow up into an aggressive personality but I did want her to know how to stand up for herself. She's turned out fine but I still wonder how to handle pushy people in the world.

As a shy child, I had to learn how to stand up for myself. My mother frequently commented about my own sensitive ways. She used to say, "I worry about you. You need to toughen up!" I think I must have gotten much bolder in my teen years but I remember feeling the need of support before I could try something new. I waited for friends to say, "Hey, you can do it!" I think you miss a lot of opportunities when you need to wait for someone else to discover your talents and encourage you to move ahead. Sometimes even people you love just don't want you to excel too much . Why is that? I'm naive a bit- when someone tells me it's control and jealousy, I don't want to believe it. Usually, I just look away and try not to notice. I think maybe my daughter does that too. It's a strategy. I don't know if it's the best one.

What do you think about confidence and self-importance? Sometimes when it comes to my children, I'm like Ritchie's mother, Connie Valenzuela. Do you remember when she was imagining for her son and she looked up into the sky while visualizing, "Ricky Vallenzuela and his Flying Guitar?" She's dreaming big for her child...her cause...

Planting Acorns and Growing Oak Trees

Hello dear blogging friends,

Excuse my absence and thank you for your encouraging words...I am on the healing end of a seasonal cold...just a little cough remains. I have news:

The charming Catherine of A Thousand Clapping Hands has honored me with the Renee Award which was created by two artists, Bella and Ces:



It is one of the most meaningful awards in blogworld because it honors someone who is incredibly inspirational in her intelligent and witty writing. And by doing so, this award celebrates women's smart, strong and inspirational spirit. It honors women who spread joy and love like an acorn...a small package growing into a tall and sturdy oak tree which gives more acorns that continue growing into tall and sturdy oak trees. ..


Friends, I don't mean to be mysterious but I also have been out of touch this last week because of a multitude of acorn troubles. (Perhaps you've noticed that I'm a squirrel this week? I've taken some inspiration from Miss Potter again and read A Tale about Squirrel Nutkin who is naughty to the point of insolence!) As I mentioned, it's been a stressful week.


On Friday, I took myself to bed with chamomile tea, toast and a heavy dose of movie magic. Between intense viewing, a bit of light reading, cooking, cleaning, and dozing on and off all weekend, I feel nearly ready to face the world again. (At this point- in the beginning of the week- I caution myself that the only solution to this anxiety residue is to go into a problem solving mode.)

I think most of the troubling acorns are collected together into a light beige Easter basket, recently filled with pink or blue plastic grass, and the New Beginning Acorns will be set into the ground. Soon by the universal magic of life, they will grow into little sapling arbol de robles.


Back to the award:

I am instructed that award is to be passed on to one or many blogger(s) who are noted for their loving and encouraging words...actually, I researched the award (see the links above) and think it's up to me how (or if) I pass on this wonderful award. Here are the encouraging bloggers I selected. Thank you for your concern about my well being:


(Feel free to accept this award if I overlooked your charming, encouraging, witty self!)


1. Lori Ann of Lori Times Five

2. Elizabeth of About New York

3. Mrs. Fancy of French Fancy

4. Carol of The Writers Porch

5. Fhina of A Woman of No Importance

Finally, A quirky YouTube on the Subject of Acorns, Oak Trees and Mysterious Life:

Chicken Little, Beatrix Potter and A Zombie Chicken Award?

Do you remember the story of "Chicken Little," a story of confusion and courage that young children can identify with...oh, and me, too! I've always found her situation funny. I probably recognize the Chicken Little in myself, especially lately with so much to do. It's difficult to decide what is the most important task. I feel like running around and yelling, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" (Maybe my seasonal cold is a reaction to the temptation to give in...yes, friends, I spent all Easter day in bed watching movies and sneezing!)



Easter makes me remember Beatrix Potter and bunnies. I just love the video I posted for you below and I hope you can find the time to watch it. Her cottage is my idea of a perfect private creative space. I imagine I'm Miss Potter, I'm out in the field capturing a view with my watercolors. It begins to rain but this time, I'm not Chicken Little. I love the rain, ducks and mole...and my dog too. Then I sit at the desk and begin to create stories for my little nephews and nieces...sigh...complete with illustrations. Okay fantasy over! I must warn you that I have been give a most curious chicken award: The Zombie Chicken
















Ms. Lucy of Enchanted by Josephine gave me this quack me up award (sorry-chirp me up just didn't work), which comes with quite a compliment and then a little sting at the end:





The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken-excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, these amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least five other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by not choosing wisely or not choosing at all...

Every blogger listed here has the gift of eloquently fighting dark shadows of all kinds as well as celebrating life victories!

1. Carol The Writers Porch (She recently saw a ghost!)

2. Natalie Musings From the Deep

3. Rudee The Knitting Nurse

4. Catherine A Thousand Clapping Hands

5. The Pink Cowboy

Pet Tales; the Untold Story

Delilah: A Known Killer

Managing a makeshift homeless shelter for pets is a challenge. We have nine dogs and one cat. I'm going to write all of their names; Miss Nellie, Benicio del Toro, Delilah, Jessie James, Michelle, Fern, Pepper, Charlotte, and the young Mr. D'Arcy. Miss Junie is the much put-upon cat. Three dogs have health problems of some sort, Miss Nellie, Pepper and Charlotte.

Michelle loves me the most of all. She follows me with her eyes, body and heart.

Miss Nellie had a penchant for escaping under the fence. Though it was repaired, she continued to push herself under. She damaged her back and developed a neck tremor before we discovered that she was still attempting to escape. We took care of her in the house in order to keep her still until she healed. Then she tried to escape again and 'broke her back'. Now she walks sideways, falls down, gets up like a drunken bee filled with honey, and walks a bit further, tail wagging. It's as if she doesn't realize she is injured.

Pepper has a skin condition and the personality of a beaten homeless cunning wild dog. Pepper Pot runs away when you reach for her but comes up close with sad yearning eyes when you are petting another. She will let you pet her when everyone else is getting love. She has a skin condition from allergies, I think. Her hair grows a bit back then falls out some more. So far her skin does not respond to treatment.

Charlotte has the most problems. She was born with beautiful rust and white fur and then got an attack of mange (the kind street dogs are born with) and I started her on treatment. I learned how to give injections, bathed her with a strong poison and then she started to recover. She got another secondary infection and I put her on antibiotics. She recovered a bit and then got a stomach illness and (some other discusting problems) which I treated. She has nearly died four times.

We call her "Poor Charlotte" from the movie version of "A Room with a View," EM Forester. Right now her hair is growing back and she looks at me shyly as if to acknowledge all the trouble we both have gone through. She tilts her head to the side and down and timidly hopes I will pet her (but not too much because it hurts). Taking care of 'street animals' is extremely difficult and often heart breaking. Delilah adapted to street life by learning to kill live animals. If a cat comes into the fenced in yard-she will try to kill it. She has taught Pepper and Jessie to join her. We're taking her in to be 'fixed' this week. I hope she calms down.

We have a large space for all of the dogs and they have also helped us. One time a person broke in the yard by taking apart the fence and road a scooter around back to the side entrance. It's quite isolated. I imagine that as he was driving around to the back of the house, the dogs woke up from their afternoon nap. They must have chased him; he ran into the white wall where tire marks still remain, and escaped out of the yard. When we came home, the top part of the fence was dangling but the bottom was secure. After a bit of investigation, we realized what had happened and understood that the fence was put together upside down so that it could be opened even when it was locked and chained. Probably, the house was 'cased' for a while but they didn't notice the dogs. What a surprise!

All of the dogs know how to" behave." I continue to teach them to sit, lift up on their back legs and they understand hand gestures. They need worked with or else they will revert to extremely 'wild' behavior and we will all get into trouble. If I hadn't been raised around animals (4H and all that) I would have had a real problem on my hands. They have gone through many naughty stages: from digging holes in the yard, eating socks and underwear from the clothes line to chasing the lawnmower.

Recently, I discovered that dogs can get addicted to gasoline. They chewed the tube that runs out of the gas tank on our second car and were sipping, licking and finally drinking gas. I was home alone one night, when I smelled a strong 'dangerous' smell. Was it lighter fluid, or poison? I emptied out all of the cupboards in the kitchen but couldn't find anything. The smell was strongest by the kitchen window and it was open. I went outside and thought maybe someone is painting and the smell is paint thinner. I found the dogs acting strange and a little crazed. When I looked for the rest of them- they were fighting to get under the car.

Then I realized that the smell was gasoline. I got the hose and sprayed forcefully under the car, finally they moved out and away from the car. I rinsed the driveway and contained the gas with a metal pan. It was held in place by being pressed up next to the gas tank. Later, the dogs kept returning to the scene. Elizabeth must have been successful in drinking the most gas before I discovered the problem. She died.

I've never heard of it before but now I know that dogs do get addicted to gasoline. When my husband W started up the car recently, some fluid came out and the dogs were after it again. Strange. He was able to repair the tube with a material made to harden against metal. I hope it holds! (He’s teaching a night class this month.)

This year we had three cats die from leukemia, combined with old age, and finished off by dog terrorization. But I'm mixing the tales (tails!) together-the California cats, Tierra and Playful were 14 and 15 years old. Both contracted leukemia from our Mione cat- a beautiful black intelligent cat who strolled around the house like a demanding toddler who constantly raised his voice for attention. "I want that! Let me sit there! Where's my snack!?" He died when he was 4 and we all suffered over that one. The disease process was-first occasional 'colds' fever and sometimes a hematoma (blood clot bubble) because the immune system starts to fail. Then they' recover' with antibiotics until the next bout of infection. They eventually lose a lot of weight and give up eating and drinking. I had to use a dropper for Playful but he just couldn't make it. He was the largest black and white cat with a generous trusting personality. He died first. Then Tierra got so confused. She started wandering toward the dogs. She was the oldest and 'wildest' cat; she could balance on a thin fence with all four paws. She was loyal to me but clearly toward the end, it was her time. For most of her life her fur was like the earth of New Mexico or Scottsdale, Arizona; so rich and multi-toned, accented by an earthy red shade. We found her on the driveway. Licked clean. The dogs had that guilty," I'm sorry don't be mad at me look." They didn't tear her up but I'm pretty sure that they killed her and also Mione. (Since then the
dogs have killed two cats who wandered into our yard.) It's shocking but you start to realize how a life of survival can make a dog give in to instinct, especially when there is no one around to give them food. That was a stressful time.

Junie is confident and empowered

Now Junie is our last remaining cat; she is 10 years old and we have to watch her carefully. Junie is a peach-toned, powder-soft bossy kitty. She also was exposed to the cat virus but I hope she can survive for many more years.

The young Mr. D'Arcy

under an arbol de Naranjas

These are the animals that we share our lives with; today, the young Mr. D'Arcy pushes his way into the house and makes a run for the cat food. When stopped, he goes to the garbage bag. “No D'Arcy,” we yell . He settles for the bowl of puppy food all the while keeping his attention on the dinner table hoping that perhaps some food scraps will fall to the floor and he will be in the right place at the right time. ♥