Yikes! Katey met a terrifying baby camel at the Texas State Fair. When I asked Katey why she was afraid, she said, “Camels spit!” Thank you, Katey Batavia, for sharing this photo!. But when Katey and the baby camel got to know each other, they became friends! Photo by David Menidrey on Unsplash
The poem,”One Earth” perfectly expresses my perspective on Planet Earth. It will appear in the “Mother Nature” Chapter of Life on the Blue Planet.
Book Fairs & Trade Shows
For the last few weeks, I have been working hard preparing materials for the Children’s Book Expo in Shanghai in November, and the Frankfurt Book Fair, in October. I am also working to prepare for the Taipei Trade Show in February. My books will be exhibited and represented at these events, but I will not be present. If you go, please send me a photo or two! 😊
Dr. Jane Goodall
The world lost a groundbreaking researcher this week. Dr. Jane Goodall, who lived for many years among chimpanzees, died this week at the age of 91. Her reasearch revealed new information about the habits and social life of chimpanzees that revolutionized the way we think about animal behavior. 😄
There are many well-researched tributes to Jane Goodall online. Two that I enjoyed are:
“Instagram: Jane Goodall UK” by Selma Martin, 10/5/25 Selma
“Honoring the Life of Jane Goodall” by Michele Lee, 10/1/25 myinspiredlife.com
Personal Note
Lately, I have to enlarge small print in order to read it. After I have clicked “Reply,” I sometimes discover typos in my comments that I couldn’t see before. I think it may soon be time to schedule my cataract surgery. Please don’t judge me too harshly for the typos.😂
It’s been a long road for this book. It languished in a notebook during more than a year of illness for both Robert and me. Today, I signed the galley approval document! Within a week or so, I expect to announce that Life on the Blue Planet is live.
I would like to thank my fellow bloggers for all of their support and encouragement over the last few years. It means a lot to me!
Robert will be 77 on September 20, 2025. I wanted to share Robert’s homemade birthday card with you. Though we are going through some challenges, health-wise and otherwise, we are OK and expect to come out alright. I am working on a lot of projects.
When life slows down again, I hope to be more active on the blog. I am looking forward to that day! 💕🌈 💕 I miss you!
For the last couple of months, I have been experiencing heart symptoms again. Last week, I ended up in the hospital for an emergency angioplasty for a blocked stent in my heart. I was in the hospital for a couple of days and am recovering at home. After all of our recent surgeries, both Robert and I are OK, but quite tired.
Timeless Insightsinto Human Nature & Relationships
Author, Rosaliene Bacchus was a young, idealistic Guyanese nun for seven years during the tumultuous 1970s and early 1980s in Guyana. Her novel, The Twisted Circle, provides vivid insights into the politics and corruption of both the Roman Catholic Church and the Guyanese government of that period. Nuns and priests are portrayed as human beings with human desires, ambitions, and flaws.
The protagonist, Barbara, a young Black Guyanese nun, suffers sexual harassment from both priests and political figures. Her antagonist, Francis, a racist White American nun who is in love with a priest, considers herself superior to Barbara. She jealously attacks Barbara, publicly accusing her of flirting with men. Francis also feels that she deserves a promotion received by Barbara and tries to sabotage Barbara by any devious means possible. The inclusion of numerous excerpts from Francis’s diary enhances the story of the conflict between these two characters.
Several students in the school, where Barbara and Francis are teachers, suffer sexual assaults from priests. One young boy becomes an angry troublemaker. A promising young girl, attacked by a priest, is forced to quit school because of her pregnancy. A talented and charismatic gay student is found dead shortly before his high school graduation.
Rosaliene Bacchus also provides background about Guyana’s colonial past and how it continues to create problems for the newly independent nation. Conflicts exist among the Black citizens who came as slaves, Indians who came as indentured servants, three native American tribes, and assorted Europeans. There are also numerous people of mixed races.
At the time when the story takes place, many families in rural areas live in squalid housing, without enough to eat, without adequate medical care, and with limited educational opportunities. The Church steps in to help. Teachers, despite limited resources, do their best to help their students. Many nuns and priests, though probably initially well-intentioned, are at the mercy of their human desires and ambitions.
The Twisted Circle is a window on a fascinating time and place. It provides timeless insights into human nature and relationships.
*I read The Twisted Circle yesterday, all in one day. It would have been hard to put down!
Rosaliene Bacchus blogs at <rosalienebacchus@yahoo.com>
Take a moment to appreciate those who died in defense of your country. Think about the values they were defending. Support democracy, and fight to preserve the rights andfreedoms promised to you in the Constitution.
Here, on the SW Florida Gulf Coast, the temperatures are rising, and grass is parched and brown. Yesterday, we got several brief thunder showers, our first hints of welcome summer rains. Today, the sky is overcast, promising more rain. We need it!
Happy summer! A little early for our friends in other locales, but heartfelt!
On Saturday, 4/19/25, around 800 separate demonstrations took place.It was called 5051 because there were protests in cities in all 50 states in the US and the District of Columbia. There were also some demonstrations internationally.
Photo by Barbara Burgess from Unsplash.
I Saw Democracy Today
I may not see precisely eye-to-eye
with a few of the protest signs, banners, and chants…
But I saw democracy today…
People of all ages, ethnicities, walks of life, and points of view
marching together,
taking a stand against oppression, lawlessness, and injustice.
POTUS hates dissent; It takes courage to resist!
I saw democracy today!
*The following poems are composed of quotes from 5051 protest signs, banners, and chants.
Photo by Barbara Burgess from Unsplash
Democracy vs. Dictatorship
Horns honking in Alabama…
Honk if You Want Democracy!
Democracy, Not Oligarchy!
Democracy, Not Fascism!
Hands Off Canada!
Resist Dictatorship!
No Trump! No KKK! No Fascist USA!
RESIST!
No More Tariffs! No Kings!
No Kings! No Fear!
Resist Dictatatorship!
Donald Trump Will Not Save You!
Photo by Morgan Cardarec from Unsplash.
Dump Trump!
Hey, Hey! Ho, Ho!
Donald Trump has got to go!
A sign in New York City observes:
The Emperor Has No Clothes!
Virginia’s flag, a hero’s foot on the
fallen dictator’s chest, proclaims:
Sic Semper Tyrannis!
Thus Ever to Tyrants!
Get Rid of Citizens United!
Democracy is Not For Sale!
Hate Won’t Make America Great!
Deport POTUS!
Photo by Tony Wiek from Unsplash
Constitution
A New York City protester,
dressed in a dinosaur suit, carries a sign:
Separation of Powers Must Not Go Extinct!
Costumed as Lady Liberty, no sign needed,
a woman marches in Chicago!
Protect the Constitution!
Honk If You Love Free Speech!
Habeas Corpus!
Due Process for All!
Hands Off DEI!
Diversity! Equality! Inclusion!
The Rule of Law is Under Attack!
We the People Resist!
Photo by Barbara Burgess from Unsplash
Economic Justice
Economic Justice is Social Justice!
A sign in Salt Lake City: Tax the Rich!
End Cuts to Medical Services!
We Love USAID!
Hands Off Social Security!
Veterans Against Trump!
Hands Off the VA!
No Musk Rat! No DOGE!
Gulf of Mexico, Panama Beach, Florida. Photo by Craig Cameron from Unsplash
Environment
We Stand for Mother Earth!
Oceans Are Rising, and So Are We!
Honk to Save National Parks!
Save Our Parks!
Off Fossil Fuels! Gulf of Mexico!
Climate Justice!
Protesters singing in unison:
This Land was Made for You and Me!
Photo by Alexy Demidov from Unsplash
Immigration
Bring Them Home!
Due Process!
Abolish ICE!
Ethnic Cleansing…We Say No!
DC Wants to Free Kilmar!
Bring Him Back!
Stop the Disappearings!
Who Will Be Next?
Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida, where, over fifty years ago, Cuban refugees came to begin the process of becoming US citizens. Freedom Tower is the classic golden tower surrounded by modern high-rises. Photo by Following NYC from Pexels.
Katey Batavia and Ellen Maher paused en route to their destination yesterday. Selfie by Katey.
Personal Note
On the day before my daughters were scheduled to arrive, Robert had emergency open-heart surgery for aortic dissection. This uncommon condition occurs without warning, has a very high mortality rate, and can destroy organs such as the brain, kidneys, and heart. We got to the emergency room within about fifteen minutes of his chest pain, and Robert was taken by helicopter to the waiting operating room in Sarasota.
Robert survived the surgery, and there are no signs of organ damage. Yesterday, he had surgery to repair leads and replace the battery in his pacemaker. Today, he was moved out of the ICU and is expected to be discharged on Friday. His daughter will arrive on Thursday and stay for a few days. My daughters will arrive on Thursday and leave on Saturday.
Yes, I missed my trip. It was too late to cancel our reservations, and my daughters are enjoying the Everglades and the Keys. They are emailing photos, which I will share.
I am very happy and grateful today for Robert’s positive outcomes. I am enjoying spending time with my daughters. They were here before, and will be here after their trip.
This post was drafted in the hospital surgical lounge while awaiting the results of Robert’s surgeries, and I am finishing it as I wait for Robert to return home.
I expect to be sporadic on WordPress for a while, but my fellow bloggers are always in my thoughts! 💕
Gulf Coast Poet 