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Elizabeth Washington, Seventh Great-Grandmother

January 16, 2017 1 Comment

Virginia Colony

Virginia Colony

My seventh great-grandmother’s grandfather was John Washington of Surry Co, VA. (See the Washington information from Louise Ingersoll’s book.) She inherited 200 acres of Surry Co. land from her father. That land was sold 2/19/1734. After Sampson died, she went into NC to live with her son James. On 22 Nov 1757 Edward Goodrich, Isaac Rowe Walton and John Maclin, gentlemen, laid off and assigned to Elizabeth Lanier, widow of Sampson Lanier, deceased her dower of said Sampson’s estate.

She remarried after Sampson died. Marriage bond, dated 23 July 1758 on file Brunswick Co, VA, shows Elizabeth Lanier,widow, marrying Cuthbert Smith, and an order dated
27 Feb 1759 appointed Cuthbert Smith guardian of Rebecca Lanier,orphan of Sampson Lanier, and an order dated 5 Sept 1759 appointing Lemuel Lanier as guardian for Burwell Lanier, Buckner Lanier, Winifred Lanier, Martha Lanier and Anne Lanier.
My seventh great-grandfather, Sampson Lanier, was born in 1681 and died in 1743.
Third son of John Lanier, Jr. born Charles City County 1681 (by deposition made in Surry Co. March 21, 1738), first appears in contemporary records as a “Tithable” in the upper end of Surry County above Stony Run in 1701. Richard Washington’s will leaves 200 acres of land to his daughter, Elizabeth, and leaves to his son-in-law, 200 acres lying in the Isle of Wight. Sampson Lanier sold this land which is now a part of Southhampton County; in February of 1734, Sampson
and Elizabeth Lanier sold the 200 acres of land given her by her father. They moved to Brunswick County before 1740. Sampson Lanier was a Justice, a Vestryman of St. Andrews, and, at one time, on the School Board. His will, dated 8 Jan. 1743, was proved on 5 May 1743. It lists their children as Thomas, Lemuel, Sampson, Richard, Elizabeth, and James. He married about 1706 in Surry, Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Washington (1660 Virginia – 1725 Virginia) & Elizabeth Jordan of Surry County, VA, and granddaughter of Major John Washington (born England 1632) of Surry County, VA. (See pp 40-41, Ingersoll.) She died in Pitt County, NC. Major John Washington was first cousin to Colonel John Washington of Westmoreland County, VA and was the Great Grandfather of George Washington, first President of the United States.

Elizabeth Washington (1689 – 1773)
7th great-grandmother
Elizabeth Lanier (1719 – 1795)
daughter of Elizabeth Washington
Martha Burch (1743 – 1803)
daughter of Elizabeth Lanier
David Darden (1770 – 1820)
son of Martha Burch
Minerva Truly Darden (1806 – 1837)
daughter of David Darden
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Minerva Truly Darden
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor

Richard Washington’s will, dated November 9, 1724, leaves 200 acres of land to his daughter Elizabeth Lanier, “land where she now lives”; he leaves to his son-in-law, Sampson Lanier, 200 acres lying in the Isle of Wight. On March 23, 1732, Sampson Lanier sold the above 200 acres to the Vestry of Nottingham Parish, now Southampton County. On February 19, 1734, Sampson and Elizabeth Lanier sold the 200 acres of land given her by her father, and before 1740 they had moved to Brunswick County, Virginia. Sampson was a Justice, a Vestryman of St. Andrews, and at one time he was on the school board.
Sampson Lanier died about May 15, 1743 in Brunswick County, Virginia. Elizabeth died about 1773 in Pitt County, North Carolina.

#WeekendCoffeeShare, Reaching Conclusions

January 15, 2017 4 Comments

#WeekendCoffeeShare

#WeekendCoffeeShare

Welcome to a rainy cool afternoon in Tucson. Please take a seat by the wood stove and let me know if you want tea or coffee today. I have expanded my tea collection to fully enjoy and celebrate National Hot Tea Month (January) by rotating white, rioboos, green, oolong, herbal, and chai in various flavors to warm the winter mood. The chocolate chai is very stimulating for those in a spicy mood. Help yourself to some blue cornbread in the skillet, and spread one of the many jams and jellies I have set out for our tasting pleasure. Relax, take a breather with your feet up on the ottoman and your  warm drink at hand. Tell me about your week and your adventures. I look forward to hearing about your news and your writing projects.

If we were having coffee today I would tell you I am pleased to have written another short piece of fiction this week. I used a photo prompt rather than one of my ancestors as the subject. I had a good time with it, and plan to continue to write at least one piece of fiction each week this year.  I think eventually I might be good at either mystery stories or fantasy style fiction.  To keep me going I started a bullet journal to log ideas and find new subjects for my factual posts.  I enjoy this too, but have not been very prolific at posting in it.  My first journal is general purpose and small enough to carry all the time.  I think the size is not ideal for weekly and monthly goals and planning, so I have pulled out a new notebook to begin a larger version tomorrow to go with my portable idea notebook. The large format will help me track my writing goals and develop story lines for fictional work.

I guess our story this week is our birthday month.  Both my partner and I have January birthdays.  His is in Capricorn and mine at the end of the month in Aquarius.  We are downsizing our possessions, so no gift giving is in order for either of us. We like to go out for fine dining when we have an occasion to fête.  Bob chose Feast, one of our favorite restaurants, for his lunch party yesterday.  It was perfect.  I tried to coax him into trying a new place, but he is the Capricorn, and was not into change at this time (or any time, for that matter).  He pointed out that I can choose a place new to us for my birthday dining experience. I have a couple of weeks to decide between a few trendy places I have wanted to try.

There is a small gremlin attacking various working parts of my life.  The filtered water spout the kitchen sink  broke off and needs to be replaced, as does the filter itself.  My vacuum cleaner dumped all the dirt on the floor when I started to empty it.  The latch is broken, so when I take the canister out I must now always hold the bottom so it will not leak all over the floor I just cleaned.  My Triberr feed has lost its mind and forgot to tweet for a couple of days.  This digital tragedy is now being averted by manual tweeting of my tribe members posts. I hope this will be resolved quickly because the manual stuff is taking a load of time.  Last, but not at all least, my car started saying service engine soon on the dash when we drove to lunch yesterday.  It may have an electronic glitch, or a real need to be serviced.  Sadly, this is not something I can jerry rig or do myself.  The car has not been to the mechanic since last February, so I just hope it is not suffering from some major (expensive) ailment.  My mechanic is located very near my home, so I pack my bike and drive home when I drop it off for service.  I have my pressing business and shopping done, so I can live without the car for a few days if I must. I consider myself lucky, but still have my fingers crossed that this will be a minor repair, and the little demon who breaks stuff will leave my life of his own accord.

I have reached several conclusions about our national politics and my mission in life.  I can contribute to and support change and justice best by doing it in my immediate vicinity. The inauguration ceremony may offer the perfect time to go out to a restaurant to enjoy off peak dining.  I don’t plan to watch it, but will probably live tweet it for the comedy involved.  The future will be a mixed, highly unpredictable bag.  My place as a citizen and tax payer is not to jump to any conclusions, but to pay close attention to what happens now.  At the conclusion of Trump’s presidency we can analyze how history is altered.  Now we can only guess. We need to tune in and not tune out. Discernment has never been so important.

Stop by Diana’s blog to take part in the coffee share this week. Share your thoughts, your personal stories, with writers from across the globe who enjoy a digital hot beverage. Thanks for visiting with us today, gentle reader.

blue cornbread

blue cornbread

Say It In Latin, Esse Quam Videri

January 13, 2017 1 Comment

The Latin phrase esse quam videri is the motto of the state of North Carolina and many other organizations.  It means to be rather than to seem.  Cicero may have been the first to use the phrase in an essay on friendship. The reference is about authenticity and loyalty in life. When we meet people who are not afraid to be exactly who they are it gives us all courage to claim our own identity.  We can never be anyone but ourselves.  If our true calling requires sacrifice will we be or just seem to be?  This is a time for heroism, gentle readers.  Be what you intend to be, and help others do the same.

#HookedRX The Medical/Pharma Connection

January 10, 2017 1 Comment

opioid facts

opioid facts

The Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU has produced an important documentary about Arizona’s opioid addiction crisis.  I live in Tucson where an obvious uptick in junkies all over the place has everyone concerned.  From the petty theft to the mental illness caused by addiction to opioids destroys neighborhoods, families, and individuals. The routine overprescribing of pain killers began as a marketing strategy for drug makers. They promoted studies that concluded their products were not addictive, and provide a needed level of pain control.  Now we know they are highly addictive, and even a short time on this hard prescribed stuff can lead the patient to seek out heroin as a cheaper alternative.

Pain is a relative thing, so anyone who wants to stay high on opiates can go to a medical doctor and say they are in pain, and easily score drugs.  There is also a huge black market in these pills.  Many hop on the addiction train by taking pills from the parents’ medicine cabinet as teens.  Since the drugs are socially acceptable and widely discussed and well known, there seems to be no stigma for taking pills for any reason.  The idea is that no person should ever feel pain, anxiety, confusion, social pressure, or discomfort of any kind.  There are pills to insure that real life does not intrude into the self medication.  I have never been into pills so this phenomena is really bizarre to me.  I understand wanting to get high, but not wanting to feel nothing.  So, what is the gateway drug for feeling nothing?  A visit to the doctor? This has gone south in the worst possible way.

Beggar Archetype, Self Aggrandize vs Self Respect

January 9, 2017 1 Comment

Beggar

Beggar

Fascination with celebrity grows stronger as we are saturated with all kinds of award-winning (or election winning) famous people. I used to follow rock music and know most of the artists. I was familiar with the television and radio performers as well as the movie actors. There were not very many of them to track when I was a child. I knew all the players on the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team. The sports stars were not as wealthy or elite as they are today.  They acted more like part of the community.  Celebrity, in and of itself, had not been discovered as a means to become more famous with no particular achievement or talent.  We had not created a crazy delusional world in which we reward self-centered behavior over all else. Now we have made this world and live with the bizarre consequences.

Self aggrandizement, or self-glorification was not an acceptable way to present oneself when I was young.  Society today revolves around it in an exaggerated way.  Reality television has made every possible conceit and vainglory into entertainment. National politics are now a reality show, with shocking plot twists daily. We have become a nation of beggars.  While a large number of our citizens are reduced to depending on others for basic food and shelter, some make a full-time job of begging for attention, love, power, and justice.  Dignity is not a consideration for those over zealous needy attention seekers.  They stop at nothing to increase their own power and wealth.

The biggest problem I see with this trend is value corruption of the youth.  We are teaching our children that fame is a valuable commodity, while failing to teach self-respect and self-care. Healthy self-love is a product of mindfulness, forgiveness, and boundary setting. Taking care of needs rather than frivolous desires builds self-esteem and confidence.  Choosing companions and activities that uplift and educate will build self-respect and lay a foundation for an intentional and meaningful life. Let us focus on real value, real merit in order to improve our reality.  What do you think, gentle reader?

Ready for Epiphanies?

January 5, 2017 1 Comment

Time For Transformational Epiphany

Melanie Lichtinger's avatarMelanie's Astro~News

Dynamic Start-UP energies are running strong today Jan 5 and tomorrow morning, Jan 6!
The first ARIES MOON 2017 – an Initiation Energy that we can easily tune into emotionally now – kicks the CAP SUN and PLUTO out of its ‘hibernation station’ –
WAKE UP, People!
HA – the Year of the Fire Rooster or Phoenix Bird is on the horizon too (starts on the day after the next New Moon, Jan 28).

PhoenixbirdPhoenix

Today, the ARIES MOON ignites URANUS in ARIES:
Time to be open for Breakthroughs, and to give ourselves permission to Break Free from old, heavy, slow, conditioned consciousness, and into liberated initiatives.

prometheusPrometheus bringing the Fire of the Gods to Humanity

And remember, 2017 is a ‘1’ Year – and it all starts with ARIES, and # 1 – the SELF. Nobody does it ‘for you’, and that’s a good thing.

Show up authentically, drop…

View original post 71 more words

William Little Jr, Seventh Great-Grandfather

January 2, 2017 1 Comment

In this inventory- Jeanette Armour gets a years support-Her son Andrew is the person who did the inventory.

In this inventory- Jeanette Armour gets a years support-Her son Andrew is the person who did the inventory.

My seventh great-grandfather was born in Surry, Virginia in 1685.  His father, William Sr, was born in Massachusetts Colony and migrated to Virginia. There is a William Little in Surry County by 1687 when he and Edward Napkin are convicted of not going to church. Even earlier, in 1673, a William Little is listed in those who took part in the Lawne’s Creek Church uprising, the first tax strike. According to Elizabeth Wright, a William Little is found on the tax rolls as early as 1674. A John Little appears in 1688.

William Little Sr. was involved in the early colonial tax strike in Surry County, Virginia in 1674. Upon his death, he left his son, William Little II, his plantation and 200 acres upon which William II lived. He also set his slaves free (source: Michael C. Little, 2004).

William Little Jr. was born about 1685. He is listed in his father’s will as the oldest son. Thigpen Tribe lists his birth in 1685. He owned Bought land in 1738 in Surry Co. VA.  He owned land that sold on 18 Feb 1755 in Surry Co. VA. William sold 100 acres to Buford Pleasant ” it being part of a tract of land granted by patent to Phillip Hunniford bearing date the 17 Day of May 1666 which was left to the said John Little by his Father in his last will and testament it is part of the tract of land which William Little the father of the sd John Little purchased of Edward Napkin junr” on 5 Jan 1709. He was living on 23 Jun 1755 in Surry Co. VA. 10 Jan 1755 William Little and wife Mourning of Surry Co. to Thomas Davis of Elizabeth City Count 300 acres (being the land William Hart sold him on 16 Mar 1738) bounded by the Mill Swamp, the Meadow Branch, Mile Branch, Benjamin Bell, and the Hog Pen Branch. Witnesses were Thomas Wilson, Benjamin Little, Jacob Little, Joseph Holleman.
On 23 Jun 1755 Mourning Little, wife of William Little, relinquished her Right of Dower in the 300 acres sold to Thomas Davis of Elizabeth City County
In the 1755 tax list for Beaufort; Wm. Little, Abraham Little, James Little, John Little, and Thomas Little were listed. William and Abraham were listed together with only 2 polls (themselves). Amos Atkinson was also listed.
In 1762; Isaac, James, John, Joseph, and Robert Little were listed. He moved before Sep 1755 to Beaufort Co. NC.  September 1755, William Little of Surry Co. VA received 300a on Cheeks Mill Swamp to pay a 40 pound obligation from James Cheek in Halifax precinct NC. Deed was witnessed by Amos Atkinson and Abraham Little. He died in Mar 1756 in Beaufort Co. NC. Beaufort Co. NC March Court, 1756. Son Abraham 100 acres where he now dwells, Thos Sharp, Cheek’s Mill Creek, James Hearn; 12lb to survey the land I bought from James Cheek & then to make a title to his 2 brothers. Son William & James – the remainder of sd tract of land which I bought from James Cheek. Son Jacob – 100 acres where I now dwell joining the Dividing Branch. Son John – 100 acres on north side of sd Dividing Branch except my daughter Jane Moring to have the use of where she now dwells during her lifetime. Son Isaac – pot. Son Joseph 10L VA. Wife Morning – rest of my estate during her lifetime & then to my 5 youngest sons Jacob, William, James, Joseph & John. Wife: Morning. Executors sons Isaac and Jacob Little. Witnesses Amos Atkinson, Mary Judkins, Jane Atkinson
He was married to Morning Kimborough . It is likely that Morning is not the mother of Abraham, Isaac, and Jane. William’s will gives Abraham the land where he now lives, Isaac only a pot, and Jane the right to live where she is now living. He makes other specific requests to Jacob and John. He then gives the balance to Morning as long as she lives and then to be divided between his youngest 5 sons. I believe this indicates these are Morning’s children and the other three are not.

(Notes from Jane M. Lindsay 1/3/99 and updated 2002)

William II was involved as a North Carolina commissioner helping settle the Virginia/North Carolina border in 1728, resulting in North Carolina becoming a royal colony.

William Little Jr (1685 – 1756)
7th great-grandfather
Jane Jeanette Little (1713 – 1764)
daughter of William Little Jr
Andrew Armour (1740 – 1801)
son of Jeanette Little
William Armor (1775 – 1852)
son of Andrew Armour
William Armer (1790 – 1837)
son of William Armor
Thomas Armer (1825 – 1900)
son of William Armer
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Thomas Armer
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor

Float, Sting, Sizzle

January 1, 2017 1 Comment

the watcher

the watcher

I have joined Chris Brogan for several years in pronouncing three theme words for the year as it begins. I have had some random success with this method, but sometimes I completely forget the words. I could look them up, but I don’t know what the words I chose were last year, so it did little good to decide on them.  Ironically, I usually have  a word on my inspiration list that reminds me to practice regularly, or stay consistent.  I believe I have not been specific enough about exactly what I would consistently do or practice. My approach to this year’s words, which I almost did not even do, relate to my wellness and creativity goals.  Both wellness and creativity are the summation of small but consistent practices. This year I want to put in minimal effort for maximal results. I want to waste no time, money or effort on anything that does not serve me.  If what I find myself doing does not pass the three word test in 2016 I will change my actions.  I want to do exclusively three things:

  1. Float- An efficient swimmer uses glide to stay on top of the water.  Getting the most out of each stroke is an art and a strategy for endurance.  If I want to live a better life I need to make use of my leisure time to truly fully relax and glide.  Meditation, time in nature, yoga, joyous communion with friends, and similar practices feed the soul and allow the mind to center and restore.  The float can be active or passive, but in order to qualify as a float it cannot be distracted.  We all need the restorative antidote to active lives.  This includes sleep and dreams.
  2. Sting-In an obvious tribute to Mohamed Ali, I plan to sting like a bee in 2017.  This represents clean, clear planning and targeted actions.  If I am not floating like a butterfly I need to direct my full attention to the task at hand to make it work.  I am forever flying by the seat of my pants. This has worked well (??) for me, so I am lazy as hell when it comes to planning. I have so much faith in my own ability to wing it that I do so.  Planning and executing a bullet journal to foster ideas for fiction writing I plan to do is an example.  I have thought about trying fiction for years, but have taken no action to begin.  A sting can be active or passive, but to qualify it must have a target.  Stinging involves hitting a predetermined bullseye.  It can be a health or a creativity goal, but it is specifically planned to create a desired outcome.
  3. Sizzle- In order to make any project worth the time it will consume in my schedule it needs to shine.  I have plenty of mundane tasks I need to accomplish without adding to the list.  This is related to stinging, but is about how the outside world receives my work.  If I am to write poetry or fiction worth reading I need to be much more discriminating.  In planning what and how to sting I will look beyond my ego and ask the question, “How does this serve the world?” Maybe this will be the year I start to do comedy, which I think I am so good at doing all the time.  If I really did comedy on purpose, and actually wrote some material, I could find out if the world would be amused.  To sizzle means to score somehow with others to enrich their lives. It can be strangers or people I know, but it has to benefit somebody somewhere.

I think this year I will print the list of words and keep it in my office where I will see it. That is probably the easiest and best way to stick to it.  I wish all my gentle readers a healthy and fortunate year.

Ritual vs Habit

December 29, 2016 2 Comments

 

Hygge

Hygge

I have started to read about the Danish version of minimalism known as hygge. I purchased a few books on sale and have started to read Hygge: A Danish Concept of Cozy Simple Living, by Noah Neilsen.  This simple but elegant lifestyle is core value centered as opposed to consumer centric.  Keeping a mindful ritualistic pace as well as a clean clear space leads to happiness and contentment with life.  This Danish version of minimalism is more multi dimensional than the similar Spark Joy book about tidying up, Japanese style.  I believe the lessons and the system proposed by Marie Kondo in her joy through tidying books, but I have not yet managed to follow through with the whole system.  Her books have guided me to vastly improve my tidying and set a long term goal of carrying out the system from the first step to the last. She has outlined what I know will be the final solution to clutter in the space and on the schedule.

I am successful at keeping my time to myself and my schedule light and easy to accomplish. I begin early on most chores, like filing taxes.  I have certain ritualistic practices at the end of the year designed to make the first of the next year run smoothly.  I clear my desk and clean out my files.  There is always a pile of paper I can use for starting first in my wood stove.  I keep an IRS pertinent file which I carefully fill for my trip to the accountant.  I file as soon as possible in order to experience the great feeling of relief from having finished it.  I never let it slide because the reward is to be basically finished with the year in taxes until my property taxes are due in November.  That is a wonderful vacation from concern. I don’t make resolutions.  I work for an early tax return in order to liberate myself from that drudgery for an extended period.

I like the elements of Hygge that go beyond cleaning and clearing clutter.  Meditation, simple hospitality, and artistic self expression are part of the Danish happiness template.  Dedicating time to pleasurable shareable activities is stressed over using time to consume things.  A monk like attention to the meditative qualities of daily work and life creates a person who is fully present.  Yoga is designed to train the mind to focus in spite of distractions.  There are other practical ways to unplug from the constant clammer of commercial interests to be closer to nature and to friends and family.  Any chore can become a source of pride and contentment.  The satisfaction in doing little things adds up to a content way of living.

I practice a few rituals upon which I can build my hygge.  My gym time, followed by steam room is a part of my life that reward me directly and over time.  I also exercise at home in my community hot tub.  Few others use it, so I virtually always have the pool deck to myself for a morning or evening stretch and relax in the water.  In summer I enjoy using the big pool as well.  This lifts my spirits and keeps me flexible. I incubate ideas, but do not allow any worry or distress to enter my work out time.  The movement is a remedy which needs to be applied in a pure state.  The steam room and personal grooming time that follows the gym time is part of my daily ritual that makes me feel good as well as look a little better.  I leave refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face any task.  The gym love is probably my strongest positive practice.

I believe the key to happiness is to find contentment in every moment, the face of God wherever one looks.  In 2017 I plan to hone and perfect some rituals I love, as well as find some new helpful ways to be present and find joy.  I believe that less is more and that simple pleasures are always abundantly available. Here are some examples I find very pleasurable:

  • Bathing
  • Skin care
  • Journaling
  • Mediation
  • Food sharing
  • Writing
  • Gardening
  • Art
  • Poetry
  • Exercise

The Danes are some of the happiest people on earth.  I had heard that this was because they have low expectations.  Now that I am intrigued by the hygge concept I see that they have very high expectations for presence, for authenticity, and for intimacy.  I have a couple of other books to read on the subject, but I have already embraced this idea.  I believe that coziness and simple abundance are much overlooked sourced of fulfillment in our society. It is no wonder these Danish writers are all the rage now.  We need a big dose of it in the United States.  How is your own hygge situation, gentle reader? Can you think of ways to leave bad habits in the dust by taking up purposeful happiness?

rest awhile

rest awhile

 

The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly

December 28, 2016 1 Comment

My father used to play this on his guitar, and sing it to me throughout my childhood. Burl Ives made the song popular.  I vividly remember both my dad and Burl on television, singing the song.  I knew all the words and sang along with gusto.  I thought it was funny, but now I know it is also ironic.  This is a story about dependent arising. One thing leads to another. It may be a metaphor in a children’s story, but it applies to many circumstances in real life.

Many are suggesting that by unraveling the election and the campaign we will learn something to liberate ourselves.  I think not.  If we would, however, review the path taken to arrive at this political point in our national life we would have to admit that we, the people, are apathetic.  If the population pays no attention, and allows the much despised congress to have its way with us, they will surely continue to serve themselves more than they serve us.  There is an established trajectory now of the congressional mission.  They are allowed to campaign full time and serve the citizens very little.  They have been able to use lobbyists to write the legislation they will pass with little input for constituents at home.  Everyone complains about this, but nobody has voted it out of office. How do you think this ends?

The latest warning I have heard about was a big family argument over the holiday at my friend’s dinner table.  Her sister-in-law is Venezuelan, which is close to my heart because I lived there in the 60’s.  The Venezuelan lady was at odds with her own husband about how dangerous it is to normalize what seems to be extreme fascism.  She has lived in Tucson for a long time, but is still connected to her home.  My friend said the topic provided grist for the family anger mill all evening.  I relate to this because I still know some friends from my youth who are living in Caracas today.  Some have moved to the states to live a safe life.  What was once a prosperous country is completely out of toilet paper and food.  There is little security.  The position in which they find themselves now was the result of a series of actions taken in the distant past. I agree with my friend’s sister-in-law, who is much younger than I am, and witnessed the demise of the economy in person.  Perhaps Venezuela will swallow a horse and end the madness.  It would be very sad.  It would also be sad if we learn nothing from their history.  We have swallowed a fly…….what shall we do about it, gentle reader?

Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela

Venezuela