HI, MY NAME IS AUBREY

I am going to write the blog for this week. My pet Ames is being lazy and he asked me to contribute a few thoughts. First you ought to know I’m a five year old (42 year old in dog years) English Cocker Spaniel. I have moved around a lot, but when I was two, I moved from Alaska to Ames and Judy’s house. At first I wondered what kind of humans these were. They lived on a boat in a dismal climate in Washington. We moved to CT and life became much more fun. I like to play in the snow and go visit my friends in the dog park. Here is a list of some of my friends – I can’t pronounce their human names so I name them by their breeds. The biggest one in a Great Dane puppy (He’s huge for a puppy. I can walk under him. Then there are two beautiful collies (They are a bit standoffish.) Also included are an African Ridgeback, Rottweiler (Did you know there is no such thing as safe sex with a Rottweiler?), and lots of other dogs big and small. We play tag a lot. I also have fun when the “Grandpuppies” come to visit. Their names are Rachael and Austin. They like to play and walk with me. Well, I think I have shared enough about my life. Maybe you could share some about your life in the “Comment” section.

I like to listen to music also. This photo was taken while I was listening to my humans playing sea chanties with their friends the Stephensons in Maine

I hope everyone is doing well this week.

I was delighted to hear a few good comments on my book, BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP, last Sunday. Sometimes one writes a book and then wonders if anyone reads it. If you have read it please send me a note at ames111111@aol.com or add a comment positive or negative to this blog sight. I am always ready to do a book signing or talk, just let me know. Here are some other pictures from our trip to Singapore. The labels on the photo to the left refer to my short story, The Tiger Lady. One night we were anchored below these cliffs and I told my grandchildren, Austin and Rachael, the story, You will have to wait to read it. It will appear soon on my Author's Den page. Click on "More information about me..." on left on this page.

SINGAPORE TRIP NOTES

I had been having a very dry creative spell. I was spending long hours at the computer, but with little results. I could not think of a story to write, and I did not want to rework any of the novels I had written. The well was dry. Alaina, Judy and I went to Bali for five days and stayed at a beautiful Hotel (?). It was called PURI SARASWATI,in Ubud and located next door to a Hindu Temple for the Goddess of Education and Music. It was very exotic and yet peaceful..<

We toured around the Island with a driver Alaina had hired. He was very nice to us and invited us to visit his home and family. They live almost completely outdoors. Not in Palm thatched huts, but in very nice two wall areas: dining room, living room, kitchen, rice storage area, and one four walled larger house in which they sleep. Perhaps it was the nearness of the Goddess of Education; perhaps it was noting more that the exotic peacefulness of the place, but the juices of creativity started pouring in again. We returned to Singapore for Christmas and my waking hours were disturbed with story ideas. It was driving me crazy. The whole family, Enrique, Alaina, Austin, Rachael and we old folks flew to Thailand, where we stayed in a fantastic hotel by the ocean. The second day I paced the floor in our hotel room while Judy was dressing for breakfast. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked. “Aren’t you having fun?” “Of course I’m having a great time,” I replied. “It’s just I keep getting stories in my head. I have a hard time going to sleep because they keep running through my mind. I have to do something about this.” “Well,” she said, “go right ahead. Write some out. Alaina and I are going shopping and will be gone all morning.” I sought out the Business Lounge and borrowed a computer. Here I stayed for most of the day. I wrote two short stories and started on a new book, Voices from Prison. The pressure to write had diminished, like the air was being let out of a balloon. I could sleep again and enjoy the sights. Still the stories came, some of which I have already forgotten, and some which I have drafted after returning home.

I did not want to leave Bali. I hope to return there soon and open my creativeness again. My well was full to overflowing.

A SIDE TRIP TO TEXAS

We had to make a side trip to Baytown, Texas last week to see my father-in-law, Lester Thrasher. Lester, also an Episcopal Priest, is 99½ years old and not doing well. For all the years I have know Judy he has been like a father to me. I will miss him. It was a hard week for Judy (and me) and we used up a lot of tissues. I was doing pretty well until we went to visit Kemah, a town on Galveston bay where we once docked our Erickson 29. There were two places we visited every time we went to Baytown over the last twenty years or more: Tookies, a fantastic hamburger place where one could get a chocolate coke, and Blue Water Marine, a supply store for boating stuff. Tookies was closed. It had been flooded during the last hurricane. Bluewater was also closing. The economy did it in. I became depressed. As we drove back to Baytown for lunch, we discussed this. It was the combination of Lester and these closing made me feel very old. Everything seemed to be passing away. We went to the Baytown Seafood Restaurant, which was still there, and stuffed ourselves with fried shrimp, oysters, and catfish. Lester’s last words to us were: “I’ll not be here when you return.” and “Go and have fun.” I felt better after that. I will return to our trip to Asia next week.

MORE PIX AND INFO ON OUR TRIP

During our trip to Singapore we made a five day visit to Bali, Indonesia, and a ten day trip to Phuket, Thailand. We stayed in a fancy hotel for three days and went elephant riding. I would like to try this during high traffic hours on 10/202, a nearby highway. I thing I would make better speed. There are two negatives to this: 1. an elephant will eat two tons of food a day (I do not know how much that is a mile). 2. Elephant exhaust will stop a car following you and create an environmental hazard.

For five days we sailed the northern part of the Malacca Straights, on the east side on Phuket Is and south. This was nothing like anything we had explored before. The Islands come straight up out of the sea. Some are large and others just a few yards in diameter. If you saw James Bond’s GOLDFINGER, you would have a good idea of what they looked like as this movie was filmed in this area.

Most of the larger islands had pristine beaches. One we stopped at had a cave which led to an inside bay and beach. Part of the bay was filled with mangrove trees.

Our charter, a fifty-five foot Swan, was led by Captain Horst (Austrian) and his crew and cook, Nam. The food was always excellent and in the evenings we could go ashore and eat if we so desired. Our Captain had a very colorful background (I would like to go back and spend another two weeks with him. I know he is source material for a new book!)

We are preparing to go to Houston to see Judy’s father who is 99. It is time for him to into a Hospice situation. See you all next Monday. PLEASE COMMENT BELOW IF YOU WANT MORE PICTURES. IF YOU DON’T I HAVE SOME 2,000 MORE I CAN PRINT. B E W A R E

CHRISTMAS IN SINGAPORE

We are finally back from Singapore where we had a great Christmas with our daughter and her family. Singapore is mostly city with a huge population. It is clean and well ordered. Very seldom did we see police. Christmas there was very strange. The Christian churches had services like in the US except being in seven or eight languages. Even the other religions celebrated Christmas (commercialism). It was said by one Chinese lady said that Santa is like the jolly Buddha, except he has a beard. Every night for weeks before Christmas the downtown streets were full of thousands of people. They did not seem to be buying much but having a great party. At one place they had a snow machine so the children could see, and feel, snow. There were choirs singing and drummers drumming. You could buy satay, or fried meat, on a stick. Enrique liked the crab claw on a stick; the children liked the chicken on a stick. I liked the crab claw also. We went to St. Andrew Cathedral, which was jammed packed, for lessons and carols and the Christmas Mass. The service was straight Anglican, but the sermon was long – very long. I watch the preacher turn over pages, if he writes his sermons, and can sometimes tell when he is finished. After 20 minutes he had gone through his stack. “Praise God” I thought, “he’s finished!” He turned over his stack of typewritten sheets and said, “Now for my next point.” Do not misunderstand me. His sermon was theologically correct, but would have been better if he had published as a theological treatise. I was very thankful they gave us a hand full of printed material, including a small book on Jesus. This made good reading as he passed through the stack of sermon pages a second time. Then, having used all the written papers, he said “Now I will conclude with my third point.” I do not know what his third point was as I fell asleep. The children’s choir was extremely good and overall, Judy and I enjoyed the service. I hope you all had a blessed Christmas and are looking forward to a really good new year 2010. Ames and Judy Swartsfager

MERRY CHRISTMAS from Singapore

We are now in Singapore and having a great time with Alaina and her family. We just got back from a week in Bali -Judy and Alaina had to pry me out. I want to live there. The place I liked the best was Ubud. This is a very old town and once the residence of the King. We stayed in a bungalow hotel next to one of the temples. It was so serene there. Just outside of town is where the artist community -artists,writers etc- have gathered from all over the world. Thus, I send you a blessed Christmas wish from way over here and if Judy isn't careful, I'll slip away to Bali.