Susie Duncan Sexton's Blog, page 31
July 22, 2012
Oh what animals mean to me...
Oh what animals mean to me --
So frolicking, patient and free!
Pure of motive and faithful, too!
"Brave hearts": they remind me of you! ~
_______________________
Love these comments!
Shannon Basner: "Thank you, Roy. I enjoy your mother's posts and think the world of her."
Jan Tansel: "Roy - I loved your review [click here to read]. You write so well; and I love BOTH of your writings (yours and Susie's). They are both amazing and so fun to read."
Thanks so much, Jan and Shannon - your kind words mean the world to us!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
So frolicking, patient and free!
Pure of motive and faithful, too!
"Brave hearts": they remind me of you! ~
_______________________
Love these comments!
Shannon Basner: "Thank you, Roy. I enjoy your mother's posts and think the world of her."
Jan Tansel: "Roy - I loved your review [click here to read]. You write so well; and I love BOTH of your writings (yours and Susie's). They are both amazing and so fun to read."
Thanks so much, Jan and Shannon - your kind words mean the world to us!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 20, 2012
look elsewhere for true representatives...
my continuing discussion about Indiana Congressman Marlin Stutzman takes the form of a letter to the editor in today's Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Read it by clicking here.
make politicians accountable and responsive to all who live...not just to special interests and those who finance their campaigns. an epidemic of self-interest among our elected officials...stop them in their tracks. animals are at the bottom of the barrel. always.
here is the text of the letter:
Stutzman ignores us
So many Hoosier voices now gather momentum to express dismay that the votes of a large and burgeoning portion of “Representative” Marlin Stutzman’s constituency do not matter. His stubborn advocacy for deregulation of the farm industry is revelatory of startling self-interest and the resultant desire to please only those who eased him into public office under most confusing circumstances, twice now.
Floods of canned letters from this fellow’s staff — outlining why he supports only the agricultural voting bloc and caters to special interests rather than insisting upon the humane treatment of animals — pile into heaps upon the desks and kitchen tables of concerned persons of both political persuasions. His franking privilege is alive and well.
Our representative pays no heed to our letters, emails, petitions or phone calls pleading for mercy extended to assorted varieties of sentient beings. Remember that this earth, in which we all have a stake, thankfully generates by the second more and more individuals whose concern resides in kindness, a fair appraisal of environmental issues and the welfare as well as rights of animals. We agree, in ever-increasing proportions, that we shall not support any future candidacy of Stutzman. We tax-paying, fair-minded citizens shall urge other fellow Hoosiers to join us as we look elsewhere for true representatives.
_______________________
i do my best and so do others who jump in to save lives every day! I love you people! ♥! =^..^= Keep up the great work on behalf of those who need dogged assistance to continue to live out their lives!
From John Staggs: "Susie, you are so kind and care so much!!!!!! thank you so much."
From Tressa Marie: "Great letter Susie wrote! Bless her and all she does for our animal friends. Sending her respect and hugs ♥"
From Beverley Holden: "Susie is always on the money."
From Nancy Hartman: "Susie, I am so very, very thankful that there are so many loving and caring people like you and so many others like you, who go out of there way to try their best to find loving homes for the dogs and cats out there. You all never give up on finding homes for them all, and I love you all for being a loving person to are dogs and cats out there."
From Edward Levine: "Why is it that everything that Susie Sexton says is so logical, so easy to understand, makes such complete sense, is so compassionate that even the dullest knives in the drawer can understand it......I have to believe it's not that they can't comprehend it, it's that they don't want to comprehend it........I think that not wanting to understand it is more scary and more dangerous then not understanding it in the first place........."
From Shannon Basner: "Thank you Susie! It is all of us that will make the difference, especially through the challenges...There is just too much ignorance and egos in this world. Just be nice and thoughtful and you'd be amazed how things could change....We live in a very selfish time, where no one appreciates the world around them and bitterly complains, while doing nothing about it....You do make a difference, each and every day. It is your voice along with so many that can make a change even if it is for one animal at a time. Your posts, your page, your compassion is very evident in your posts. I have to believe that things can change for the better, these animals need that from all of us."
From Madeleine Fisher-Kern: "I can't take this anymore. One story is more horrific and extreme than the previous. It's like humanity is sinking in quick sand...I would burst like a balloon filled with water and dropped to the ground. I would feel better if our words carried some weight with those who don't know already how endangered humanity is in the way we treat each other and the animals who share this planet. It is a sign of human deterioration. There is no thought any more to civility and without civility there is chaos....Words are better than bullets. Unfortunately, the NRA is not in agreement."
From Kamini Christina Merner: "Good morning or afternoon, Susie (afternoon here). I wish you a lovely, joyful day. May your pen never stop!! I was filled with such anger yesterday, my heart hurt when I read the news that Buck, the blind Elderbull had been found dead. He was failed at every point by those who were supposed to *rescue* him. The sight of his poor body laid in that electrical shaft shook me to the core. There were no loving arms to guide him back to the light, he died afraid and alone,failed by humans. Today I have strengthened my resolve to do what I can to find out the answers to his death, his life must not go unmarked."
_______________________
oh, yes, the challenges provide the lessons that i wish i had been born knowing rather than learning as time progresses. could have done so much more throughout a lifetime. wishing we could educate young people to enhance their own lives with such unqualified caring about others.
...ignorance and egos...and "nice and thoughtful"...can you imagine that? glad i know nice and thoughtful people like those quoted above! i sorta remember what it was like once...really was...nobody even says THANK YOU these days...seriously...
...my husband and i just sit and shake our heads after we make an attempt to do something worthwhile. this world is unreal. totally unreal. honestly, social graces are totally dead.
humanity IS sinking in quicksand...head first...like ostriches...i see it all around, don't you? we cannot believe what we observe. if there were no voices like ours, i would want to stop living. thanks for your mind...and your compassion and your bravery for telling the truth.
...i am so overwhelmed by these tragic stories and cannot imagine being apathetic to the need to get others involved and to address the root of the problem...to encourage empathy...to relate lack of caring about animals to lack of concern about humanity...there is a direct link...all living souls matter...i get quite discouraged myself...but hop right back upon the horse after scratching my head in puzzlement that not everyone on this earth cares about the brutality and the ignorance which is the direct cause of suffering.
THE NRA IS THE DEVIL... no cigarette smoking? follow idiotic rules and regulations established by special interest groups? eat all the innocent animals that are over-bred and damaged and damaging and slaughtered by the second...and remember everyone has a right to purchase guns at the wal-mart? where do we begin? what kind of monsters are in charge? and how did "they" start calling the "shots" and how do we stop the madness?
my question is: how do we reach folks who refuse to stop and help us in this crucial battle to promote understanding and tolerance and love? a shameful condition...not to care at all.
...the issue is love, compassion, clear understanding and yes, tolerance. a caring atttitude is the sign of an intelligent mind in tune with a kind heart. and kindness does not mean playing dead and rolling over...being kind involves sorting through mind-sets and changing those behaviors which are harmful to other living beings. it is not easy and often not a popular stance to assume. i have many many war-wounds which are quite permanent...but scar tissue allows me to move on each day. you are just like i am!
the only comfort and thanks we need is/are the saving of lives with no fanfare...just no more killing and no more imprisonment and a gradual respect for all who live as we evolve to good sense and understanding.
postscript...
i hardly ever sleep...i wait until i simply drop and then sleep peacefully. if i try to sleep when everyone else does, i cannot ignore my aching heart and my stomach pain which have resulted from working 'round the click to help to save lives. yes, this is a holocaust...perpetrated by a wide variety of human beings who have lost all compassion and have only love for themselves. (period) but friends like those quoted above and those of you reading these words you give me my faith in humanity again. ♥ ♥ ♥
...so incredible to do what is correct and good for all...animals and ourselves. when folks prattle on about their recipes and their bods and continue to eat meat, i just cannot believe it. i am not an eyeball roller or a sigh-er, but i admit when i see humanity gathered at a buffet/ smorgasbord/cafeteria/restaurant/outside "grill" and they are worse looking than the really actually attractive and appealing pigs they demean and make fun of and EAT (mammals cannibalizing other mammals!) animals piled high upon their plates, i do roll my eyes and i sigh.
thanks to those HUMANS who restore my confidence in being a human. some days i do not even approve of the word "human"... but when our species behaves and is compassionate and brilliant and caring, the word is meaningful once again...human...ALWAYS needs an "-e" though at all times. HUMANE!!!!!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
make politicians accountable and responsive to all who live...not just to special interests and those who finance their campaigns. an epidemic of self-interest among our elected officials...stop them in their tracks. animals are at the bottom of the barrel. always.
here is the text of the letter:
Stutzman ignores us
So many Hoosier voices now gather momentum to express dismay that the votes of a large and burgeoning portion of “Representative” Marlin Stutzman’s constituency do not matter. His stubborn advocacy for deregulation of the farm industry is revelatory of startling self-interest and the resultant desire to please only those who eased him into public office under most confusing circumstances, twice now.
Floods of canned letters from this fellow’s staff — outlining why he supports only the agricultural voting bloc and caters to special interests rather than insisting upon the humane treatment of animals — pile into heaps upon the desks and kitchen tables of concerned persons of both political persuasions. His franking privilege is alive and well.
Our representative pays no heed to our letters, emails, petitions or phone calls pleading for mercy extended to assorted varieties of sentient beings. Remember that this earth, in which we all have a stake, thankfully generates by the second more and more individuals whose concern resides in kindness, a fair appraisal of environmental issues and the welfare as well as rights of animals. We agree, in ever-increasing proportions, that we shall not support any future candidacy of Stutzman. We tax-paying, fair-minded citizens shall urge other fellow Hoosiers to join us as we look elsewhere for true representatives.
_______________________
i do my best and so do others who jump in to save lives every day! I love you people! ♥! =^..^= Keep up the great work on behalf of those who need dogged assistance to continue to live out their lives!
From John Staggs: "Susie, you are so kind and care so much!!!!!! thank you so much."
From Tressa Marie: "Great letter Susie wrote! Bless her and all she does for our animal friends. Sending her respect and hugs ♥"
From Beverley Holden: "Susie is always on the money."
From Nancy Hartman: "Susie, I am so very, very thankful that there are so many loving and caring people like you and so many others like you, who go out of there way to try their best to find loving homes for the dogs and cats out there. You all never give up on finding homes for them all, and I love you all for being a loving person to are dogs and cats out there."
From Edward Levine: "Why is it that everything that Susie Sexton says is so logical, so easy to understand, makes such complete sense, is so compassionate that even the dullest knives in the drawer can understand it......I have to believe it's not that they can't comprehend it, it's that they don't want to comprehend it........I think that not wanting to understand it is more scary and more dangerous then not understanding it in the first place........."
From Shannon Basner: "Thank you Susie! It is all of us that will make the difference, especially through the challenges...There is just too much ignorance and egos in this world. Just be nice and thoughtful and you'd be amazed how things could change....We live in a very selfish time, where no one appreciates the world around them and bitterly complains, while doing nothing about it....You do make a difference, each and every day. It is your voice along with so many that can make a change even if it is for one animal at a time. Your posts, your page, your compassion is very evident in your posts. I have to believe that things can change for the better, these animals need that from all of us."
From Madeleine Fisher-Kern: "I can't take this anymore. One story is more horrific and extreme than the previous. It's like humanity is sinking in quick sand...I would burst like a balloon filled with water and dropped to the ground. I would feel better if our words carried some weight with those who don't know already how endangered humanity is in the way we treat each other and the animals who share this planet. It is a sign of human deterioration. There is no thought any more to civility and without civility there is chaos....Words are better than bullets. Unfortunately, the NRA is not in agreement."
From Kamini Christina Merner: "Good morning or afternoon, Susie (afternoon here). I wish you a lovely, joyful day. May your pen never stop!! I was filled with such anger yesterday, my heart hurt when I read the news that Buck, the blind Elderbull had been found dead. He was failed at every point by those who were supposed to *rescue* him. The sight of his poor body laid in that electrical shaft shook me to the core. There were no loving arms to guide him back to the light, he died afraid and alone,failed by humans. Today I have strengthened my resolve to do what I can to find out the answers to his death, his life must not go unmarked."
_______________________
oh, yes, the challenges provide the lessons that i wish i had been born knowing rather than learning as time progresses. could have done so much more throughout a lifetime. wishing we could educate young people to enhance their own lives with such unqualified caring about others.
...ignorance and egos...and "nice and thoughtful"...can you imagine that? glad i know nice and thoughtful people like those quoted above! i sorta remember what it was like once...really was...nobody even says THANK YOU these days...seriously...
...my husband and i just sit and shake our heads after we make an attempt to do something worthwhile. this world is unreal. totally unreal. honestly, social graces are totally dead.
humanity IS sinking in quicksand...head first...like ostriches...i see it all around, don't you? we cannot believe what we observe. if there were no voices like ours, i would want to stop living. thanks for your mind...and your compassion and your bravery for telling the truth.
...i am so overwhelmed by these tragic stories and cannot imagine being apathetic to the need to get others involved and to address the root of the problem...to encourage empathy...to relate lack of caring about animals to lack of concern about humanity...there is a direct link...all living souls matter...i get quite discouraged myself...but hop right back upon the horse after scratching my head in puzzlement that not everyone on this earth cares about the brutality and the ignorance which is the direct cause of suffering.
THE NRA IS THE DEVIL... no cigarette smoking? follow idiotic rules and regulations established by special interest groups? eat all the innocent animals that are over-bred and damaged and damaging and slaughtered by the second...and remember everyone has a right to purchase guns at the wal-mart? where do we begin? what kind of monsters are in charge? and how did "they" start calling the "shots" and how do we stop the madness?
my question is: how do we reach folks who refuse to stop and help us in this crucial battle to promote understanding and tolerance and love? a shameful condition...not to care at all.
...the issue is love, compassion, clear understanding and yes, tolerance. a caring atttitude is the sign of an intelligent mind in tune with a kind heart. and kindness does not mean playing dead and rolling over...being kind involves sorting through mind-sets and changing those behaviors which are harmful to other living beings. it is not easy and often not a popular stance to assume. i have many many war-wounds which are quite permanent...but scar tissue allows me to move on each day. you are just like i am!
the only comfort and thanks we need is/are the saving of lives with no fanfare...just no more killing and no more imprisonment and a gradual respect for all who live as we evolve to good sense and understanding.
postscript...
i hardly ever sleep...i wait until i simply drop and then sleep peacefully. if i try to sleep when everyone else does, i cannot ignore my aching heart and my stomach pain which have resulted from working 'round the click to help to save lives. yes, this is a holocaust...perpetrated by a wide variety of human beings who have lost all compassion and have only love for themselves. (period) but friends like those quoted above and those of you reading these words you give me my faith in humanity again. ♥ ♥ ♥
...so incredible to do what is correct and good for all...animals and ourselves. when folks prattle on about their recipes and their bods and continue to eat meat, i just cannot believe it. i am not an eyeball roller or a sigh-er, but i admit when i see humanity gathered at a buffet/ smorgasbord/cafeteria/restaurant/outside "grill" and they are worse looking than the really actually attractive and appealing pigs they demean and make fun of and EAT (mammals cannibalizing other mammals!) animals piled high upon their plates, i do roll my eyes and i sigh.
thanks to those HUMANS who restore my confidence in being a human. some days i do not even approve of the word "human"... but when our species behaves and is compassionate and brilliant and caring, the word is meaningful once again...human...ALWAYS needs an "-e" though at all times. HUMANE!!!!!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 18, 2012
yes...they DO deserve better...
I received an email today from Thomas C. Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, with the subject line: "They Deserve Better."
He writes (the letter was a formatted eblast with photos, links, etc.):
"Dear Susie, I urgently need your help to ensure Congress makes critical investments in our national parks . . . to support local economies, improve visitor experiences, and preserve our wilderness and history for our children and grandchildren.
"The House funding bill for Fiscal Year 2013 that passed through committee on June 28 sadly continues a three-year trend of eroding national park budgets. In today’s dollars, combined with the last two years of cuts, the bill would slash overall funding for the National Park Service by nearly 20%. The bill also includes a harsh 82% cut to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the National Park Service, which could increase the threat of development within some of our most beloved parks.
"Craig Obey, NPCA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, said: 'Although the committee wisely steered the most severe cuts away from individual park budgets, funding at this level could reduce next year’s seasonal ranger presence by as many as 600 positions. The cliff is coming sooner than people think.' The impact of past budget cuts and underfunding are already being felt in park after park:
"Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area struggling to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our most-visited national park, unable to hire seasonal rangers or perform urgent repairs. Yellowstone National Park able to offer ranger-led educational and interpretive programs to only 6% of its visitors.
"On top of recent annual cuts to national park funding, the Park Service is still threatened with additional, drastic cuts of 8% to 10% if Congress allows across-the-board funding cuts to take effect in January. When it comes to the national parks, our elected leaders just aren’t paying attention.
"Can you help us reach our online goal of raising $10,000 by July 31? Your tax-deductible gift will fuel our efforts to do everything we can to turn the tide on more cuts to national park funding, as well as further all of our other park protection efforts.
"You may know one-third of the top 25 U.S. tourism destinations are national parks … and that park attendance rose to nearly 300 million in recent years. But did you know a recent NPCA study found that every dollar invested in national parks generates more than four dollars for neighboring communities?
"In fact, in 2010 alone, the National Park System contributed more than $31 billion to local economies and supported 258,000 jobs . . . a huge return on a very small—less than one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget—investment.With your support, NPCA serves as the 'watchdog' of our parks . . . safeguarding our natural and cultural heritage through effective grassroots advocacy . . . solid working relationships with lawmakers and federal agencies . . . scientific research . . . a strong field presence and close cooperation with park management and staff . . . and targeted litigation. The challenges are formidable, but no organization is better equipped to meet them than NPCA.
"Together, we can leave our children and grandchildren a park system that represents the very best of all of us.That's why I hope you'll give as generously as you can to help us reach our goal. Thank you for everything you do to protect the parks."
That is all well and good, but here is the reply I sent:
"in indiana this past year around thanksgiving, our 21 state parks closed twice so that deer and their families could be slaughtered thus my interest in parks is nil at this point…
"I tried my best [here and here] to bring attention to this atrocity with no results other than full speed ahead to kill, kill, kill…
"explain how closing parks to human families to slay deer families is great education for children? help? all the self-serving rationalizations for this mass slaughter are totally ridiculous, and deer reproduce to compensate for the culling which is exactly what DNR officials and hunters and retail hunting gear outlets want.
"let's be solving this horror ….than I'll get on board but not a moment before. ~ Susie Sexton"
...will keep you posted...
_______________________
Postscript...
i could blog until i am blue in the face...greased pig contests this week with gangs of "kids" and teens running after piglets and pressing them against fences until they can "wrestle" each animal into a tire??? a calf which went into shock when a "cowboy", at an imported rodeo a few blocks from my house, fell on top of it? then pulled this way and that and finally yanked away by its tail...not to mention the auctioning off of animals for slaughter TODAY...and i better not say a thing? thanks for letting me speak the obvious here. heart-breaking to sanction this kind of activity for our youth and then quote bible verses and sing gospel songs in a gospel tent? wishing i were making this up...but it is still going on today. HOW TRAGIC...TOTALLY TRAGIC.
...we should be ashamed that we disregard life over here like we seem to be doing...like we are doing. arghhh.
_______________________
From Yuka Yamashita: "my dear friend Susie, thank you for everything you always do for animals who need help for life!! I respect and adore you! :-) you are so very special to me and for them."
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
He writes (the letter was a formatted eblast with photos, links, etc.):
"Dear Susie, I urgently need your help to ensure Congress makes critical investments in our national parks . . . to support local economies, improve visitor experiences, and preserve our wilderness and history for our children and grandchildren.
"The House funding bill for Fiscal Year 2013 that passed through committee on June 28 sadly continues a three-year trend of eroding national park budgets. In today’s dollars, combined with the last two years of cuts, the bill would slash overall funding for the National Park Service by nearly 20%. The bill also includes a harsh 82% cut to the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the National Park Service, which could increase the threat of development within some of our most beloved parks.
"Craig Obey, NPCA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, said: 'Although the committee wisely steered the most severe cuts away from individual park budgets, funding at this level could reduce next year’s seasonal ranger presence by as many as 600 positions. The cliff is coming sooner than people think.' The impact of past budget cuts and underfunding are already being felt in park after park:
"Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area struggling to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, our most-visited national park, unable to hire seasonal rangers or perform urgent repairs. Yellowstone National Park able to offer ranger-led educational and interpretive programs to only 6% of its visitors.
"On top of recent annual cuts to national park funding, the Park Service is still threatened with additional, drastic cuts of 8% to 10% if Congress allows across-the-board funding cuts to take effect in January. When it comes to the national parks, our elected leaders just aren’t paying attention.
"Can you help us reach our online goal of raising $10,000 by July 31? Your tax-deductible gift will fuel our efforts to do everything we can to turn the tide on more cuts to national park funding, as well as further all of our other park protection efforts.
"You may know one-third of the top 25 U.S. tourism destinations are national parks … and that park attendance rose to nearly 300 million in recent years. But did you know a recent NPCA study found that every dollar invested in national parks generates more than four dollars for neighboring communities?
"In fact, in 2010 alone, the National Park System contributed more than $31 billion to local economies and supported 258,000 jobs . . . a huge return on a very small—less than one-tenth of one percent of the federal budget—investment.With your support, NPCA serves as the 'watchdog' of our parks . . . safeguarding our natural and cultural heritage through effective grassroots advocacy . . . solid working relationships with lawmakers and federal agencies . . . scientific research . . . a strong field presence and close cooperation with park management and staff . . . and targeted litigation. The challenges are formidable, but no organization is better equipped to meet them than NPCA.
"Together, we can leave our children and grandchildren a park system that represents the very best of all of us.That's why I hope you'll give as generously as you can to help us reach our goal. Thank you for everything you do to protect the parks."
That is all well and good, but here is the reply I sent:
"in indiana this past year around thanksgiving, our 21 state parks closed twice so that deer and their families could be slaughtered thus my interest in parks is nil at this point…
"I tried my best [here and here] to bring attention to this atrocity with no results other than full speed ahead to kill, kill, kill…
"explain how closing parks to human families to slay deer families is great education for children? help? all the self-serving rationalizations for this mass slaughter are totally ridiculous, and deer reproduce to compensate for the culling which is exactly what DNR officials and hunters and retail hunting gear outlets want.
"let's be solving this horror ….than I'll get on board but not a moment before. ~ Susie Sexton"
...will keep you posted...
_______________________
Postscript...
i could blog until i am blue in the face...greased pig contests this week with gangs of "kids" and teens running after piglets and pressing them against fences until they can "wrestle" each animal into a tire??? a calf which went into shock when a "cowboy", at an imported rodeo a few blocks from my house, fell on top of it? then pulled this way and that and finally yanked away by its tail...not to mention the auctioning off of animals for slaughter TODAY...and i better not say a thing? thanks for letting me speak the obvious here. heart-breaking to sanction this kind of activity for our youth and then quote bible verses and sing gospel songs in a gospel tent? wishing i were making this up...but it is still going on today. HOW TRAGIC...TOTALLY TRAGIC.
...we should be ashamed that we disregard life over here like we seem to be doing...like we are doing. arghhh.
_______________________
From Yuka Yamashita: "my dear friend Susie, thank you for everything you always do for animals who need help for life!! I respect and adore you! :-) you are so very special to me and for them."
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 16, 2012
Lessons Learned in Kindergarten...Twice - published in InD'tale Magazine
My essay "Lessons Learned in Kindergarten...Twice" has been published in InD'tale Magazine This is really quite neat! You you can read it at the this link - the story starts on page 24 - you advance the pages through the arrows at the bottom of the screen after you click this link. You can also download a PDF or print. And the essay can also be found here.
Here's an excerpt: "Little did I realize, during those junior high days, that I would be so impacted by my experiences that someday I would attend a teachers’ college. Under Mrs. Sheehan’s expertly professional tutelage, I observed firsthand that patience, discipline, organizational skills, and regimentation assure a successful learning situation. On the sly, though, I vowed that should I assume the valiant role of educator, whether in a classroom or the world at large, I earnestly would try to avoid categorizing individuals and instead appreciate diversity. Additionally, I pledged that I’d neither cater to students whose parents might be self-important squeaky wheels possessing a sense of entitlement, nor, finally, would I polish leaves of rubber tree plants ever again!"
And I LOVE this feedback...
From my pal New York radio host and man-about-town Colin Lively: "I love this ... Susie is very brave to take such a stance for common sense, which has gone with the wind. I am speechless at what i see and hear in these times.."
From former Blue Bell employee and Wabash College alum Bob Kellogg: "That is a very nice story, a great reflection on the Kindergarten days. Susie is an excellent story teller."
From Michigander and longtime healthcare marketing employee Barb Nicholson: "Susie writes so beautifully!! Always a pleasure to read her columns."
From another Michigander and accomplished executive assistant Jan Tansel: "I love how Susie writes. It’s so fun to read."
honestly at my core i am shy (don't laugh!) and so this speaking up is NOT what i thought i would "brave up" and one day do...but i do , don't i? ;D it ain't easy always...but i am happy to do so! ♥!!! truly, thanks for building my confidence and boosting my morale! you won't be sorry cuz i have a really good heart! as do all of you!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
Here's an excerpt: "Little did I realize, during those junior high days, that I would be so impacted by my experiences that someday I would attend a teachers’ college. Under Mrs. Sheehan’s expertly professional tutelage, I observed firsthand that patience, discipline, organizational skills, and regimentation assure a successful learning situation. On the sly, though, I vowed that should I assume the valiant role of educator, whether in a classroom or the world at large, I earnestly would try to avoid categorizing individuals and instead appreciate diversity. Additionally, I pledged that I’d neither cater to students whose parents might be self-important squeaky wheels possessing a sense of entitlement, nor, finally, would I polish leaves of rubber tree plants ever again!"
And I LOVE this feedback...
From my pal New York radio host and man-about-town Colin Lively: "I love this ... Susie is very brave to take such a stance for common sense, which has gone with the wind. I am speechless at what i see and hear in these times.."
From former Blue Bell employee and Wabash College alum Bob Kellogg: "That is a very nice story, a great reflection on the Kindergarten days. Susie is an excellent story teller."
From Michigander and longtime healthcare marketing employee Barb Nicholson: "Susie writes so beautifully!! Always a pleasure to read her columns."
From another Michigander and accomplished executive assistant Jan Tansel: "I love how Susie writes. It’s so fun to read."
honestly at my core i am shy (don't laugh!) and so this speaking up is NOT what i thought i would "brave up" and one day do...but i do , don't i? ;D it ain't easy always...but i am happy to do so! ♥!!! truly, thanks for building my confidence and boosting my morale! you won't be sorry cuz i have a really good heart! as do all of you!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 13, 2012
Hysterical listening! Episode five (?) of Sheepshead Bay Boulevard on The Colin Lively Show
The latest installment of the spot-on soaper spoof "Sheepshead Bay," as written by multi-talented Judy Stadt and presented by sparkling wit Colin Lively as part of his weekly radio show, aired today. Two accomplished authors are in the zany cast: Susie Duncan Sexton reprises her campy-fun role as Nora Redmond, and Danny Kemp joins as The Bushy-Headed Stranger. Listen by clicking here.
Below are some "reviews" (which can also be viewed by clicking here):
“Judy Stadt is nothing short of genius in her creation of SHEEPSHEAD BAY BOULEVARD. This is the must listen show of 2012. There hasn’t been a radio show this exciting since The Whistler and The Shadow Knows. I cancel car pooling so that I won’t miss a single episode”— Marguerite Jablonski of the Flint Morning Fib
And this email came in just today:
“Colin, I am simply speechless. Your Max is like nothing I have ever heard in my life. There is an arresting quality to the whole show, Sheepshead Bay Boulevard. It is just like the radio shows of my youth and even has the static, just like the old days. Susie Sexton is in a league of her own with a voice one can never forget.”— signed Anonymous.
"I want to applaud Susie Sexton for her role as Nora Redmond...Her performance is unreal. She plays the eccentric and somewhat cracked character as if it were written especially for her."
"Judy Stadt, creator who plays all the extra character parts is the finest character actor since Dame Mae Whitty or Guy Kibbee. She is a talent beyond all others and even Meryl Streep can not come up with as many personae and world accents."
_______________________
...and now for a word from our sponsor...
do me a favor? love nature and the environment and all the animals of the world. when that happens, we are all happy people...thus, it is a win/win all the way around...and this month learn to GO VEGAN...thanks for stopping to think and to love and to care and to empathize and to recommend an end to the killing of sentient creatures...start today! ♥!!! speak up and often until hearts are changed. i do that all the time...it takes courage to care enough to challenge the status quo. do it! please? face to face, speak up for NO MORE KILLING...NO MORE VICTIMS...no more profiting from self-interest and lack of respect for all who live. ALL LIVING BEINGS MATTER!
_______________________
From sweet and supportive Tressa Marie: "I LOVE this blog so much! Everything Susie says in it is just exceptional!!!!! and when she wrote this 'Speak up and often until hearts are changed. i do that all the time...it takes courage to care enough to challenge the status quo. do it! please? face to face, speak up for NO MORE KILLING...NO MORE VICTIMS...no more profiting from self-interest and lack of respect for all who live. ALL LIVING BEINGS MATTER!' ....I got tears ..... JUST AWESOME! She is just amazing!! Deepest respect and admiration to Susie for all she does! Love her!! ♥"
And kind and caring Paro Babu: "indeed a wonderful piece of work done very neatly with an amazing piece of advice, 'do me a favor? love nature and the environment and all the animals of the world. when that happens, we are all happy people...thus, it is a win/win all the way around...and this month learn to GO VEGAN...thanks for stopping to think and to love and to care and to empathize and to recommend an end to the killing of sentient creatures...start today! ♥!!!', which i think all of us should follow..that's what is called 'Humanity' in true sense...thank u so much for sharing this with us... lots of love for Susie ♥♥♥"
And delightful Toni Albanese: "I love reading what your Mom says, Roy Sexton ♥ She is such a kind and loving person ♥ It's easy to learn from her with that heart ♥"
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
Below are some "reviews" (which can also be viewed by clicking here):
“Judy Stadt is nothing short of genius in her creation of SHEEPSHEAD BAY BOULEVARD. This is the must listen show of 2012. There hasn’t been a radio show this exciting since The Whistler and The Shadow Knows. I cancel car pooling so that I won’t miss a single episode”— Marguerite Jablonski of the Flint Morning Fib
And this email came in just today:
“Colin, I am simply speechless. Your Max is like nothing I have ever heard in my life. There is an arresting quality to the whole show, Sheepshead Bay Boulevard. It is just like the radio shows of my youth and even has the static, just like the old days. Susie Sexton is in a league of her own with a voice one can never forget.”— signed Anonymous.
"I want to applaud Susie Sexton for her role as Nora Redmond...Her performance is unreal. She plays the eccentric and somewhat cracked character as if it were written especially for her."
"Judy Stadt, creator who plays all the extra character parts is the finest character actor since Dame Mae Whitty or Guy Kibbee. She is a talent beyond all others and even Meryl Streep can not come up with as many personae and world accents."
_______________________
...and now for a word from our sponsor...
do me a favor? love nature and the environment and all the animals of the world. when that happens, we are all happy people...thus, it is a win/win all the way around...and this month learn to GO VEGAN...thanks for stopping to think and to love and to care and to empathize and to recommend an end to the killing of sentient creatures...start today! ♥!!! speak up and often until hearts are changed. i do that all the time...it takes courage to care enough to challenge the status quo. do it! please? face to face, speak up for NO MORE KILLING...NO MORE VICTIMS...no more profiting from self-interest and lack of respect for all who live. ALL LIVING BEINGS MATTER!
_______________________
From sweet and supportive Tressa Marie: "I LOVE this blog so much! Everything Susie says in it is just exceptional!!!!! and when she wrote this 'Speak up and often until hearts are changed. i do that all the time...it takes courage to care enough to challenge the status quo. do it! please? face to face, speak up for NO MORE KILLING...NO MORE VICTIMS...no more profiting from self-interest and lack of respect for all who live. ALL LIVING BEINGS MATTER!' ....I got tears ..... JUST AWESOME! She is just amazing!! Deepest respect and admiration to Susie for all she does! Love her!! ♥"
And kind and caring Paro Babu: "indeed a wonderful piece of work done very neatly with an amazing piece of advice, 'do me a favor? love nature and the environment and all the animals of the world. when that happens, we are all happy people...thus, it is a win/win all the way around...and this month learn to GO VEGAN...thanks for stopping to think and to love and to care and to empathize and to recommend an end to the killing of sentient creatures...start today! ♥!!!', which i think all of us should follow..that's what is called 'Humanity' in true sense...thank u so much for sharing this with us... lots of love for Susie ♥♥♥"
And delightful Toni Albanese: "I love reading what your Mom says, Roy Sexton ♥ She is such a kind and loving person ♥ It's easy to learn from her with that heart ♥"
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
the prejudice against our gender is undeniable.
i sorta believe that i get underestimated every day...and before i die, all that i wish is, in real time, for a handful of sincere apologies from a handful of folks who have blown me off far too often and tried to demean my interests and my beliefs mostly because i am a female.
the prejudice against our gender is undeniable.
the biases against women as "thinkers" is undeniable.
i can hardly wait until we are considered persons...women will be kinder to each other and men will know they must accept us as people. what a day that will be. and i shall sit straight up in my casket when certain folks MAY come to view the body, those who did not give me the time of day when it mattered. they had better stay home! ;D
and i could list them right here right now.
ain't life grand? i think we gotta enjoy it while we are here and not wait for heaven. sure of that! ♥!! this is as close to heaven as we get...real time matters.
_______________________
that being said, I am fortunate to have some wonderful, kind souls in my life whose support means the world to me...here are some comments on my most recent "homeward angle" column (you can read it by clicking here) which just thrilled my soul!
Lisa Reiff-Claypool: "Susie Sexton is one confident, talented, intelligent, and classy lady. I'm proud to call her my friend."
Barb Nicholson: "As always, I enjoy Susie's column. This one was especially fun because I always enjoyed MacLean Stevenson’s antics on MASH and it was neat to read how your mom worked with him in the Music Man. Must have been fun time!"
Bob Kellogg: "Enjoyed Susie's article very much! Didn't know she'd been active in the theater. And, have to mention that I played one of the school board (Baritone in the quartet) When the Greensboro community theater produced 'The Music Man' several years ago. It was great fun. Probably my favorite musical."
Kat Kelly-Heinzelman: "Thank you, Roy and Miss Susie....Love you both and I miss you both too. LOL...Roy, it is almost time for Miss Susie and I to take that vacation up at your house...are you ready for us?"
Laura Reiff Underwood: "Love it! Thanks for sharing this. Susie is an excellent writer. I might be partial because she usually finds a way to include animal & animal rights :)"
Susan Henley: "The life lesson I learned recently is to live as if you are in your 'some days.' Some day I'll go to Italy, some day I'll learn how to oil paint or whatever you have been putting off......do it now or at least plan to do it soon. Life is short and you never know when your time will be over. Your time is now, this week, this day, this minute - - explore it! Thanks, Susie, for getting us thinking!!"
Susan Alcott Jardine: "Keep on with the wonderful columns, Susie. xoxo"
_______________________
postscript...
oh, since birth almost i have observed the kinkiest sexuality all about...the MAD MEN series sets the stage for all of us looking away while adultery roars or sneaks about between the traditional man/woman couplings...i am so non-hetero at ...this point in time from a lifetime of playboy activities among school-mates and others even closer to myself that i am amazed that so many have managed to get elected to office and to be honored in other ways and to move onto 2nd and 3rd marriages and behave as if children can be born out of wed-LOCK and that is referred to these days as "family"...how confusing it has all been.
nothing has shocked me since i was 2 and 1/2 years old...but because of my own life experiences i considered becoming a nun...seriously. looking away during the clinton escapades led to an epidemic of oral sex experimentation among kids, mind you. the first time i ever heard of such an idiotic concept was the "69" moronic rock slop popular when i was in college! women parade about as skimpily clad as possible, enhancing their body parts and for what reason? victims and victimizers and the most sexed up culture in the history of mankind...america should be really proud of this mess.
as to pretty boy john edwards and his long-suffering wife...another example of the "mister" being acceptable as a candidate for public office while the dame becomes lady macbeth...she had the more brilliant mind but she stood behind mr. wonderful and he took himself as seriously if not more so than his loving overweight originally sweet and intelligent wife ever did.
women are never categorized as "thinkers"...people are programmed to dismiss females with other means of categorization, all demeaning...we are the hugest minority who must be silenced one way or another. i tried that quiet, shy stint for most of my life...and i found that being a coward is not my style...i am a braver person than i ever imagined i would be...and sex is the last thing on my mind. it is only an appetite and a dangerous one at that...and has screwed all of us up royally! ;D
(oh, and another sure way to get elected is to claim god wants you to run, that you extol "family" -- ha!, man on woman sex and plenty of it, and to drive while intoxicated...no problem...you're at the statehouse in a shot! hypocrisy wins every time!)
...and as for run-on sentences (those occur when a conjunction is used and a comma gets left out), my uncle william faulkner and i love them...it's our style...but i did need to set off the skimpily clad women...with a period before i discussed them? pardon the pun! ;D
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
the prejudice against our gender is undeniable.
the biases against women as "thinkers" is undeniable.
i can hardly wait until we are considered persons...women will be kinder to each other and men will know they must accept us as people. what a day that will be. and i shall sit straight up in my casket when certain folks MAY come to view the body, those who did not give me the time of day when it mattered. they had better stay home! ;D
and i could list them right here right now.
ain't life grand? i think we gotta enjoy it while we are here and not wait for heaven. sure of that! ♥!! this is as close to heaven as we get...real time matters.
_______________________
that being said, I am fortunate to have some wonderful, kind souls in my life whose support means the world to me...here are some comments on my most recent "homeward angle" column (you can read it by clicking here) which just thrilled my soul!
Lisa Reiff-Claypool: "Susie Sexton is one confident, talented, intelligent, and classy lady. I'm proud to call her my friend."
Barb Nicholson: "As always, I enjoy Susie's column. This one was especially fun because I always enjoyed MacLean Stevenson’s antics on MASH and it was neat to read how your mom worked with him in the Music Man. Must have been fun time!"
Bob Kellogg: "Enjoyed Susie's article very much! Didn't know she'd been active in the theater. And, have to mention that I played one of the school board (Baritone in the quartet) When the Greensboro community theater produced 'The Music Man' several years ago. It was great fun. Probably my favorite musical."
Kat Kelly-Heinzelman: "Thank you, Roy and Miss Susie....Love you both and I miss you both too. LOL...Roy, it is almost time for Miss Susie and I to take that vacation up at your house...are you ready for us?"
Laura Reiff Underwood: "Love it! Thanks for sharing this. Susie is an excellent writer. I might be partial because she usually finds a way to include animal & animal rights :)"
Susan Henley: "The life lesson I learned recently is to live as if you are in your 'some days.' Some day I'll go to Italy, some day I'll learn how to oil paint or whatever you have been putting off......do it now or at least plan to do it soon. Life is short and you never know when your time will be over. Your time is now, this week, this day, this minute - - explore it! Thanks, Susie, for getting us thinking!!"
Susan Alcott Jardine: "Keep on with the wonderful columns, Susie. xoxo"
_______________________
postscript...
oh, since birth almost i have observed the kinkiest sexuality all about...the MAD MEN series sets the stage for all of us looking away while adultery roars or sneaks about between the traditional man/woman couplings...i am so non-hetero at ...this point in time from a lifetime of playboy activities among school-mates and others even closer to myself that i am amazed that so many have managed to get elected to office and to be honored in other ways and to move onto 2nd and 3rd marriages and behave as if children can be born out of wed-LOCK and that is referred to these days as "family"...how confusing it has all been.
nothing has shocked me since i was 2 and 1/2 years old...but because of my own life experiences i considered becoming a nun...seriously. looking away during the clinton escapades led to an epidemic of oral sex experimentation among kids, mind you. the first time i ever heard of such an idiotic concept was the "69" moronic rock slop popular when i was in college! women parade about as skimpily clad as possible, enhancing their body parts and for what reason? victims and victimizers and the most sexed up culture in the history of mankind...america should be really proud of this mess.
as to pretty boy john edwards and his long-suffering wife...another example of the "mister" being acceptable as a candidate for public office while the dame becomes lady macbeth...she had the more brilliant mind but she stood behind mr. wonderful and he took himself as seriously if not more so than his loving overweight originally sweet and intelligent wife ever did.
women are never categorized as "thinkers"...people are programmed to dismiss females with other means of categorization, all demeaning...we are the hugest minority who must be silenced one way or another. i tried that quiet, shy stint for most of my life...and i found that being a coward is not my style...i am a braver person than i ever imagined i would be...and sex is the last thing on my mind. it is only an appetite and a dangerous one at that...and has screwed all of us up royally! ;D
(oh, and another sure way to get elected is to claim god wants you to run, that you extol "family" -- ha!, man on woman sex and plenty of it, and to drive while intoxicated...no problem...you're at the statehouse in a shot! hypocrisy wins every time!)
...and as for run-on sentences (those occur when a conjunction is used and a comma gets left out), my uncle william faulkner and i love them...it's our style...but i did need to set off the skimpily clad women...with a period before i discussed them? pardon the pun! ;D
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 12, 2012
Latest Homeward Angle: MAD MEN & MUSICALS -- IN "THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME" *
[View the scanned version and accompanying photo album by clicking here].
Hopelessly immersed in the recent 13 installment fifth season of the AMC late Sunday evening series “Mad Men”, I weekly revisited the quirky 60s on my dates with dapper, dashing advertising executive “Don Draper” and the gang! And, baby, that cast has got it right! How do I know? I lived, loved, laughed and came of age during that precise decade -- to the maximum!!
Outside of giddily graduating and happily exiting from high school (yay!), getting “pinned” and then engaged during my college career, and marrying husband Don in 1968, the zaniest fun I ever experienced during that decade occurred in the beachy metropolis of Warsaw, Indiana, at an innovative theater–in-the-round…a heady Hollywood Babylonish, episodic adventure for a naive teenager. First, the audition -- my vocal solo earnestly delivered across the living room of that colorful mogul Major Herbert Petrie -- met with approval. I earned a spot as an apprentice!
No longer would I nag Mom and Pop about my mission in life (while leaning forward upon skinned-up elbows and propping a determined chin upon the back of the front seat and swiveling an eager face from one parent to the other) on half hour moon-lit drives home departing the original canvas, Chautauqua-inspired tent-in-a-field productions of “The King and I” and “Plain and Fancy” in 1956. I actually had landed by 1962, successfully catapulting from spectator to center stage! The acting bug seduced another starry-eyed victim. As a 16 year old, I appeared in several musicals in a newly constructed lodge-type theater-in-the-round which had become the next home for the Wagon Wheel Experience well on its way to national renown.
Truthfully, I spent a huge quantity of time hammering nails into wood, assembling “flats”, and slopping paint onto one-dimensional back-drops while crawling around an outback chicken coop doubling as an impromptu classroom-setting for a crash course I snidely referred to as an “Introduction to Stagecraft 101”. However, such rigorous labor assured my choral participation as just another one of the townspeople, singing contralto, in imaginary River City, Iowa and twice in a fictitious New York City. Performing before audiences often including Columbia City Rotary or Kiwanis or Jaycee Clubs or friends and family chauffeured by my convertible-driving brother-in-law, high-school-ism ceased holding any allure for me whatsoever. Although only 25 miles from my own house and its bustling, pleasantly intrusive, seasonal re-modeling Reiff Brothers crew, I imagined myself as distanced (from reality) as Stratford-Upon-Avon itself and fantasized performing the works of Will Shakespeare -- totally hooked….in a good way!
Thus, blissfully adrift in baseball legend/evangelistic preacher Billy Sunday's territory in neighboring Kosciusko County far away from "home sweet home", Susie -- the virginal ingénue and "Marjorie Morningstar" wannabe -- hob-nobbed with Northwestern University co-eds and frat boys, many succeeding eventually as Broadway and television situation comedy stars and starlets. Notably, the MOST enchanting, exciting member of our troupe stood 6’3” and cut a striking figure as flirtatious, athletic, uncommonly handsome and outrageously hilarious. We called this friendly guy “Mac”, short for McLean Stevenson, who hailed from Normal, Illinois. During his second cousin Adlai Stevenson’s bids for the White House, my affable fellow thespian served as press secretary!
Mac, formerly employed as Northwestern's assistant athletic director in Evanston, Illinois, accomplished his first ever professional theatrical stint just up the road as “The Music Man” in 1962, according to "Wikipedia" -- AND according to ME as well! I can vouch for that fun bit of showbiz trivia! Awe-struck, I sang and danced alongside the hunk as he portrayed Professor Harold Hill, conducting a kids' band filled with "Seventy-Six Trombones"!
This down-to-earth, “casual as an old shoe” fellow portrayed Doris Day’s magazine-editor-boss in her 1969-1971 television show, and in 1972 through 1975 -- co-starring with Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers -- his popularity soared as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the Korean War TV sitcom “Mash”. Furthermore, Stevenson substituted for Johnny Carson, while guest hosting the "Tonight Show", a grand total of 58 times -- garnering a wide array of global fans!
Since Ms. Day had stolen my very young heart in her 50s Warner Brothers/MGM musicals, I delighted in viewing her exchange of dialogue each weekly broadcast opposite Mac and considered that my childhood “Pillow Talk” idol was now only disconnected from me by “Six Degrees of Separation”, the maybe preposterous theory that a string of five intermediary human beings link each of us to some other person somewhere on this vast planet! Now, let’s review then. My mom married my dad who voted for Adlai in 1952 and 1956 and who also, in 1962, introduced me to Major Petrie who cast me in a couple of musicals with “Mac” who chased the star of “Calamity Jane” (one of my favorite films) around an office desk on a television show – Hellooooo, Doris! "Que Sera, Sera!"
I survived another decade in “show business” before settling down as a humdrum participant in sometimes dreary real life. However, in late July and early August, our son Roy Sexton will star as Georg Nowack in 1963’s stunning Broadway musical “She Loves Me” reprising a role which James Stewart, Van Johnson, Tom Hanks, and Daniel Massey once tackled. The show opens July 26 and runs three weekends - more info can be found at www.pennyseats.org. So, what possibly might provide more fun that treading the boards myself? No doubt about it, I anticipate -- with glee -- sitting comfortably with an Ann Arbor crowd applauding someone I dearly love who sings on a par with Mario Lanza or Hugh Jackman and whose talent far exceeds my own. Nothing finer, believe me!
* Title's cadence and number of syllables equals that of "MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN GO OUT IN THE MIDDAY SUN!" Thanks, Noel Coward! ;D
NOTE: "In the Good Old Summertime": From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...
"In the Good Old Summertime" is a 1949 musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson and S.Z. Sakall.
The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film, "The Shop Around the Corner", directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and written by Miklós László based on his play "Parfumerie". For "In the Good Old Summertime", the locale has been changed from 1930s Budapest to turn-of-the-century Chicago, but the plot remains the same.
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
Hopelessly immersed in the recent 13 installment fifth season of the AMC late Sunday evening series “Mad Men”, I weekly revisited the quirky 60s on my dates with dapper, dashing advertising executive “Don Draper” and the gang! And, baby, that cast has got it right! How do I know? I lived, loved, laughed and came of age during that precise decade -- to the maximum!!
Outside of giddily graduating and happily exiting from high school (yay!), getting “pinned” and then engaged during my college career, and marrying husband Don in 1968, the zaniest fun I ever experienced during that decade occurred in the beachy metropolis of Warsaw, Indiana, at an innovative theater–in-the-round…a heady Hollywood Babylonish, episodic adventure for a naive teenager. First, the audition -- my vocal solo earnestly delivered across the living room of that colorful mogul Major Herbert Petrie -- met with approval. I earned a spot as an apprentice!
No longer would I nag Mom and Pop about my mission in life (while leaning forward upon skinned-up elbows and propping a determined chin upon the back of the front seat and swiveling an eager face from one parent to the other) on half hour moon-lit drives home departing the original canvas, Chautauqua-inspired tent-in-a-field productions of “The King and I” and “Plain and Fancy” in 1956. I actually had landed by 1962, successfully catapulting from spectator to center stage! The acting bug seduced another starry-eyed victim. As a 16 year old, I appeared in several musicals in a newly constructed lodge-type theater-in-the-round which had become the next home for the Wagon Wheel Experience well on its way to national renown.
Truthfully, I spent a huge quantity of time hammering nails into wood, assembling “flats”, and slopping paint onto one-dimensional back-drops while crawling around an outback chicken coop doubling as an impromptu classroom-setting for a crash course I snidely referred to as an “Introduction to Stagecraft 101”. However, such rigorous labor assured my choral participation as just another one of the townspeople, singing contralto, in imaginary River City, Iowa and twice in a fictitious New York City. Performing before audiences often including Columbia City Rotary or Kiwanis or Jaycee Clubs or friends and family chauffeured by my convertible-driving brother-in-law, high-school-ism ceased holding any allure for me whatsoever. Although only 25 miles from my own house and its bustling, pleasantly intrusive, seasonal re-modeling Reiff Brothers crew, I imagined myself as distanced (from reality) as Stratford-Upon-Avon itself and fantasized performing the works of Will Shakespeare -- totally hooked….in a good way!
Thus, blissfully adrift in baseball legend/evangelistic preacher Billy Sunday's territory in neighboring Kosciusko County far away from "home sweet home", Susie -- the virginal ingénue and "Marjorie Morningstar" wannabe -- hob-nobbed with Northwestern University co-eds and frat boys, many succeeding eventually as Broadway and television situation comedy stars and starlets. Notably, the MOST enchanting, exciting member of our troupe stood 6’3” and cut a striking figure as flirtatious, athletic, uncommonly handsome and outrageously hilarious. We called this friendly guy “Mac”, short for McLean Stevenson, who hailed from Normal, Illinois. During his second cousin Adlai Stevenson’s bids for the White House, my affable fellow thespian served as press secretary!
Mac, formerly employed as Northwestern's assistant athletic director in Evanston, Illinois, accomplished his first ever professional theatrical stint just up the road as “The Music Man” in 1962, according to "Wikipedia" -- AND according to ME as well! I can vouch for that fun bit of showbiz trivia! Awe-struck, I sang and danced alongside the hunk as he portrayed Professor Harold Hill, conducting a kids' band filled with "Seventy-Six Trombones"!
This down-to-earth, “casual as an old shoe” fellow portrayed Doris Day’s magazine-editor-boss in her 1969-1971 television show, and in 1972 through 1975 -- co-starring with Alan Alda and Wayne Rogers -- his popularity soared as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the Korean War TV sitcom “Mash”. Furthermore, Stevenson substituted for Johnny Carson, while guest hosting the "Tonight Show", a grand total of 58 times -- garnering a wide array of global fans!
Since Ms. Day had stolen my very young heart in her 50s Warner Brothers/MGM musicals, I delighted in viewing her exchange of dialogue each weekly broadcast opposite Mac and considered that my childhood “Pillow Talk” idol was now only disconnected from me by “Six Degrees of Separation”, the maybe preposterous theory that a string of five intermediary human beings link each of us to some other person somewhere on this vast planet! Now, let’s review then. My mom married my dad who voted for Adlai in 1952 and 1956 and who also, in 1962, introduced me to Major Petrie who cast me in a couple of musicals with “Mac” who chased the star of “Calamity Jane” (one of my favorite films) around an office desk on a television show – Hellooooo, Doris! "Que Sera, Sera!"
I survived another decade in “show business” before settling down as a humdrum participant in sometimes dreary real life. However, in late July and early August, our son Roy Sexton will star as Georg Nowack in 1963’s stunning Broadway musical “She Loves Me” reprising a role which James Stewart, Van Johnson, Tom Hanks, and Daniel Massey once tackled. The show opens July 26 and runs three weekends - more info can be found at www.pennyseats.org. So, what possibly might provide more fun that treading the boards myself? No doubt about it, I anticipate -- with glee -- sitting comfortably with an Ann Arbor crowd applauding someone I dearly love who sings on a par with Mario Lanza or Hugh Jackman and whose talent far exceeds my own. Nothing finer, believe me!
* Title's cadence and number of syllables equals that of "MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN GO OUT IN THE MIDDAY SUN!" Thanks, Noel Coward! ;D
NOTE: "In the Good Old Summertime": From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...
"In the Good Old Summertime" is a 1949 musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson and S.Z. Sakall.
The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film, "The Shop Around the Corner", directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and written by Miklós László based on his play "Parfumerie". For "In the Good Old Summertime", the locale has been changed from 1930s Budapest to turn-of-the-century Chicago, but the plot remains the same.
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 10, 2012
because i pursued her trail, i saved her life...
I thought this exchange was so important and worth sharing in its entirety...it ain't easy...but it is worth it...something wonderful may be around the corner...or someone like our zelda! yes, someone like zelda! (not to mention friends like Mary Beth, Madeleine, Diane, Dee, Tierra, Edward, and Becki!)
Here is the exchange...
Susie Sexton: what a hateful world we live in...and to do nothing to stop the cruelty is unforgivable. Read here..."New York Geese Gathered for Gassing"
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: thank you so much
Susie Sexton: thank YOU, mary beth. i am worn out from caring as much as i do...and the falling of our advocacy upon deaf ears. very discouraging i can attest to that! let's never stop though.
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: It's like pleading to a headless corpse.
Susie Sexton: yep...the best description i ever read, madeleine--perfect...and the fluff on facebook does not help...about to give up this avenue altogether. such shallowness i have never witnessed in my lifetime. and the word "god" is thrown around about as if HE might be elvis. tired of it all.
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: “Never give up. No matter what is going on never give up. Develop the heart. Too much energy in your country is spent developing the mind instead of the heart, BE COMPASSIONATE not just to your friends but to everyone, BE COMPASSIONATE work for peace in your heart and in the world. Work for peace and I say again, never give up. No matter what is happening, no matter what is going on around you. Never give up.” — His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: It's not Facebook though I have my Facebook angst. The shallowness is a human condition that will not abate and is on the incline. Material things are getting more sacred and life is becoming less so. We kill as a solution to fricken everything and the killer suffers less and less remorse. We are in for worse times as I see it.
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: Madeline, i agree, it is a world I never imagined and a world I frequently can't wait to leave.
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: Mary, the thing is, though I feel similarly, we must know that it is you, Susie and myself included and those many more who feel as we do that are the only ones slowing the process in losing all our humanity. We're the thorns on the sides of all those god spewing, tobacco chewing, sh*t kicking, ass licking, mindless "replicants" who pretend to be part of the human race.
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: Thanks for reminding me, Madeleine :)
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: At your service, Mary.
Susie Sexton: both of you gave me goose bumps...pardon the pun...facebook can be fabulous after all...because i truly have you two human humane beings in my life as if i knew you both from birth. had to part with a "100% dog" of ours yesterday - Zelda. she literally started to fall apart sunday and got more frail yesterday. she looked gorgeous as she was euthanized for 150 dollars. no wonder folks take seniors to the pounds -- pricey proposition. our doctor is so wonderful and we completely believe in her expertise. but i am so distraught today. we saved this canine who was five minutes from euthanasia over 10 years ago, having been impounded as a young stray dog found at the wal-mart parking lot. after the "holiday" of july 4th a decade ago, she was to be put down. i played al pacino and hid behind a pillar at the vet's when she was brought in and very much alive and said that i wanted her after being told by the man who headed up the dog pound that this beauty was already dead...she was not...and because i pursued her trail, i saved her life and what a dandy dog she was. and how sad i am today for the state of the world as i wallow in my own personal grief which is huge. i love you two! oh, yes!
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: Susie, I am so sorry to hear this. I know the pain is awful. What a lucky dog to have you as a companion. ♥
Susie Sexton: thanks for your perfect words, mary beth...yep, i would rather die myself i believe than go through this one more time. it's like my heart is being strangled in gauze or some other filmy undecipherable foggy material if that makes ANY sense?????? some days lately, i just wish to be absent from this mortal coil myself...more and more each day. the world is a complete puzzle to me.
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: And one more time times ten, we will all choose to save and give a life of love with the knowledge that we will out live these treasures. And we do it cause we love them. And if we can give them even a mere minute of love and comfort, which they deserve, we will have reason to do it again.
Postscript...
Susie Sexton: this girl of ours was like mark twain with haley's comet...I saved her about the same time of year she died…
Diane Shenkman Baumgarten: Dear Susie, I feel there is no difference between losing a beloved human or animal soul. The ones we love know how much we love them as they do us in most circumstances. To rescue a pet is a special act of kindness , only done by very special people. You are very special as I read about you daily and your beautiful girl knows what you did for her. They always do. So, god bless both of you. I send you my condolences , but no words are adequate at this time. With love, Diane
Becki Downing Jacquay: I am so sorry to hear of your loss...Your blog has me in tears this morning. I also have such unshakable grief when an animal passes. Please know I will be thinking of you and Don.
Dee Turner: Your story about your beloved Zelda really touched my heart Susie. As a true animal lover and rescuer since my teens, I can unequivocally say how deeply I feel the pain of your loss. You have certainly earned the right to grieve as long as ...you need to w/o having to explain or defend yourself. This is the last kind thing we can do for our pets, and why wouldn't we? Our bond is so unbreakable and even though the relationship changes to the spiritual plane, I take some comfort in knowing that the love never dies, the memories stay with us and we will be reunited in that realm when it is our time to cross over. I often find myself getting teary in unguarded moments, but feel their spirits stay around us & we can tune into that whenever we need to feel their presence in our present lives. They bless us with their unconditional love & we honor their memory when we feel their loss so deeply, by sharing the love with other furry souls facing death everywhere around us. My other fosters help to fill a great void on the physical & emotional levels, to keep my focus positive, despite a very cold, cruel world sometimes. They help motivate me to keep fighting vs animal abuse every day. How can we not? Our pets count on us, and they would be proud knowing we speak for so many others whose rights are so violated. We grow stronger by speaking out and greater in numbers as we grow louder and reach farther, around the world. God bless & Dogs bless you!
Tierra Chapman: My sincerest condolences to all who knew Zelda. I've been thru this many times and nothing makes it easier to deal with other than knowing you gave some one, many someones, a good and loving home that they likely may not have had if not for you. Still, their passing leves such a huge hole in our hearts. May fond memories soon fill it. RIP, Zelda. ~♥~ Merry Meet, sadly part, Merry Meet again.~♥~
Edward Levine: So sorry, Susie and Roy...Know how brutal it is......Still grieving over Murray from Jan. 18th..........There is only 1 horrible part about owning a beloved dog and this is it.........
Susie Sexton: oh, diane and dee and becki and tierra and ed, thanks! i needed that! i am very frail myself when these wondrous animals leave my side, those soul-mates who have taught me so much for years as integral parts of our family. so you have quelled my tears with your understanding heart and sympathetic message. she was an unusual german shepherd/collie mix...so gorgeous and so comfortable in her own skin. rugged and stoic and happy to be alive. i miss her although her sparkling "spirit" lives on! zelda was her name. ♥! truly, thank you, diane and becki and dee and tierra and ed!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
Here is the exchange...
Susie Sexton: what a hateful world we live in...and to do nothing to stop the cruelty is unforgivable. Read here..."New York Geese Gathered for Gassing"
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: thank you so much
Susie Sexton: thank YOU, mary beth. i am worn out from caring as much as i do...and the falling of our advocacy upon deaf ears. very discouraging i can attest to that! let's never stop though.
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: It's like pleading to a headless corpse.
Susie Sexton: yep...the best description i ever read, madeleine--perfect...and the fluff on facebook does not help...about to give up this avenue altogether. such shallowness i have never witnessed in my lifetime. and the word "god" is thrown around about as if HE might be elvis. tired of it all.
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: “Never give up. No matter what is going on never give up. Develop the heart. Too much energy in your country is spent developing the mind instead of the heart, BE COMPASSIONATE not just to your friends but to everyone, BE COMPASSIONATE work for peace in your heart and in the world. Work for peace and I say again, never give up. No matter what is happening, no matter what is going on around you. Never give up.” — His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: It's not Facebook though I have my Facebook angst. The shallowness is a human condition that will not abate and is on the incline. Material things are getting more sacred and life is becoming less so. We kill as a solution to fricken everything and the killer suffers less and less remorse. We are in for worse times as I see it.
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: Madeline, i agree, it is a world I never imagined and a world I frequently can't wait to leave.
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: Mary, the thing is, though I feel similarly, we must know that it is you, Susie and myself included and those many more who feel as we do that are the only ones slowing the process in losing all our humanity. We're the thorns on the sides of all those god spewing, tobacco chewing, sh*t kicking, ass licking, mindless "replicants" who pretend to be part of the human race.
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: Thanks for reminding me, Madeleine :)
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: At your service, Mary.
Susie Sexton: both of you gave me goose bumps...pardon the pun...facebook can be fabulous after all...because i truly have you two human humane beings in my life as if i knew you both from birth. had to part with a "100% dog" of ours yesterday - Zelda. she literally started to fall apart sunday and got more frail yesterday. she looked gorgeous as she was euthanized for 150 dollars. no wonder folks take seniors to the pounds -- pricey proposition. our doctor is so wonderful and we completely believe in her expertise. but i am so distraught today. we saved this canine who was five minutes from euthanasia over 10 years ago, having been impounded as a young stray dog found at the wal-mart parking lot. after the "holiday" of july 4th a decade ago, she was to be put down. i played al pacino and hid behind a pillar at the vet's when she was brought in and very much alive and said that i wanted her after being told by the man who headed up the dog pound that this beauty was already dead...she was not...and because i pursued her trail, i saved her life and what a dandy dog she was. and how sad i am today for the state of the world as i wallow in my own personal grief which is huge. i love you two! oh, yes!
Mary Beth Purdy - Artz: Susie, I am so sorry to hear this. I know the pain is awful. What a lucky dog to have you as a companion. ♥
Susie Sexton: thanks for your perfect words, mary beth...yep, i would rather die myself i believe than go through this one more time. it's like my heart is being strangled in gauze or some other filmy undecipherable foggy material if that makes ANY sense?????? some days lately, i just wish to be absent from this mortal coil myself...more and more each day. the world is a complete puzzle to me.
Madeleine Fisher-Kern: And one more time times ten, we will all choose to save and give a life of love with the knowledge that we will out live these treasures. And we do it cause we love them. And if we can give them even a mere minute of love and comfort, which they deserve, we will have reason to do it again.
Postscript...
Susie Sexton: this girl of ours was like mark twain with haley's comet...I saved her about the same time of year she died…
Diane Shenkman Baumgarten: Dear Susie, I feel there is no difference between losing a beloved human or animal soul. The ones we love know how much we love them as they do us in most circumstances. To rescue a pet is a special act of kindness , only done by very special people. You are very special as I read about you daily and your beautiful girl knows what you did for her. They always do. So, god bless both of you. I send you my condolences , but no words are adequate at this time. With love, Diane
Becki Downing Jacquay: I am so sorry to hear of your loss...Your blog has me in tears this morning. I also have such unshakable grief when an animal passes. Please know I will be thinking of you and Don.
Dee Turner: Your story about your beloved Zelda really touched my heart Susie. As a true animal lover and rescuer since my teens, I can unequivocally say how deeply I feel the pain of your loss. You have certainly earned the right to grieve as long as ...you need to w/o having to explain or defend yourself. This is the last kind thing we can do for our pets, and why wouldn't we? Our bond is so unbreakable and even though the relationship changes to the spiritual plane, I take some comfort in knowing that the love never dies, the memories stay with us and we will be reunited in that realm when it is our time to cross over. I often find myself getting teary in unguarded moments, but feel their spirits stay around us & we can tune into that whenever we need to feel their presence in our present lives. They bless us with their unconditional love & we honor their memory when we feel their loss so deeply, by sharing the love with other furry souls facing death everywhere around us. My other fosters help to fill a great void on the physical & emotional levels, to keep my focus positive, despite a very cold, cruel world sometimes. They help motivate me to keep fighting vs animal abuse every day. How can we not? Our pets count on us, and they would be proud knowing we speak for so many others whose rights are so violated. We grow stronger by speaking out and greater in numbers as we grow louder and reach farther, around the world. God bless & Dogs bless you!
Tierra Chapman: My sincerest condolences to all who knew Zelda. I've been thru this many times and nothing makes it easier to deal with other than knowing you gave some one, many someones, a good and loving home that they likely may not have had if not for you. Still, their passing leves such a huge hole in our hearts. May fond memories soon fill it. RIP, Zelda. ~♥~ Merry Meet, sadly part, Merry Meet again.~♥~
Edward Levine: So sorry, Susie and Roy...Know how brutal it is......Still grieving over Murray from Jan. 18th..........There is only 1 horrible part about owning a beloved dog and this is it.........
Susie Sexton: oh, diane and dee and becki and tierra and ed, thanks! i needed that! i am very frail myself when these wondrous animals leave my side, those soul-mates who have taught me so much for years as integral parts of our family. so you have quelled my tears with your understanding heart and sympathetic message. she was an unusual german shepherd/collie mix...so gorgeous and so comfortable in her own skin. rugged and stoic and happy to be alive. i miss her although her sparkling "spirit" lives on! zelda was her name. ♥! truly, thank you, diane and becki and dee and tierra and ed!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 6, 2012
Latest Colin Lively Show: Sheepshead Bay Theatre + Be Kind To Our Furry Friends...PLUS, Wonderful Exchange with Kat Kelly-Heinzelman
"ANIMALS, and the importance of being kind to our little furry friends. Connie Russell, animal rights activist and avid rescuer, pointed out that over 14,000 dogs are 'put down' every day. All pets must be spayed and neutured, and animal 'mills' must be stopped. Educating the public with the cold hard facts is how we start to tackle this overwhelming problem in our society. It’s time to give them back the love they give to us." And another installment of Sheepshead Bay with Colin and me and Judy Stadt.
Click here to listen...
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I so needed this exchange - I appreciate dear Kat so very much...
Kat Kelly-Heinzelman: "Susie, as always I love reading you...you come up all the time with new things that I haven't even thought of. You keep me informed and I love it. Thank you so much for sharing this and so much more. Your friendship, your life and even Roy. Hang in there, Susie....they need to elect you to the mayor's office as you can get lots more done from there. Love, Kat"
My reply: "how are you, my gentle and special friend? you have no idea what your support means to me and my passion for animals. and my need for trying to express how important they are. i am grateful for the facebook experience because of gracious and loving and intelligent people like my girl kat~! thanks and i think of you all the time. what a gem you are!"
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
Click here to listen...
_______________________
I so needed this exchange - I appreciate dear Kat so very much...
Kat Kelly-Heinzelman: "Susie, as always I love reading you...you come up all the time with new things that I haven't even thought of. You keep me informed and I love it. Thank you so much for sharing this and so much more. Your friendship, your life and even Roy. Hang in there, Susie....they need to elect you to the mayor's office as you can get lots more done from there. Love, Kat"
My reply: "how are you, my gentle and special friend? you have no idea what your support means to me and my passion for animals. and my need for trying to express how important they are. i am grateful for the facebook experience because of gracious and loving and intelligent people like my girl kat~! thanks and i think of you all the time. what a gem you are!"
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
July 5, 2012
why wait...when we know it matters to somebody?
we must do the best we are able while we live and do not wait for a rainbow bridge or resting in peace or heaven itself? then we can stop and be nice and help others NOW.
why wait when we could be doing that type of stuff right this second when we know it matters to somebody who needs a compliment or a boost to sagging spirits or say....a life saved in real time.
RIP really is not a favorite abbreviation of mine nor "well, we good ones will all meet in heaven and all of these slain animals will be there to meet us..." that type of spin discourages us from stepping up to the plate to stop such horrors as gassing and bullying and one upmanship.
being killed must hurt very very much...and the adrenalin released surely must be astounding and anything but peaceful. so frightening that we cannot empathize and prevent these horrors. ah, well. back to vacuuming and dusting...and wondering WTF?
sensationalism in 'round the clock news? enough already. and why can manKIND be such an SOB? gonna turn off all the "news" piped onto all kinds of monitors and get something done. yeah, that's the ticket. you ain't missed nothing but hysterics and diversions and a lot of empty bragging! i gotta not look for awhile at all the madness. LOL! gotta laugh to keep from crying?
HOWEVER...just when we get the impression folks are contemplating their own navels and totally self-involved in bustling toward god knows what and who knows where and filling us all in on their upward climbs, there is a story or a person who saves the day. hoo-rah! ♥!!!
Deborah Fields Perez: "If it weren't for animal advocates, there would be no hope for these precious angels. I'm 100% with you! I'd fight for an animal ANY day of the week or ANY minute of the day." (one of the many reasons we love beautiful and talented deborah! ♥!)
Tressa Marie: "WOW! Love this blog so much ... just awesome everything Susie says in here! Much respect to Susie for all she does. Sending her hugs! ♥"
"Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect - When the earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be... known as the warriors of the Rainbow" -- Old Native American Prophecy (borrowed from CHARLIE whom i love!)
and this! "Knowing is not enough - we must apply. Willing is not enough - we must do!" -Bruce Lee!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
why wait when we could be doing that type of stuff right this second when we know it matters to somebody who needs a compliment or a boost to sagging spirits or say....a life saved in real time.
RIP really is not a favorite abbreviation of mine nor "well, we good ones will all meet in heaven and all of these slain animals will be there to meet us..." that type of spin discourages us from stepping up to the plate to stop such horrors as gassing and bullying and one upmanship.
being killed must hurt very very much...and the adrenalin released surely must be astounding and anything but peaceful. so frightening that we cannot empathize and prevent these horrors. ah, well. back to vacuuming and dusting...and wondering WTF?
sensationalism in 'round the clock news? enough already. and why can manKIND be such an SOB? gonna turn off all the "news" piped onto all kinds of monitors and get something done. yeah, that's the ticket. you ain't missed nothing but hysterics and diversions and a lot of empty bragging! i gotta not look for awhile at all the madness. LOL! gotta laugh to keep from crying?
HOWEVER...just when we get the impression folks are contemplating their own navels and totally self-involved in bustling toward god knows what and who knows where and filling us all in on their upward climbs, there is a story or a person who saves the day. hoo-rah! ♥!!!
Deborah Fields Perez: "If it weren't for animal advocates, there would be no hope for these precious angels. I'm 100% with you! I'd fight for an animal ANY day of the week or ANY minute of the day." (one of the many reasons we love beautiful and talented deborah! ♥!)
Tressa Marie: "WOW! Love this blog so much ... just awesome everything Susie says in here! Much respect to Susie for all she does. Sending her hugs! ♥"
"Treat the Earth and all that dwell therein with respect - When the earth is ravaged and the animals are dying, a new tribe of people shall come unto the earth from many colors, classes, creeds, and who by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again. They will be... known as the warriors of the Rainbow" -- Old Native American Prophecy (borrowed from CHARLIE whom i love!)
and this! "Knowing is not enough - we must apply. Willing is not enough - we must do!" -Bruce Lee!
_______________________
Read about movies and nostalgia, animal issues and sociopolitical concerns all discussed in my book Secrets of an Old Typewriter - print and ebook versions available. Also available in both formats at Amazon.com
Meet other like-minded souls at my facebook fan page
Visit my author website at www.susieduncansexton.com
Join a great group of animal advocates Squawk Back: Helping animals when others can't ... Or won't
