Ring in Another Year!

Do you remember the old comic strip, "Calvin and Hobbes"?

Calvin expounded to Hobbes:

"I'm getting disillusioned with these new years. They don't seem very new at all! Each new year is just like the old year! Here another year has gone by and everything's still the same! There's still pollution and war and stupidity and greed! Things haven't changed! I say what kind of future is this? I thought things were supposed to improve! I thought the future was supposed to be better!"

Hobbes response:

"The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present."

Bill Watterson, the creator of this comic, got to the essence of things in a single strip. We may not have the genius of this cartoonist, but we can mull over his wisdom.

There will always be issues such as conflicts, greed, corruption, bribery. Those things will not change. What will change is our willingness to continue the fight to make the world a better place. Determination, fortitude, and an "I care" attitude do, and will continue to improve our world, piece by piece by piece, bit by bit. We may not see it, but this I believe, that we ourselves during this struggle to better our world, change ourselves. Each year we can become a stronger, wiser, more compassionate person. Some of this wisdom, filled with hope and love, may pass on to our children and those we touch during our passage through the many new years of our life.

Happy new year to all of you from this serene corner of the Black Hills of South Dakota!

Being Spoiled

What a switch! I recently wrote that at our age my husband and I do only token gift exchanging, having too many things to clutter our lives. Well, surprise, surprise. This year Bob requested that we not attend any holiday gatherings, but stay at home. (One exception was one guest included in our quiet holiday at home.)

After early morning skypeing with our children and grandchildren, Bob disappeared into the kitchen, creating a marvelous Christmas dinner. He allowed no admittance to me and managed to create a feast for kings. I did set the table and did the dishes after, but it was a special gift to be banished from the kitchen for the day.(I have never been overly fond of cooking, especially for guests and holidays.)

In addition to this pampering I opened a gift of a beautiful necklace set, fit for a queen, and was escorted to the back yard where Bob had been working all week, out of my view, on a CHICKEN COOP for our garden. We will get 3 or 4 chickens that will enrich our soil with fertilizer, devour all grasshoppers and annoying insects, mice and other unwelcome critters, but, best of all, furnish us and our neighbors with healthy eggs from free-roaming chickens.

Bob is going to purchase Icelandic chickens, hardy and suitable for this weather, as well as feisty fighters against predators. I also received a small incubator to hatch about 4 chickens. Bob remembered that during my teaching days I often hatched chickens in my classroom as part of a science project. It was the highlight of the science unit for the students and also, this very enthused teacher.

What fun! What a husband! What a Christmas to remember! It was my year to be indulged...something I never expected at this senior time of life.

During 2015 I will keep my readers in the "chicken loop" of my life. Keep tuned!

Changing Perspectives

As a child I looked at Christmas with anticipation. What would Santa bring? My help in decorating was minimal. Early on the tree was decorated during the Eve after we children were asleep and all presents appeared magically under that tree. The days before the holiday dragged on. A turtle could have whizzed by them.

As a young adult/teen I was focused on gifts for others....boys and other friends and my family, and what would I receive from them? Holiday parties were wrapped around what clothes would I wear, would I have a date? Time seemed to move at a quicker pace.

As an adult woman pre-holidays passed too quickly. There was work, gifts for co-workers, spouses, children and parents. Shopping and decorating took a chunk of precious time. During the sandwich years it was important to include parents in the festivities in one way or another. As my parents aged that involved lengthy drives to their home for the holidays.

Today, in my retirement years, the focus has shifted to the grandchildren. The search for the perfect gifts starts early. After all, isn't the job of a grandparent to spoil them? Parents are caught in those 'tween years"...work, children and their parents. Grandparents have shed the daily grind, have lost their own parents who once indulged them at Christmas, no longer want gifts from one another, having shed their appetite for things that may clutter their home and so, with the exception of token gifts for friends and one another, the urge for giving spot-lights mainly on those grandchildren.

Giving is a gift of love and caring for another. That never leaves, or, at least at this period in my life still tugs at my heart each time I see something that I think may give joy to another. When that certain item is spotted I tuck it away to be given or mailed to someone in my life for the appropriate occasion. At this stage of the game as parents and friends leave this world and my circle of gift-giving narrows, it is a joy to discover that special gift for the grandchildren, children and friends near and dear.

May all of you faithful readers find joy in giving during this holiday season and may you always have someone in your life that will feel special when they open that gift of love from you.

Back Porch, Front Porch

Meow, meow, meow. Skitty, the calico stray peers into our back door begging for food. Muddy, her black and white offspring, sits on the railing looking into our back window. First thing in the morning when I open the blinds, he sits looking in at me, wide-eyed with anticipation.

Bob and I have become accustomed to the sight, early morning and later in the day. When we drive home, both cats recognize the car and come running to our door, waiting for their handouts.

Last week I opened the front door to let in the warmth of the early sun into our front porch. Meow, meow. Front paws on the screen door was the neighbor's large white cat asking for attention. I opened the door and he trotted in, walked around a bit and sped back out. Every day since he is at the door. He is solid and must weigh 20 pounds. He is not needing food. We don't know what he expects, but whenever we exit the front door, he follows us around. We know he lives across the street but somehow he has the idea that we are his second home. Once in a while he shows up at our back door, much to our alley cat's dismay. Muddy's large eyes grow larger when he shows up, especially when he nibbles on his food. The nerve of that fat cat! He is a well-fed house cat, obviously pampered, and he is infringing on the alley cats' territory.

What can I say? I can pet him (which is fun since the alley cats will not allow the touch), but now, no matter which door I exit, there is a cat or two, looking up at me with that look of "poor me. Take pity and feed me."

We are surrounded. I hate to say this, but we have become the cat house of the neighborhood. Shhhhhh..........

Once Again, Ho, Hum and Betrayal

Another town hall meeting from the VA. The head honchos, Steve DiStasio and Janet Murphy, director of VISN 23, conducted the meeting. It is all supposed to be about listening to veterans and their concerns and answering their questions. Well, no surprise to those of us who have been at previous such meetings, most questions were dodged or brought refusals to answer.

The National Historic Preservation Trust is opposed to the closure of our VA, as well as all of our representatives in Washington from four of our states, the veterans who use this facility, the taxpayers, and we townspeople who are part of this veteran' town.

On the other side, in favor of closure of the highest quality health care VA, are the few, the closed-minded and the self-seeking. Frustrating? Perhaps a veteran who emails me on a regular basis has expressed himself better than I, in the following email I received from him after the meeting yesterday that he did not attend:

I thought that it would be more redundant as most stories are the same and they all seem to fall on deaf ears. I simply couldn't take any more of the rhetoric from DiStasio without getting more agitated than I already am. After the comments I made last meeting the residual effects stayed with me for several days.

It is so hard for many of our veterans to stay calm when faced with all that is going on. When comments are made to turn our VAMC into storage units, it is nearly impossible to keep out PTSD symptoms in check. We (veterans) have found peace of mind here (in Hot Springs) and now the VA is going to take that away. Once again we feel betrayed and abandoned.

What are they doing to those who served? Will other young citizens enlist when they realize how they will be betrayed by the government they might serve? Will taxpayers revolt when they discover the insult to them?

I don't have answers to the questions at this time. I can only surmise. What I do know is that the veteran who sent me this email this morning has expressed his feelings, feelings shared by many veterans, and his words speak volumes and more eloquently than anything I could ever say.

Still With Us

It was a year ago that the hungry alley cat showed up at our back door. She had moved into our back yard, living under a shed that had been occupied earlier by a skunk (removed earlier by a neighbor with a live trap). She was a very skittish calico and we named her Skitty. She took up residence with us through that long, cold winter. Bob fed her twice daily with fat-filled food to help her survive the cold. She was a voracious eater and soon took to eating three times a day. We indulged her with both wet and dry foods.

One day in early spring two neighbor dogs trapped Skitty under the shed. She panicked and moved out, but remained close enough to return for food at least twice a day. She gained weight and we thought she may be pregnant. Sure enough, in late May she returned to our back yard and following along was a tiny black and white kitten. Too late for this time, but when the kitten was old enough, we captured both and had them fixed by the No-kill Shelter.

This November makes one year that Skitty has been part of our lives. We are not sure if she captures the field mice that scamper through the gardens, but we are hopeful. I stopped feeding the birds when she first arrived, but she does stalk the ones who dare to trespass on our lawn or light on our bushes to search for the dried up berries from the summer blooms. The black and white kitten has learned to feast off of our back-porch bounty.

We are now feeding two. Perhaps they return the favor by eliminating the mice that used to sneak into our sheds and garden. Fingers crossed that they don't catch the birds. Either way, they are a part of our lives since the old calico came to our back door that bitter cold November of 2013.

Skitty has survived for five or six years (according to the vet). She may have been born into the wild, or abandoned by some thoughtless people, but either way, she and her lone kitten have entered our world and are now part of our family....our back yard family. They may be wild, but the sight of them sitting patiently on our back porch each morning as I raise the shades of the window, is somehow comforting and reassuring.

Inside and outside touch briefly on one another. Rain, snow, cold, heat. They are there.

A Slammed Door

We sat in the over-crowded room expecting little and receiving zilch. A federal agency working on an environmental assessment for our historic VA, receiving reimbursement from the VA that is trying to close us, well, what did we expect? Of course the bias was in favor of closure of our VA. The meeting was tightly controlled by the woman from the EIS. We were upset, but being told in advance that we could not make any comments or ask questions, we sat tight. Well, most of us did.

When a few tried to speak up, they were told to sit down, with the exception of a representative from the VA who was allowed to respond. As the meeting progressed, anger mounted. Finally, when one on the committee was interrupted by the dictatorial leader of the meeting,  a member of the audience stood up and shouted "Don't interrupt him, this is (fu,,,,) ridiculous! He stormed out and slammed the door, carrying much of the rage and futility of the rest of us observers with him.

As a friend wrote me after he finished reading my book, Reveille in Hot Springs, "I can see why the powers that are prefer not to put a human face on this closing of your VA. Most of the stories dealing with PTSD, and alcohol/substance abuse, not to mention injuries, well, what can you say? It really is never actually about the individual, but it's all about numbers when it comes to bureaucracies."

Ah, yes, the federal government will not, or can not look upon individual veterans. They can manipulate numbers easily and these numbers, in our case, have been distorted and corrupted. Feelings? Well, how can a large agency deal with them? Stories, pleas, hopes and requests? Well, they can make the bureaucrats uncomfortable. It seems simpler to crunch numbers and slip them into slots that fit easily into "their plan".

What about the veterans and their families? What about the taxpayers that will have to foot the bill for a more expensive alternative? Just who do these people represent? Not the veterans, not the taxpayers.

It is ironic when you think about it. We, the taxpayers pay their salaries. We, and the veterans who served them, do not seem to count. The story is not complete and the battle goes on. Stay tuned for further developments.

Living in the Black Hills

Happy to be inside today. The wind is blowing the snow around something fierce. We do live in a "banana belt" and usually see less snow and faster melt, but for now we have had lengthy cold which brings back memories of living in Minnesota. The forecast is for warmer days ahead, so today there is hope for the return of our balmier winter.

Last week we were returning home from a party. It was late, at least for us in our elder years. We drove through Wind Cave Park, the blackness of a moonless night surrounding us. Suddenly, in the car lights, four large elk leapt across in front of us. Bob stopped the car, waiting for the rest of the herd. I opened the window to listen. There was not a sound. The four elk stood frozen to the side of the road. On the opposite side we could see the outline of the rest of the herd, all were antlered and magnificent as they stood silently like statues, barely visible in the inky darkness. We waited. They waited. Then quickly and silently the four elk who had first ventured in front of our car returned to the remaining herd. They made not a sound. It was as if they were four ghost ships gliding across a glassy sea. Then, in an instant, the entire herd faded into the night.

We drove on. In a few miles we came across a large herd of mule deer. They ignored us, barely looking up from eating the green roadside grass. Again I opened my window. Again there was silence, but this time I could hear one large deer standing within a few feet. There was the faint sound of grass chewing...ever so faint. The herd continued to eat and we drove on.

Just before we left the park a herd of bison came into view of our headlights. Some of them were on the road, searching for salt left by cars. This group were not as silent. I could hear a few snorts and the heavy breathing of one who loomed too close to the car.  They were not intimidated by us. It seemed as if they knew their power and had no need to flee.

Our drive home took about 30 minutes. There was no moonlight or daylight, but yet we felt the beauty of our Hills. It is a great place to live, no matter the season or time of day. We arrived home filled with gratitude.

The Winds of November

The hoopla is over, including the disappearance of yard signs, flyers, letters and phone messages. Most everyone breathes a deep sigh of relief. The inundation of political messages has become exhausting, to say the least. And what was the result of this very expensive outlay in the promotion of candidates who will attempt to lead our country, state or county?

In most cases it is the "same ol, same ol". But then many vote by party only while others choose not to vote. As for me, I consider it a privilege and an obligation to do so. No matter the outcome, I have the right to complain. I filled in the slots in the ballot box. Those who do not do so, lose their right to complain, as far as I am concerned.

In our state many citizens vote by party only. They check the R spot with no thought and go merrily on their way. That seems to be a comparison to those who neglect the polls all together. No thought, no effort, no strain. Life goes on, but perhaps, in time, not to their best interests. Our state actually elected a politician who in the past, as an elected official, was involved in some government issues tainted with suspicion, and who is presently under investigation by the FBI. Go figure!

Our state and county have re-elected some who vote against the wishes of the majority and who are influenced by the large corporations. Go figure!

Our state and county have elected officials who vote for themselves instead of the people they are supposed to represent. Go figure!

Some of these corporations have bribed citizens to write letters supporting them and to influence un-informed citizens to vote for them. Go figure!

Our state voted in two ballot measures, one to raise the minimum wage and one for doctor choice. The majority voted against the prevailing wishes of many of the same candidates they put into office. Go figure!

But then look at history, world-wide. Perhaps nothing has really changed. Perhaps it never will, except for brief interludes of hope. There have been major and minor revolutions....medical, political, social, scientific, spiritual and cultural.  They have brought discomfort, hope, chaos and, at times, bloodshed. Change is never easy, and seldom peaceful. From the American Revolution and the French Revolution to the Civil Right protests. The list goes on and on.....from the Old Testament through today. And yet, looking carefully, the world has become a better place in many ways and places through time and upheavals. Think about it, would you choose to live in Europe during the Middle Ages? What about during the glory of Rome?

Check out history books or historical dramas. We are in a better place now in so many ways. We have a long way to go but I prefer to live here and now in this place and time. If the citizens become too angry, then we may see another revolution, peaceful or otherwise.  Time will tell. Go figure!

A Double Hitter for our Veterans

For almost three years we citizens and veterans from Hot Springs, along with those who use our VA from the Indian reservations and other states, have been fighting to get our message out to the decision makers in Washington: "we need to save our rural VA to serve the veterans from past and present conflicts who do not want to receive their care from other facilities."

Our struggle has been largely ignored by the Veteran's Affairs in Washington, in spite of the fact that we had a delegation from Hot Springs, along with our representatives from SD, who travelled to make a face-to-face case for our cause with the then Secretary Shinseki.

Since the huge scandal erupted at the Phoenix VA things have changed. First of all Secretary Shinseki and his right-hand man, Petzel, have resigned. Then this past week the Black Hill's director of our VA, Steve DiStasio, announced his retirement. This announcement was met with rejoicing by many veterans who have been troubled, to say the least, by the ruthless cuts Mr. DiStasio has made to our VA, with his ultimate goal of closure, leaving only a clinic to service the needs of the veterans in the area.

To add frosting to the cake of this latest hopeful announcement, our present Secretary McDonald of the Veterans Affairs in Washington was quoted as saying, "I have been asked why doesn't the VA just hand out vouchers allowing veterans to get care wherever they want? I learned that veterans need the VA."

Yes, yes, yes! This is what we have been saying all along. Do not cut us or other VA facilities. Improve them, but don't erase them. Veterans cannot receive the unique care they need at other hospitals. They have served their country and all they ask in return is continued health care from personnel trained to serve veterans. Our country owes them no less.

Finally we see signs of hope for our veterans and the VA facilities that treat them. This has been a long, and sometimes futile-feeling battle. But with the departures of those in charge who did not feel what many veterans feel, and with the winds of possibilities blowing our way, hope is renewed.

For all of those who have continued to work for our goal, and for all of the veterans who gave their stories for the book, Reveille in Hot Springs, I send my very best wishes and gratitude. The road to victory lies before all of you and all of the veterans still to come.

Time May Heal

For years after the devastating Alabaugh Fire of 2007 in which we lost most of our possessions and home, Bob and I stopped going to auctions. In my first book, A (not so) Simple Life, I wrote a chapter about auctions and my addictions to them. Bob and I had furnished much of our house with antiques purchased at auctions. Attending them had been a refreshing break for Bob from his work of building our retirement home.

Then came the fire that wiped out that very special "off the grid" house and Bob lost all enthusiasm for auctions. When I would coax him with an ad announcing one he would say, "I lost patience for them". And, indeed, if we did go to one on occasion, we left within a few minutes.

Last week there was an auction two blocks from our house. The sign outside was difficult to ignore as we passed it every day. On the day of the event we stopped for a few minutes, and, to no surprise, we left after a brief scan of the items. I had business to attend to and when I came home later Bob was not there.

It was late when he came home. He hitched the trailer to the car and disappeared again. A short time later he returned. The trailer was filled with several items, one of which was a lawn mower. It was obvious that he had gone back to the auction.

The next day Bob was out mowing the lawn. It looked especially nice. "Why did you get a lawn mower?" I asked. "You already have two."

It turned out that this was a special mower and quite new. It not only mowed, but it mulched the leaves and grass. No more raking and the mulch was good for the grass! As usual, Bob had looked for some deals and had managed to snag a few. Some of his auction patience had returned. Shock after any trauma has long-term effects, but, in time, some of the small joys in life do return. I have seen it in both of us, and for that I am grateful.

An Ode to October

What a difference a year makes. In early October, 2013 our beautiful Black Hills were covered with snow. Cattle had frozen by the hundreds after the devastating early storm that brought rain, cold, wind and snow, all of which were too much for the cattle and horses caught by the unexpected fury of the twists of nature.

Today we have passed the half way mark of October. The sun brightens the turning leaves, the air is crisp and clear and we are all enjoying the balmy waning days of Autumn. I have hopes that this coming winter will be milder and sunnier than the drawn out gray and freezing days of last year.

They yard signs for the November voting are prominent in many yards. "Vote for me", they proclaim. They, too, have promises, not unlike the weather. They suggest that they will make our lives better, that they will represent us, the voters.

As I enjoy my peaceful walk to the river and back, I wonder if, like the weather, the elected officials will turn their backs on their promises. Will they really listen to our hopes, or, like last year's October weather, will they turn to rain on our hopes, followed by the cold and wind of their personal desires and leave us covered with the heavy, wet snow of their ignorance or greed and self-interest?

I suppose only time will tell. Hope does seem to "spring eternal", but reality often crashes those same hopes. But then, many of the candidate do admit what they really stand for, and they do get elected. It follows that those that vote them in should not be surprised or complain with the results. We will see. Many promises of hopeful Autumn are dashed in the midst of winter.

This week promises to be sunny and mild. I intend to enjoy the weather as forecast. It may have to carry me through the reality to come. Beautiful, colorful October. Long may you reign!

Drip, Drip, Drip

Chilly and wet, a typical October day. This is the type of day that calls for hot chili, cocoa, a good book and snuggling up by a fire. It is a forecast of the colder, gray days to come, with less sun, longer nights and, hopefully, more time for musing, reflecting and absorbing.

It seems that there have been more and more days of activity, filled with meetings, letter writing, group activities, fund raisers, etc., etc. Today, soggy and gloomy, is a reminder of quieter days to come...days for renewal and rejuvenation, days to catch up on those un-finished magazines, days to sleep in without guilt or a to-do list. Everyone can use these kind of days.

Today is one of them. I will close this blog with ahhhhhhhh, I am retuning to the fire, in cozy slippers, with a book. Do not disturb!

A Promise Kept

I first met Fred in 2012, a few months after the announcement on December, 2011 about the planned closure of the Hot Springs VA. I was taking testimonials from veterans who used our VA and wanted it to remain open. The testimonials were to be sent to the VA administration in Washington, DC.

Fred had fought for his country in Vietnam and he volunteered once again, this time to fight the battle to save our VA. He was hesitant to tell his story. He was modest about his time in the service but resolute about the importance of saving the Hot Springs VA that was crucial to his health care. His diabetes and neuropathy, which had left him house-bound, were connected to his exposure to Agent Orange, the herbicide used by our military to destroy the vegetation in jungles of Vietnam. When Fred went to the VA they would bring out the maps and ask him where he had been in Vietnam. He said that he had received excellent care from the VA.

The following are Fred's words from part of his interview with me: When I joined the Marines and went to Vietnam I believed in the cause. I thought that Communism would spread like the domino effect and I wanted to do my part to keep that from happening. Six months into it I began to realize that it was a lost cause. They were a third world country and couldn't, and, at times, wouldn't defend themselves. It's a tall order to go from a peasant country to a democracy. From that time on I was looking forward to getting out of the service, but I had a personal sense of responsibility and I had made a promise to my country. Now my country is breaking their promise to us.

It was an American policy that when flyers were down they would try to go in and get them to safety. They did everything they could to protect their people and fly out to rescue them. How's a guy from Crawford, Alliance or Pine Ridge Reservation going to feel when they have to take a three hour ride in an ambulance to get to the hospital? It will take an extra hour and a half to get to Fort Meade from Hot Springs. When someone was down in Nam, they risked their own lives to get him out.

Long ago Fred kept his promise to his country even when he no longer believed in the cause. Then he became worried that soon that same government he once served would break its promise and deny him and other veterans accessible and quality health care. Agent Orange left its ugly mark on this loyal veteran of the Vietnam War. His last years were spent in a nursing home in Rapid City.

With quiet determination and dignity Fred fought his final battle by sharing his story. His words will live on in Reveille in Hot Springs, a book of testimonials by and for all veterans, past, present, and those yet to come.

He was buried today with full military honors. May he finally rest in peace.

Not Again!

Hot Springs had memorial for two veterans who died this month. They died too young and only two days apart. We can choose to be angry at the VA for skimping on enough care to have kept them with us longer, or we can simply choose to grieve their passing.

The stories abound.....too lengthy waits for care, too many deaths. We have one in our own back yard that smacked us in the face. They young man had served his country in special "ops" for many years. He had spent some of those years in Afghanistan. He had been through treatment once for addiction and PTSD. He had floated about after he left the service, had re-enlisted and had once again returned to civilian life. That life was now confusing for him. He continued to drift, searching for himself and his place in a world apart from the military that had been his home for much of his life.

He knew one thing that he thought would help, and that was his return to our VA to help him sort through his issues among fellow veterans and personnel trained to counsel veterans in issues unique to former military who had been trained to obey, to fight and to kill. Civilian life could be a shock and disconcerting for many.

He went to our VA which had helped him once before and which he knew was one of the best in our country for helping veterans adjust to their former homes and lives, so out of sync with their military experience.

Sixty days! He was told that they had no beds and he would have to wait for sixty days to gain admittance into a treatment program. He felt he could not wait...his pain and confusion were overwhelming him.

Some veterans have left our town when faced with this news and they have drifted off into the unknown. Some are now homeless, while others have chosen a swifter way to end their pain -- permanently.

This veteran chose another route. He got stinking drunk for two days and was admitted to de-tox at the VA, with a speedy entrance into the substance abuse program in the domiciliary.

Desperation can lead a man in many directions. I can only hope that this veteran has chosen the path most helpful to him and that, in time, he may find what he needs to regain his place with fulfilling employment and healthy relationships as a friend, father and son.

I feel that for now he is safe and getting the care he seeks, but late, in the quiet of the night, I wish, ever so deeply, that I could be of more help in his journey. If only.....

Memorial for a Veteran

They came from Idaho, Colorado, Nebraska and Hot Springs. Family and friends came to pay last respects to a veteran, a fitness trainer, business owner, son, nephew and beloved friend. He had lived in Hot Springs for only a few years, but he left an indelible mark on many...some for fitness and health, others for inspiration and moral support.

He had been through the programs at our VA, opened a fitness studio and offered his story in my book, Reveille in Hot Springs, in order to do his part to help us save our VA. During the memorial service tears fell freely as many of us attempted in some way to express our feelings about this remarkable young man who left us too soon. The following was my testimonial to his memory:

We have come to pay tribute to a very special person, a young man who was much loved by this veteran community, not only for his incredible gifts for assisting many of us on a road to better health, but also for his caring for each one he met and impressed with his intelligence, acceptance and abundant sharing of his love.

I first met Wade in late February of 2013. I was in the editing process for my book about our battle to save our VA in Hot Springs when I received an email from my editor. "You don't have any stories that bring us inside the domiciliary that many of the veterans are passionate about saving. You need to find a veteran who can tell what goes on in the treatment program at your VA."

Wade eagerly stepped up to the plate. He wanted to save our VA where it was, in the town that had embraced him and made him feel safe. He was proud of his part in this battle. He felt that he would live on forever with his story he had shared.

Not only will he live on in this book, but he will live on in all of us clients who, under his encouragement and guidance, have improved our health. I began working with Wade as my personal trainer in September of 2013. I was blessed to have had an entire year under his unique training, unlike any physical training available anywhere else. He sized up each client and adapted a program to meet the needs of each one.

My request had one focus.....I wanted to walk again, do the River Walk, including the stairs up to the museum and I also wanted to be able to get onto the motorcycle behind my husband and ride as we had one years before. I wanted to be back to my former self before my surgeries.

Two summers before I came to Wade I had had three surgeries within a month and, without my fully realizing it, had lost muscle tone and could only walk a few blocks before fatigue set in. Steps had become impossible without hanging on to a railing.

Last Tuesday, September 9th, I was especially eager to keep my appointment. I wanted to share the news that I had walked the entire path and made it up the stairs for the first time since the surgeries. I also had made it on Bob's motorcycle. Wade never got to hear my news, which I knew would have delighted him, but since last week, every time I take the stairs, I find myself saying, "I am doing this, Wade. I will keep on with all you taught me." When I feel like whining, "I can't,", I remember Wade's quick encouraging, "But you can!"

This is one client who will never forget.

The End of Struggle

We knocked on his door. No answer. "That's odd. He always calls when he cancels an appointment", I said to Bob.

His bicycle was in the back. I thought he had gone back into the domiciliary as happened once before and he had left no message. I had scolded him then for not notifying any of his clients. We worried about him. He lived alone and had many issues to deal with. He was a veteran dealing with PTSD, substance abuse, brain trauma, and several emotional disorders. We knew he suffered from severe migraines and sleep deprivation. Lately he had used several prescription drugs to help with his insomnia and migraines. He shared some of his issues with us, but none of us really realized the extent of his despair. How could we? Listening to another is not the same as walking in his shoes. We could not feel the pain that lead him to mixing so many meds to ease that pain.

After a few days of no word I called those who knew the ropes and could tell me if he were in the VA for treatment or for medical issues. Not long before he had almost died from kidney failure because of drugs he was taking. His drugs were changed, but he still took many since his issues were many.

The sheriff came to see me. "We found him dead in his apartment. He was lying on the floor. I saw all of his medications lined up on the table. It did not look like suicide, but we have to wait for the autopsy."

Several of us who knew and loved him gathered at a kitchen table. We talked about all we knew about his final days. We shared our grief, smothered by the shock of so recent a happening. He had been such an asset to the community, helping many of us regain physical strength through his fitness training, specialized to each of our individual needs. He had a rare gift; to be able to see what each client needed and to adapt his personal training to those needs. He treated arthritis, Parkinson's, MS, weight loss, strength gain, body building, or whatever his client requested.

His love and concern for each client showed clearly. He wanted them to be the best they could be. He once told me that working with his clients and watching them achieve their goals brought him the most fulfillment to his life; a life filled with physical and emotional struggles. He loved our VA and our town. He worried about the possible loss of our VA. He did not know where he would go. He needed the closeness of a VA, but he also cherished the warmth of Hot Springs.

We had talked about his loneliness, his desire for a special person to share his life. He worried about a someone who could be a part of his constant struggle in life. Who could be there for his emotional highs and lows, for his migraines, his sleeplessness, his daily demons he fought to be able to be there for his clients?

I met Wade when I interviewed him for a chapter in my book, Reveille in Hot Springs: the Battle to Save our VA. He had been through both the substance abuse program and the PTSD program. His chapter, "Inside the Dom" took the reader through the inner treatment programs at our VA.

One time, after re-reading his chapter, he told me, "I sure am one screwed up dude." He had shared his story, honestly, with a raw edge, but as he re-read it, many times, he seemed to see himself for the first time. It was as if he was reading about someone else, even thought the words had come from him.

I can only speak for me but I know that his encouragement and belief in me kept me going in my training with him. He would say, "You are an inspiration to me, Mary. You help to keep me going."

I believe that all of his clients helped to keep him going. They each inspired him and helped him to deal with his pain. But late in the night, sleepless, with only pills to ease his struggle, he turned more and more to those small prescribed aids to relieve his pain, physical and emotional, and in the end, too many, too soon, took him away from us, much, much too soon. He has left a void. He was loved.

Goodbye dear veteran, my trainer, my friend. You have left a hole in my heart.

The Winds of Change

Today a couple from England stopped by. "Everything is going to pot in our country. The authorities are afraid to go after the minorities who have arrived en masse since we joined the European Union. When they commit crimes such as the recent scandal regarding the sex trade of children by mainly the Pakistanis, the police turn the other way for fear that they will be labeled racist. Some of the new arrivals do find employment while others take advantage of our system to receive all the benefits without trying to fit into our culture. We have no strong leadership to take control. After we retired we moved to Wales. I guess we will wait it out and hope for change."

You hear complaints from tourists from other countries, tourists from our country and from all around. "Our leadership is corrupt, the corporations run the country, the rich get richer, the poor are losing ground and the middle class is disappearing. We want change, but no matter who gets elected they owe their votes to those with the money who got them elected. No one listens to us. Just follow the money and you will follow the votes."

"Perhaps", the couple from England said, "Perhaps when things get bad enough and the people have had enough, things will change."

Some complain, some give up and try to ignore everything going on around them. Some move to Wales. Others keep on trying to better the world in any way that they can. Every person needs to do what they feel is best for them and what they can handle at any time in their lives. I cannot possibly judge what others do or don't do. I have not "walked a mile in their shoes." This I do know, I hope that I can continue to hope for a better world, whatever that may be, and be grateful to those who keep on working for change and living with hope.

Yet Another Goodbye

After all, by my age I should be used to saying goodbye to friends, but why is it always difficult to have close friends leave your small spot on this earth? I know that this goodbye will inevitably allow for another hello...another enrichment for my life...but for now, for a while, there will be that hole, that emptiness that no one else will ever fill. I will look on that friendship as a gift that I enjoyed for a time and that will always have a place in my heart, but still, for now, for this while, I will feel the vacuum, the void left by a presence moved away.

Farewell, friend and ally. Soon our only contact will be via the internet or telephone. I wish you the very best in your new community, new friends, new life. You have that way about you, and I have no doubt that you will bring new friends into your world, swiftly and surely, as you did when you entered my part and time on this earth, this very earth that you will always fight to protect.

"may the wind always be at your back..."
(from and old Irish blessing)

Fifteen Minutes for a Veteran

The doorbell rang. It was 8:00 on Sunday night. He stood quietly at our front door with two pieces of paper folded in his hand. He looked down at the papers, then up at me. He seemed tired and worried.

"I stopped at the ministerial place but no one was there. Then I remembered Mary and I came here because I didn't know what else to do."

This veteran had driven from Rosebud Reservation. Because he lived over 75 miles away from his medical appointment he was entitled to receive a discounted rate for his motel room before his surgery the next day in Rapid City. He needed to get his voucher from the Hot Springs VA and he was going to stay in a motel in Hot Springs because it would be less expensive than one in Rapid City. When he went up to the VA he was told that he was 15 minutes too late to receive his discount for the motel. He had to have his appointment by 10:00 and they had scheduled him for 10:15.

"She told me at the desk that she had to save the VA money." He sighed, "I can't drive back to Rosebud tonight. It is too far to make my appointment tomorrow and I can't afford full price for a motel. I thought you could help."

I made a call to another veteran who knew the ropes. He made a call and called me back.

"Tell Alfred to meet me at Motel 6" was the message.

One veteran helps another. Is this the story now days? The VA schedules a veteran fifteen minutes too late to receive a motel discount. The VA saves some money. Who gets the money? I suspect it is not the taxpayers. I can't imagine our senators or representatives being treated in a similar fashion....

"I'm sorry, Senator, you will be losing some of your health care benefits because we have to save the taxpayers money."

Do you think one senator will help another? I really don't know the answer to my question, but this I do know, when a veteran is in trouble, there will likely be another veteran to come to his aid. They learned in the service to work as a "band of brothers" and that spirit follows them throughout their lives.

Hello, to our politicians out there! You ask for their service and then snip away at their benefits. My question to you is, "Is this the only way you know to save money?"

Really? Get real!

"Two for the Show..."

In this small community located in "the boonies" of the Black Hills, we actually had two hearings by the federal government: the first being the field hearing on our VA that we have been fighting to save for over two years, and the second, less than a week later, was the hearing by the NRC regarding allowing a permit for in-situ uranium mining in our county.

Once again, as I said about the first hearing in my last blog, "I was there!" It was an honor to witness ordinary citizens fighting to preserve the purity of their water with extraordinary testimony, frequently backed by scientific facts plus their personal connections to the issue.

For many individuals, public speaking is one of the most intimidating experiences, but this group of residents, most in opposition to the permit, faced their fears and stood before the group from
Washington and shared their concerns over the strong possibility of contamination to our water by this mining process intruding into our aquifers.

One of the supporters of this mining stated that we rely on electricity for the lights and air conditioning that we were enjoying at the moment in the auditorium in Hot Springs; ergo, he supported mining for uranium which could supply electricity. (Omitting the fact that our country does not need the uranium and the yellow cake from the mines would be shipped to China or other countries).

Before I made my testimony in opposition to a project that would consume enormous gallons of our water, with a strong possibility of contamination of that same water, I made an observation to the judges. "One of the previous speakers mentioned the need we had for electricity. I think that we could exist without electric lights and the comfort of air conditioning, or encourage the use of renewable energy, but what would we do without the water that I see before each of you?"

You have heard it before, but "water is life". Truly it is needed for our very existence. Each judge sitting before us had a bottle of water. They would not be drinking it if it was filled with heavy metals. They would prefer not to face a long, slow painful death.

I was honored to be at this hearing. I was proud of those who spoke up for their belief that pure water is sacred and is needed for our generation and those to follow. Even the slightest possibility of contamination for years to come is not worth the risk of some temporary employment. Passion for purity versus greed and bribery....it never changes, and I suppose it never will. Perhaps that is what life is about; the fight, the struggle, and those who take one path or the other, and those who study and search for ways to benefit our planet and all of those who rent a space and a brief time on this earth we call home.

"You Had it Coming to Y'a"

Twenty citizens, at the most, usually attend the federal Congressional Field Hearings. Here in Hot Springs, SD we had almost 500! Unprecedented! A bus load of veterans came from Nebraska, about 50 Native veterans from Pine Ridge reservation, and the majority were from Hot Springs, the Veterans Town.

Our five from Save our VA presented data to support keeping our VA where it is to benefit the veterans and the taxpayers. They were direct, factual and passionate. (especially Amanda Campbell when she demanded the removal of Steve Distasio.) When questioned by the congressionals, Kristi Noem from SD and Adrian Smith from Nebraska, all answered with back-up data.

In part two of the sessions Noem and Smith questioned the director of Black Hills Health care, Steve Distasio and Dr. Steven Julius, the medical director for the Black Hills VA facilities. These two, leaders of our two VA facilities could not respond to the questions put to them. It is best put by Representative Noem when she said "Frankly I am offended that Black Hills Health Care did not bring the numbers with them; they had nothing to show. Save the VA had all of its data and answered every question asked of them."

I was proud of everyone of our people testifying. I was proud of our congressional representatives who asked the difficult questions, not backing down before the arrogance of the representatives from the VA and I was proud of our townspeople who listened carefully, responded appropriately and showed restraint for the most part when their anger was seething at the deception and dodging by the leaders of the VA.  Oh, yes, to be fair, one admitted that he received his bonus.

I am grateful that I was part of the meeting. The feelings flowing throughout can not be captured by the media, no matter how well they reported the hearings. I was there, I was there! How fortunate that in this time, at this place, at this historic meeting, I was there. We are making history important to all of our veterans and I am thankful that I was there!

For those who are interested in following this in detail, there will be articles in the Hot Spring Star, the Rapid City Journal and the entire proceedings on www.theveteranstown.com.

"Hooray and Halleluia!"

Has it really been almost three years since our battle began to save our VA in Hot Springs? Actually, it has been 2 years and 8 months since the announcement of the proposed closure. After months of meetings, letter writing, sign making and on and on, we are finally having our day in the sun, our moment of truth, our chance to be heard by the decision makers from Washington, with a congressional hearing in Hot Springs.

Our community members have written a proposal that will benefit the veterans, our town and the taxpayers. Save the VA committee members met with former Secretary Shinseki in Washington but were largely ignored. He refused to see for himself what our VA has to offer veterans. We know, we have the numbers to make our proof and we have 5 presenters who will make our case this Thursday before the chairperson and vice chairman of the House Committee of Veteran's Affairs.

Will we win? Time will tell. Will we be heard? If we are, we will win. We have everything in our favor for the benefit of the veterans, present and to come. If you are interested you can follow our battle on www.theveteranstown.com. We may be a small community in the "boonies" or the "fly-over zone as we are known to both coasts, but we have spirit, compassion, common sense and a willingness to fight for what we know is right. We are Hot Springs, SD, the veterans town!

We Knew

We have proven over and over that we are "The Veterans Town". My book, Reveille in Hot Springs shows again and again in the different stories from both veterans and townspeople that we are committed to our VA, our State Home for Veterans and our veterans. Both the veterans and our VA are part of the heart and soul of this community. For a second time our American Legion, together with the help of the city, county, chamber and individuals have brought the Vietnam Wall back to our town. It has a place of honor here as I write these words. Hot Springs is largely made up of veterans who have chosen to make this place their forever home. One of the largest factors contributing to this decision is our very special VA that offers loving, personalized care to our veterans.

Well, no surprise to those of us deeply involved in the battle to save our VA, the Rapid City Journal headlined the story of the long delays for veterans to receive their care, and the cover up of the true situation by some who worked at those institutions. Throughout the United States the percentage of those who altered the numbers was 13%. How did our VA facilities in the Black Hills rank%? It was 14%! Wow, we are above the national average. Do those of us who, according to some, "cried wolf", feel vindicated? I guess in an upside down way, we do. We knew that many of our veterans were being treated shabbily, but, on the other hand, it is rather sad to face up directly to the proof. It would be better for all if none of this cover up had occurred in the first place.

So the administrators took their bonuses while the regular veterans took their cuts and long wait times. Much of the bonus money appears to have come from the cuts to veterans and VA closures. I may feel some vindication, but my anger and pain over the injustices to our veterans outweighs any "I told you so" feelings. Any "I" disappears in the weight of the neglect to those who served. Shame on those who accept the money at the expense of anyone or anything who may get lost in the shuffle of that money and power!

It is not a new story I write. It is as old as time itself. Greed and ego take over above humanity and love. But in the long run it is not the movers and shakers who will have the most impact. It is those who care about others above their own ego and self-righteousness. Their influence will endure.

We are So the Same

In my first book, A (not so) Simple Life, I often compared my life in the Southern Black Hills to my formative years growing up in Northern Minnesota. The likenesses were more striking than the differences, or perhaps the differences were more alike than I realized before I began to write down my reflections.

The comparisons were separated by years and location, and yet there they were for me in my writing to recognize; things change, but people do not...not really. We learn, mature, love, hate, fear, control, envy, strive, give up, suffer, create, teach, work, enjoy, err, forgive, or not.

My home town paper arrives weekly after 60 years of having moved away to produce my adult life. I am amazed when I read the news from my former home town that they struggle with issues so similar to our community that I sometimes imagine I am reading the news from my present home town. They disagree over issues such as elections, building a new library, the morality of the war in Iraq, and allowing mining in the area that would create temporary jobs but could damage the water in the Boundary Waters, the main tourist draw for the area.

Some of the "old timers" resent the "new-comers" with their disquieting viewpoints. Others welcome a new infusion of ideas; they enjoy expanding their outlook in spite of the discomfort during their conflict to reject the familiar in exchange for the unknown.

Different places, different times, but we still find change difficult, growth a challenge, relationships a continual effort, commitment scary, emotions disconcerting, power corrupting, and the world confusing. One generation can't understand the next one, and living in the "black and white" of certainty fades away as the gray of "maybes" intrude on former beliefs.

Everything changes....nothing changes. I live with this: we are born, we live, we die. That does not change. It is what we do with the living part that makes us who we are.

From a River Bench

Rustling,
Chirping,
Cascading,
Scampering.

The trees,
The birds,
The river,
The squirrels.

The river meandering through our town,
From one end to the other,
Offering serenity,
Infusing peace.

A short distance away...main street,
Traffic, noise, missions, plans,
Intruding, interrupting, demanding,
Draining, sucking from the inside, outward.

Life happens apart from the river,
Our river, our sanctuary, our constant,
Flowing softly, slowly,
Suddenly surging, bubbling, ever smoothing the rocks.

Living requires attention, action.
Fall River, our river, asks nothing, exacts only
One's time, now and then,
To help gain a sense of self, smoothing a soul.

"The Times They are A-Changin'" *

We have all heard it many times before: "The only constant is change." Nevertheless, change is not always easy. There is a comfort level to what we know, even if the known is difficult.

After many years of living I still find some changes annoying, hard or discombobulating. The word out there, however, is that reacting to change can sharpen the mind, especially  as one enters the senior years. "Keep learning new things, be it knitting, dancing, a foreign language or new computer skills."

Hello! I just received a wonderful gift....a brand new computer with all of the latest bells and whistles. It is beautiful and I certainly am enriching my vocabulary with many new swear words as I struggle to find my way through this maze of jargon.

Over my lifetime I have adjusted to television, Netflix, printers, computers, email and other helpful additions to a person's life. I have rejected others, such as cable TV, cell phones, call waiting and I Pads. I miss the peace that comes with too much "connectedness" and have chosen to opt out of some of the new inventions while choosing others that simplify my life.

In my heart-of-hearts, I still enjoy the old-fashioned radio shows, classical music, the old standards, popcorn in the movie theaters and the rare snail mails. Actually I miss receiving "thank you notes" of any kind. Too often this generation does not respond to gifts or acts of kindness even with an email or a phone call. Yes, things change and it is best to go along with them, but, if I do resist some, it is, for me, at least, a choice to simplify my world and ignore those gadgets that crowd out the best part of who I am.

*Note: Thank to Bob Dylan for his wonderful song.

Small Town Fourth of July

Marching bands, impressive floats and lengthy parades are common in the cities, but in small-town America parades are short and simple. Bob and I re-vamped our small Gem electric car into a "Save our VA" float for our parade. We heard many cheers for our VA and one "God bless our VA" that made it all worthwhile. I threw candy, as expected, but our main focus was on handing out flyers to remind everyone to submit their written comments for the EIS study to help save our VA in Hot Springs, SD.

I was surprised that after all this time so many had not written their letters. On the fifth of July, at the monthly market, I was surprised once again to discover that most folks had not written their letters. They all stated, "Been meaning to", or, "I forgot" or "thanks, I will". All of these people love our VA and know of its importance to our veterans and our community, but letters take time and life has a way of running away from all of the demands.

This fourth of July was a reminder to me that we all need reminders even for causes we are passionate over. Then again there are those who need no reminding. I am grateful for all of them. They make the bumpy road of life less challenging and smoother for those of us who need the nudges to fight for our beliefs to make the world a better place.

Ding, Dong, It's not Avon

"Anybody home?" Our family came in the back door, filled with hugs, smiles and bearing gifts from Michigan. What joy; it has been too long. Our sixteen year old grandson has sprouted taller than the weeds and flowers in the garden. He is now taller than both of his parents. Our granddaughter is shooting up....too fast, too soon. What happened when we weren't looking? Childhood is over in the blink of an eye. Both of the grandchildren are too big for stories sitting on Grandma's lap. But there is pride in seeing how much each has grown and blossomed and wonderment in what the future holds for them both.

The telephone rings. It is a long-time friend calling from the Cities, checking in before his long trip to visit us and the beautiful Black Hills. We have much catching up to do. The time will be too short with too much to share. He will be arriving the day after our children leave for home.

Ding, dong! Our family had no sooner gone out our back door for the evening when another friend rang our front door. She stopped to say her good-byes. Again our times for sharing have been too short and too few. She left with promises to visit us again in three months.

Friends and family come in the back door and the front. Other connect by telephone or emails. Life flies by, and the connections, if by phone, mail or in person are treasured. The warmth that flows through these renewals with those of importance in who we were, are and continue to be, can never be diminished. Each who have touched our lives, enrich and energize us, and help us to be the best we can be.

Ah......Summer!

The news blares: insurgents, kidnappings, terrorists, uprisings, tornadoes, floods! The list goes on and on, making us grateful to live in our sheltered valley in the southern Black Hills. We are having more rain than usual, including an occasional hail onslaught, but we do live in "fire country" and are thankful for the moisture.

Otherwise we are having an influx of tourists, an increase of open businesses, warmer weather (finally), festivals and commemorations, Miss South Dakota Pageant with a group of eager, talented lovely young women riding in a parade and singing, dancing and performing their way toward possible fame and a scholarship.

Life is good in our peaceful community. The vegetation is lush and greener than the norm. The roses color our world in their vibrant yellows, pinks, reds and whites.Visitors drop in during these months bringing excitement, news and the warmth of their company. All of this follows an unusually cold, long winter. Yes, the winter and cooler spring did seem long. This summer will fly by, leaving colorful memories to brighten the grayer months to follow. It is good to remember that we might not appreciate summer if it remained all year.

David vs Goliath

They call them "scoping" meetings. The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) has arrived in our area to listen to the concerns of the veterans and the public about the announced closure of our rural Hot Springs VA.

My husband and I attended two of the meetings that were held in Hot Springs. I do not have the words to express my sentiments about the heart-felt testimonials I heard from veterans who use this VA, from former employees, from business owners in the community and from ordinary citizens who care about our veterans.

The strong attachment that our veterans have for this warm, healing VA was stated over and over, along with resentment over the gradual loss of services in the grand government scheme to force many veterans into privatization of their health care.

Emotions ran strong, especially those of anger at the management who are responsible for the cutting of benefits, but who, at the same time, profit from their bonuses. The regular veterans are losing every day, while the management pocket profits. Go figure!

One of the former employees, a radiologist, testified as to all of the services that have been lost over the past fifteen years since the grand plan for closures of our VA and the one at Fort Meade, began. After he listed surgery, cardio care and rehab, he dropped a bombshell. He said that after he was fired they hired a part-time radiologist. The VA knew for a year that that employee was dying, but made no attempt to hire another in his place. After he died a lab assistant read the x-rays, and the services gradually deteriorated to the diagnostic services being served by an employee in the dietetic field!

The words poured out from those who are being denied services. Their concern is not only for themselves but for those who will need health care in the future. Citizens from the community worry about their taxes, loss of businesses, loss of services from the police and fire departments at the VA, with a subsequent rise in insurance rates and loss of students and revenue for the school district.

This VA is not only a National Treasure, but it is a living organism that is the heart and soul of this community, as well as of the veterans who drive the distance to receive the special care given to veterans, along with all of the veterans who live and work here. These veterans who have chosen to make their homes in Hot Springs have become a part of a city that for over a hundred years has been known as The Veterans Town. This town is a home for the veterans. The VA is also a home for the veterans who continue to use its services. PTSD is not a disease that gets cured. It is a lifetime issue, along with substance abuse. This VA helps the veterans to manage their illnesses. It is a lifeline for many to be able to live and be contributing members of society.

We can only hope that those powers-that-be who serve in Washington will realize the importance of our VA and other smaller VA facilities that can best meet the needs of those who served and those who will be serving in the future.

Another hope is that if they discontinue the cuts to veteran benefits, we may have enough young men and women who will continue to serve our country and keep our military strong.

"If we send them, we must mend them."

Our Time Has Come

It began in December, 2011....the battle of our community and our veterans to save our VA hospital from being cut by the VA administration in Washington. This week of June, 2014 we face off with the EIS (Environmental Impact Study) in an effort, both written and verbal, to challenge the proposed closure of not only the largest employer of our area, but a facility long-established as one of the foremost treatment centers in our country for veterans with PTSD and other emotional issues common to veterans, located in a peaceful environment conducive to long-term recovery. Our town of Hot Springs is a haven for many veterans who, after treatment in our Domiciliary, choose to abandon the cities and remain here as contributing members of our society.

For any readers who challenge my previous blog, I invite them to check out for themselves outside surveys done for accreditation on our hospital. One is JACHO and the other is CARF. Both give glowing reviews to our VA. In September, 2012, our Black Hills Health Care System was "awarded full accreditation by CARF for its residential and outpatient programs related to homelessness and employment services, addiction treatment and PTSD programming. This is the fifth time Mental Health services has been awarded CARF certification for Residential Programming." It continues, "Not only did these programs pass the survey with no noted deficiencies, several best practices were noted." Later, "The services, personnel and documentation reviewed clearly indicated an established pattern of practice excellence and programs of the highest quality."

All of this was documented in a survey taken many years into the numerous cuts in services made to our VA. I have written all of this is my book Reveille in Hot Springs. The book is available on Amazon for any interested enough in our veterans and their care. Readers can listen to our veterans by reading their testimonies. If the VA administration had listened to the voices of their veterans, they would not be in the mess they are in at the present time. Listening to only the upper management in any industry only leads to self-serving in the long run. All veterans need to care about the needs of all veterans. Some can use medical treatment available at any hospital. Others need a rural VA.

Our community listened to the needs of its veterans who use and need this VA. After listening to veterans for over two years, we believe them. We also heard the lies of management. Perhaps if our country and our representatives had listened to veterans years ago who need the services that only a VA facility is able to provide for many who served, our VA would be thriving and would have the personnel to treat all the homeless and emotionally disabled veterans who show up at its front door.

This week we appear before the EIS. They will present their findings to the VA administration in Washington. The head of the VA will consider their study, the proposal for closure by the VA and the proposal by the veterans and citizens of Hot Springs. What will be the results? Will they favor management or the wishes of the veterans who have special needs best met in VA facilities such as our serene sandstone Dom on the top of the hill in the midst of the healing Black Hills of South Dakota?

Up and Running

Hey, all you blog readers....my web site is out there.....somewhere. (The internet is still a mystery to this luddite), but I am sure many of you can discover it if you go to http://sbpra.com/maryegoulet/ Check it out and let me know what you think. I am always open to suggestions.

Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead!

The talking heads are really jumping all over this one....Eric Shinseki, long waits for veterans, double lists, etc. What a field day for everyone!  I can only hope that when the dust has settled, or, even while it is still flying, that our VA and our veterans who use it, will be recognized for their battle to retain their very special hospital in an unusually peaceful and calming place.

Many, including some in power, have been aware of this disgraceful situation for many years. It is complex, incestuous and self-serving for many in management. Money corrupts, be it in the form of bonuses or promises of power. The VA is a massive and deeply independent institution.

You have heard it before...."follow the money.." In truth it should be "follow the veterans who seek timely treatment in a caring and understanding institution."

One leader resigning is not slaying the dragon. There are too many dragons feeding off of the "bounty of the county" (correction, country). But there are those joining in the rejoicing. Perhaps it is only a symbolic gesture, perhaps it will be the beginnings of cleaning house, or maybe it will be something in between. Whatever the outcome, maybe, just maybe, our VA in Hot Springs, SD will be saved and grown in order to serve, heal and house those men and women who have served us.

There is another saying, "Hope springs eternal..."

The Merry Month.....

The daffodils have long passed, the tulips are still in blossom, the lilacs are beginning their fragrant emergence and the apple, cherry and plum trees are in full show everywhere in town.

It has been a cold spring here in the Black Hills. The numerous tall stalks with tightly closed buds had shot forth days ago but the blossoms held back, perhaps waiting for the warmer weather. Suddenly, last week, as if on cue with the warming temperatures, the buds opened almost all in tandem, to display round, rich purple flowers, while the others are opening to deep orange petals.

Our apple tree outside my office window strutted its beauty of pink, delicate blossoms for about a week. It was absolutely gorgeous but now, after a few strong winds, it stands starkly green, the pink strewn over the yard and driveway while some, clinging to the bottoms of our shoes, trickle onto the back or front porches.

It seems that this May has been more colorful than usual. Perhaps we are being compensated in some way for the ordeal of an unusually cold winter. It is easy to forget the winds and cold when startled by the brilliance of red, yellow, pink, orange,purple and lavender everywhere, everywhere I look, everywhere I walk.

Welcome Spring!

Beneath the Avalanche

You know those days....the ones where you feel overwhelmed, covered with too much to do, too little time, etc, etc. Well I was having one last night. I had attended a rally protesting the opening of in-situ uranium mining in our beautiful Black Hills and arrived home to a phone call from someone needing assistance, an email about the Environmental Impact Study regarding saving our VA now in process and needing our written comments, another email from someone working on my web site needing immediate attention, and......I sorta lost it!

Today, in the light of another day, I am looking at everything more clearly. The most helpful was a poem that I received from a friend who is likewise overwhelmed with issues. I am digesting it as I write and will now pass it on to my readers.

"GOLDEN RETRIEVALS"          BY MARK DOTY

Fetch? Balls and sticks capture my attention
seconds at a time. Catch? I don't think so.
Bunny, tumbling leaf, a squirrel who's - oh
joy - actually scared. Sniff the wind, then

I'm off again: muck, pond, ditch, residue
of any thrillingly dead thing. And you?
Either your sunk in the past, half our walk,
thinking of what you never can bring back,

or else you're off in some fog concerning
--tomorrow, is that what you call it? My work:
to unsnare time's warp (and woof!), retrieving,
my haze-headed friend, you. This shining bark,

a Zen master's bronzy gong, calls you here,
entirely, now: bow-wow, bow-wow, bow-wow.

An Amazing Veteran

First the VA cut the funding for veterans in treatment in the domiciliary to use our health club. (The Plunge).

Next our city allowed them access to the Plunge for $2.00 with the meal card used as proof they were in the Dom.

Then the VA called the Plunge and told them that they could not allow this. First they used the word "confidentiality", then they said "we cannot endorse use of the card", and the latest is something about the VA not allowing this for whatever.....

A veteran who went through treatment in the Dom and realized the importance of the Plunge in the healing process called someone at the Dom and asked how they could make this work for the benefit of the veterans. No response.

Today this same veteran went to the Dom and asked the person in in-take if she could print up a card in the packet that all veterans receive on entry into the treatment programs that told them that they could have entry into the Plunge for the reduced fee if they showed the card. This card eliminates the other reasons and would be exclusive to our local VA facility.

Sounds like a win-win for everyone. It will be brought up at a staff meeting on Monday. We are waiting to see what comes out of this jumble of regulations, restrictions and "word games" that has prevented our veterans who served, being served by our community, the Veterans Town of Hot Springs, SD.

Whatever the outcome, my hat is off to this veteran who does not see "problems", but rather looks for "solutions" and keeps searching until he finds one. He continues to serve.

Does the VA Really Care About Our Veterans?

Wait just one minute here. What are the ads from the VA touting on TV? "Hire veterans." Veterans, call this number for help." Etc,etc.

Then, on the other hand, are the numerous suicides, and recent Phoenix VA scandals, VA backlogs and rural VA closures around the country. What is wrong with this picture? We send our soldiers to other countries to "protect our freedoms," but when they return they wait months for care, become homeless, lose jobs and get lost in the cracks of our "freedoms".

We in the Veterans Town face this reality daily. The VA is trying to close one of the best VA facilities in this country for PTSD, substance abuse, brain trauma and other emotional issues located for over 100 years on the hill overlooking our town. They have been bleeding services over the past 15 years as I have written about in my book, Reveille in Hot Springs.

Recently I wrote about the VA cutting the funding for our veterans in our domiciliary to enjoy the facilities of our local health club known as The Plunge. Our city, which now owns the Plunge, decided that these veterans should not be penalized from the use of our healing mineral waters, and told the veterans that they could gain access for a $2.00 fee. The VA (funded by taxpayers) would pay nothing. We thought it was a win-win for the veterans and the VA.

Guess what? Are you ready for this? This week two of the employees at the VA called the Plunge to tell them (tell them--not ask, not negotiate, not talk to the mayor who is in charge) that veterans could no longer show their meal tickets as identification for the reduced fee for use of all of the facilities of the Plunge health club. They used some lame excuse such as confidentiality. I say lame because only recently the VA paid several thousand dollars a year for the veterans to make use of the Plunge by showing proof of their being in treatment in the Dom. The veterans who may have been concerned about confidentiality would pay full price for admittance or would not go to the Plunge. It was their decision.

What is wrong with this picture? Does this show a caring VA? Are they really interested in helping our veterans regain a place in society? This VA was built here originally because of the serene, beautiful valley with the warm, flowing mineral waters. Now the veterans who cannot afford full rates, many of whom are homeless at this time, will be denied a support to their healing.

The VA is not choosing win-win, but rather, it seems to me, a lose-lose. But someone must win in all of this. We know it is not the veterans, the town or the taxpayers. Who stands to gain from this mess?

Would You Look at That!

We moved into town after the wildfire and discovered that just running around this small community for daily this and thats was using more gas than we anticipated. Now gas is not getting cheaper anytime soon so Bob searched around for an inexpensive used electric car. (Bob does not believe in buying new if he can repair a second-hand anything, and he can repair almost anything.)

The "blue bomber" arrived, somewhat worse for wear, but, as always, a challenge for my husband. A manual did not come with it, but after about a week of his tinkering with the issues, we are driving short spurts around the neighborhood.

What fun! It is getting so much attention, and questions. I love seeing so many individuals really interested in saving on gas and the environment. Oh, I suppose saving money is another incentive.

We live in an ideal location for using this gas-less form of transportation. It can travel about 30 miles on one charge and we have numerous days of sun for recharging with solar. It is an interesting experiment and we will see how it works out, but for now, the stares, comments and questions have added another interesting dimension to our lives. I am always open to that!