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Diving Activities
Adventure Activities
Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire
Buddy Dive Resort is located on the popular scuba diving island of Bonaire in the Caribbean ocean. The islands' closest neighbors are Aruba and Curacao. With divers in mind, they designed 11 modern buildings with 1,2,or 3 bedroom apartments and 1 bedroom studios. As a result, the apartments have full kitchens, bathrooms with showers, furnished living areas, and large balconies or patios. The studi...
Always great diving and customer service.
- Anthony
My family and I had the most wonderful vacation @ Buddy Dive. From the pick up @ the airport in the late evening to a super dive facility - all was easy and truly was a diver's delight. This was a dream vacation to Bonaire's Buddy Dive Resort. It could not have been any better.
- Jackson
The trip was excellent – flights even though sounding horrible actually worked well. We arrived early got all our paper work and dive check outs done. Although flight home was very early…but nice to be home at a reasonable We were upgraded to larger rooms and the staff was great We are already planning to return again next year One thing we overheard was that Buddy has dive boat issues and many need major mechanical overhauls – hope they can get this cared for. The staff believes all monies are being diverted to the live aboard that Buddy is starting versus taking care of the local operation.
- Clark
The room at Buddie's ended up being a three bedroom instead of the two, this upgrade was a bonus for us. The room met our needs perfectly. The service at Buddies was wonderful and so was the diving. We had a fantastic week in Bonaire. Everything ran smoothly; from the time we were picked up at the airport until we departed. Buddies runs a first class operation. Underwater highlights include a 6 foot green turtle, large tarpon, night dive at the salt pier, and the Hilma Hooker wreck.
- Mark
We had a great time as always. The rooms were spacious. We shared a two bedroom/2 bath with adjoining doors (as oppose to the 2bedroom/2 bath apartment that we had stayed in previously ) and it was just fine. . They have updated their decor with new kitchenettes,refrigerators, and HD TVs. We enjoyed the 6 boat dive much more than the usual 11 boat dive package as we took it easier and didn't feel as rushed. As it turned out, we still did 17 dives. The water temperature was a little colder than usual, so in the future we would probably do Bonaire in the Fall instead of the Spring. Everything went smoothly.
- Alcover
The hotel room was excellent - it is our new favorite room at the resort. Beautifully remodeled and comfortable. We like being on the 2nd floor on the north side of the complex. The service at the hotel was great and the restaurant menus seem to have improved. We were happy to eat onsite for our whole stay. The dive operator were fabulous! John had a couple of equipment issues that Marco was able to fix quickly for essentially no cost. The familiar faces greeted us like old friends. The shore side storage area for gear had been remodeled and was a real improvement. We saw several "squadrons of squid" hanging out in the shallows near the surface. These were the first squid we have seen. There were numerous turtles. Three barracuda followed us as we made our way into the shallows toward shore, with the largest heading right toward us, which got our heart beat rates up. In general it seemed that the reef is quite healthy. A beautiful experience.
- Carol
As usual, our Buddy Resort dive vacation was wonderful. The breakfast buffet was very good. The rooms have been upgraded since our last trip down there ---- bathrooms were very nicely done! Altho the room was OK, it would have been better if the sofa had been a full size sofa or sleep sofa and it would be nice to have a blender in the kitchen. As usual, the hotel and dive staff were friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed the Friday BBQ at Buddy's and John and Susie (photo shop) gave us recommendations for fabulous dining spots in town for the rest of the week. And, of course, the diving right in front of Buddy's is great ---- saw several octopi, lots of flounder. Also loved the 'conservation talk' about the coral 'trees' on Buddy Reef. This was my 8th trip to Bonaire --- my 4th trip to Buddy's. Before finding Buddy's, I stayed at Divi Resort but I don't like the Divi casino atmosphere. I love the hard core diving culture of Buddy's ---- it attracts the best kind of people and I will be returning as often as I can!
- Elizabeth
Overall, I'd say that the trip was terrific. Diving was great, as always, but I did notice fewer critters on the reef. I think that's probably due to the Lionfish invasion, which Buddy Dive is taking an active role in hunting, teaching divers how to hunt safely (with an instructor only) and cooking their catch. The dive staff was attentive, a little more controlling on the boat dives than say the Habitat but there is still a lot of freedom on the shore dives. The boat dives are limited to 60 minutes with encouragement to stay at the 50-80 foot level, max at 100 ft. (understandable with the use of Nitrox), and requiring everyone to dive in a general group with some flexibility. The dive operation had a terrific PADI Certified dive course in teaching how to help to regenerate some of the endangered coral (Staghorn and Elkhorn) through the Coral Restoration Foundation that I would highly recommend as it gives you an opportunity to help restore the reef and give something back to the sport. Also, the night fluorescent dive was a cool experience. There is also a very good Photo Center, independently run from the hotel, that can assist you with most photographic assistance including rentals, critiques of your own photos and repairs. Hotel staff was courteous, friendly and always pleasant. As for the apartment, I would say that the bathroom was a bit cramped and the air conditioning which was located in the bedroom, did nothing for the main room, but one can get used to that.
- Robert
Our recent trip to Bonaire was extremely enjoyable for both Martha and me. Each day offered fun both above and below the water. Martha made great friends while snorkeling, She even found a $50 bill tucked in the sand at about 10 feet. Once it was snatched from the sea, the three snorkeling friends went right to the bar to splurge on Coco Locos! Accommodations were just fine and the food at Buddy's proved really super. I thoroughly enjoyed the diving and was able to capture some fairly decent shots throughout the week. Will send a couple when I return home and have access to my files. Just a suggestion or two...it would have been nice for the dive masters to be more involved in finding the local critters instead of just floating along watching the group. Also, they might have been a little more proactive in helping change out tanks for the older divers. We all managed though and had great times.
- Judy
We had a great time . We did have a big problem with the airline however. The outgoing flight was on Saturday with United from Austin to Houston to Bonaire. There was a maintenance problem with the aircraft and the leg from Austin to Houston could not be completed in time for the connection to Bonaire. The next flight to Bonaire was the next Saturday, and this meant the entire scheduled trip was going to be missed. I called Buddy Dive and they said that since this was the day we were scheduled to arrive, our entire pre-paid reservation would be forfeited. OK - I understood. Because of this, we rescheduled to fly to Curacao two days later from Houston. We then connected on a local carrier from Curacao to Bonaire and got there three days late on Tuesday. We thus missed half the trip and ran up over $1000 in extra travel and lodging expenses. We bought the travel insurance recommended and are now documenting the claim. All the above being said, when we finally got there we had a great time and are planning to go back soon.
- Bob
Buddy Dive was great, as always. We really appreciated getting the room we had requested (#511). It seems that Buddy has made some upgrades, including paving the driveways and enhancing the dining menus. We had a wonderful time and look forward to returning to Buddy Dive.
- Carol
Buddy Dive Resort experience was excellent as usual.
- Sonja
We had a wonderful time. We got the room location we wanted. There were considerable upgrades to the furniture in the room as well as to the resort since the last time we stayed at Buddy's, about a year ago. Service was good. We only ate breakfast at Buddy's. We never ate at Ingridents, instead we went downtown to It Rains Fishes x 3, Sebastian's, Patagonia, and Casa Bon Pizza. Clear blue seas for diving and saw green moray, hawksbill turtle, large lobster, sea horse and squid. The last dive of the trip was my 500th dive! All in all we had a GREAT time!
- Jeanne
Wonderful Family dive vacation at Buddy Dive. Staff at hotel and on dive boats the best! Just on Buddy Reef saw Octopus and a great night dive with many Tarpons. The coral restoration project amazing. I hope to do the course next visit!
Buddy Dive was great. The freedom to come and go was fantastic. The staff was very friendly; however, there was very little sense of extra engagement or connecting with the visitors. We often like to spend more time with the dive guides. This is a great place for a larger group or people that want to go it alone. We had fun exploring the island.
- Eric
This was our 4th trip to Bonaire and our 3rd stay at Buddy's Dive Resort. We had a studio in the "new" Lions side of the resort. It was "okay". The only window was a small window in the bathroom at the back of the unit. AC would only go down to 24C. Water heater leaked into the bedroom area...house keeping placed dry towels as a fix. Shower enclosure leaked and ran into the bedroom...house keeping supplied extra towels to "dam" up the water and keep it in the bathroom. The "patio" was was just the walkway into the room...about 6ft by 3ft...two chairs and a small table. Service was great and the food was good...especially the the "Ingredients" fancy restaurant ($75/pp discount did not apply in this restaurant). The food was a little expensive but $75/pp discount made it more reasonable. It was windy so most of the boat dives went to Klin Bonaire which is not as good as the main island. We did get two dives out of nine up north. We thought the coral and fish/critters were not as good as prior dive trips...maybe the time of the year. Nothing unique. I did see a robins egg blue nudibranch that I had not seen before, but only once. We dove the Salt Pier and were disappointed...not much to see but a couple sharp tailed eels.
- Chris
Fifth trip to Bonaire, fourth stay at Buddy's. It was outstanding as it has been in the past. And it's the best dive resort of my trips to Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, Roatan, Utilla, and Cozumel. The included breakfast is the best anywhere. The tank operation is the easiest, the quickest and the most user friendly. Free Nitrox, of course. Vehicles come with the room, with 7 passenger vans (brand new)for larger parties. All vehicles were brand new this year. Bonaire has quite a few European cuisine restaurants with delicious food and reasonable prices, one of the reasons I keep going back.
- Lucien
Our room did not have a hair dryer or an electrical outlet in the bathroom. We had to put down a deposit to get a hair dryer. The only mirror was in the bathroom. Therefore, I had to dry my hair in the bedroom without a mirror. Everything else about the studio suite that we had was great, especially the kitchen. It was stocked with silver ware, cups, plates, and glasses. The new appliances were wonderful in the kitchen.
This was our 3rd Trip to Buddy Dive. Great resort, great people, fantastic diving. We were going to limit our Bonaire trips to 2 years, then move onto another destination but where else do you have unlimited shore diving of this caliber! Whether it's one or 8 dives a day, there's something for everyone. We have some folks heading back for more on their own in just a few months. We had a great trip.
- Kathy
My wife and I had a great time at Buddy Dive, Bonaire. The reefs are in amazing healthy condition with lots of interesting life. Although we did not do any beach dives the island is so well known for, we did enjoy a couple of night dives right off the Buddy dock. Such a short swim to so much beauty! Although the bed wasn't as comfortable as we had hoped, the room was very clean and the kitchenette was very complete and convenient. And with so many stores and restaurants so close to the property, we had plenty of choices and time for meals without cutting into our dive experience. The entire staff, from the front desk, to the dive operation, on property restaurants & bar and housekeeping were all exceptionally friendly and helpful. We definitely look forward to future visits to this resort.
- Nick
We had a wonderful family dive vacation at Buddy Resort. The resort was very nice but not American type luxury. Also the kitchens are not really set up to cook in. There were only five plates, 5 bowls etc. The diving and snorkeling was beautiful and worth the trip. The only critical remarks I would have is that there was no hot tub, which we really enjoyed after scuba diving, and there were mosquitoes everywhere.
- Lorie
Resort held no surprises. Rooms were spacious & clean. The kitchen could have been equipped alittle better but it wasn't bad. I liked the idea that breakfast was included it made the day start out easy. The resort food & drink prices weren't bad & we never felt taken advantage of. We had a diver certification fall through & they gave us our money back---which they didn't have todo. We appreciated that. I would recommend the resort to friends
We had a great time! Buddy Dive Resort (BDR) was as just as we anticipated, since this was our 6th vacation at BDR. Our room appeared to be recently remodeled, it had new appliances and was in good condition. The bedroom AC did not function the first evening, we reported it and it was repaired that day. We have no complaints. The pickup we were issued was old, rusted and beat up. The tailgate was hanging on by a thread (rusted chain), however…is served us well, and we were not concerned about the rough look as we loaded and unloaded tanks and equipment each day. They have some new trucks in the lot, so they appear to be rotating their fleet, we just got an old one. The restaurant food was good, and so was the service. I would call it pricey, some of that can be attributed to the location…but $13-16 for a burger is pricey. We were prepared for it. We ate at Blemies and Ingredients, as well as a few places off-site. Fantastic diving! We observed the coral spawning (never seen that before). We encountered loads of turtles, moray eels, and more fish life than we could remember.
- John
I had a great time diving at Buddy Dive Resort. The room was quite spacious and included working kitchen area, living room and deck with ocean views. The morning breakfast was tasty with lots of choices. The dive shop was super professional and accommodating. I would definitely recommend this dive resort.
- Henry
Our trip was great!! Really enjoyed Buddy Dive Resort. We had a delay in getting our rental vehicle the first day, and one of our group members broke her elbow getting in the water off the dive boat, but otherwise the staff and accommodations were wonderful. Really loved having our own dive boat for the group!! Would definitely stay there again.
- Kim
Always great diving and customer service.
- Anthony
We had a great time on our vacation. When we arrived at Buddy Dive at noon after spending a week at Divi, we were pleasantly surprised to find our apartment was ready. It was on the second floor with a great ocean view. However, it had recently been painted and had a strong paint smell. My allergies/asthma did not like it! We tried airing the apartment out, but that didn't really help. We knew that our downstairs neighbors were moving out the next day, so I called the front desk at 9:15 PM suggesting the possibility that we could move to that apartment if no one else was scheduled to move in. Even though the manager had already left for the night, the person I was speaking to immediately called her and got back to me right away, saying that we could move. I mentioned that both of us would be out most of the next day and wouldn't be able to move until late in the afternoon.They said that wasn't a problem. When I went to reception the next day to get the new key, the manager came over to me and gave me a voucher for the buffet at the hotel Friday night. It was for 4 people and 4 drinks! I was quite shocked. She said that she wanted her guests to have the best experience possible. I think that was very impressive. The apartment was clean, had quiet air conditioners, free wi-fi, a nice TV, and fully stocked kitchen. The view was great. The breakfasts were good, and we had good meals at the hotel a few of the nights. I had a few issues with snorkeling off the boat. In two of the cases, the sites chosen were not compatible with snorkeling, and I felt that I wasted my money. I made sure to let them know, though.*:) happy In my various snorkel trips, I saw turtles, sting rays, various eels, and such a large variety of colorful fish and coral. My companion liked the diving and had similar experiences diving. We definitely would stay there again.
- Sheila
This was the first dive vacation after getting certified with my two younger sons (all adults now) so I wanted a really special trip. Overall the resort had a very nice atmosphere and people were helpful. Buddy dive lives up to its t-shirt that says "Eat, Sleep, Dive Buddy Resort". They are well structured to support people there to dive, dive, dive. The average person arriving at Bonaire has significant experience diving and has likely stayed at Buddy on a previous trip. The drive through tank fills with equipment wash tanks was very convenient. They don't hold your hand when you arrive unless you ask for the help so you need to ask for that help (which we did). They were more than helpful if you asked. After you know your way around they are really good about just getting out of your way so you can have fun. We dove about 18 times on lots of different reefs with most of our early dives at the Buddy Dive house reef, which was very nice. I would however say they were running short on lockers in the dive center and the dock was a bit of a traffic jam in the evenings with everyone getting ready for night dives on the reef. The activities center was great to work with on kayaking/snorkeling at the Mangrove Center. Room service at the resort was timely and they did a nice job. The kitchen served our needs and the AC kept up. Breakfast was very good and ready on time each morning (we are early risers). Lunch and dinner at Blennies tasted great with okay service but maybe a bit on the expensive side. We ate in the city a few times and the food was okay (not as good as the resort) but less expensive. The arrival and departure transfers were definitely a 'cattle car' with all of our luggage in big trucks and everyone tightly packed on buses. I suspect this was driven by the fact that several large dive groups arrived on the same plane with us. Next time I might rent an Avis truck near the airport and skip the transfers. Diving on Bonaire: Bonaire met or exceeded all of our hopes for what a great scuba diving destination should be. Clarity was in excess of 100', water temperatures were 81 to 83 F so we just dove with our rash guard shirts and swimming trunks, the abundance of marine life and diversity and health of the reefs was spectacular, night diving was a bit disorienting at first but by the second night dive we were having a great time. Swimming with a feeding school of large tarpons attracted to our dive lights was amazing! We were very careful with our buoyancy so as to not touch anything and we quickly increased our confidence levels after some practice. We did experience a brief rain shower but we were already getting in the water for a dive so who cares. To be clear Bonaire's big attraction is diving…snorkeling in the cave, kayaking and snorkeling in the mangroves, shopping in town, visiting the donkey park, etc…are all very nice but the island is very dry, rocky and most of the plants there are covered with thorns. Thank goodness for a steady breeze that makes the mid-80s temperatures okay.
- Warren
This was our 3rd trip to Bonaire and we love it there! Buddy Dive Resort is a very nice facility and we like it there as well. My only complaint was with the rental truck. They told us it was only 3 years old, but it's had a dang tough life! The shore diving opportunities are excellent on Bonaire, but we could see a definite decline in reef health on every reef from Karpata to White Slave mostly at 35' (10 m) and above from our last trip in 2012. Lots' of bleaching on mostly the hard coral, but we saw some tube sponges and gorgonians that were suffering as well. The dive community had better step it up and force the congress in the USA to get us on a green path or we're not going to have any reefs to dive in the near future. And this thought, these damaged reefs absolutely breaks my heart! It will take us all being very vocal to get this done. Will you help?
- Jim
As always, Buddy was great, dive site and the staff was great as well.
- Bill
Had a great trip, Buddy's was perfect for our needs.
- James
It was wonderful! We had a great time at Buddy Dive and really loved our stay. Buddy's 1 bedrooms are comparable to Don's, and while the 3 bedroom suites were nice, the bungalows at Don's are better. The staff at Buddy's was incredible and they have a great dive operation. The food at Blennie's was decent, but there are better options within walking distance. (We walked over to Don's many times to eat at their restaurant) Week 1 Buddy scheduled our group for 2 tank boats for just our group, which was wonderful. By week 2 we knew most of the dive staff and they were very helpful in scheduling our second week as well. My wife took their PADI Lionfish hunting course. Great instruction. It really enhanced her diving experience. Next year we are looking at going back for at least a week.
- Jesse
The reefs are healthy and beautiful - unfortunately I got sick and only got two dives in. Buddy Dive itself is a little tattered. The twin beds are more crib-sized than traditional American twin beds - really uncomfortable (especially when you get sick and have to spend time in them). I'd go back to Bonaire, but probably not back to Buddy Dive
- Lisa
Exceptional Vacation, Buddy Dive Resort is an all-in-one place to dive and relax. Quality living accommodations, great food. Best boat and shore diving options. You can literally dive 24/7. Nearly all bottles are Nitrox, no tracking tickets. Just Dive, Dive and Dive.
- Scott
Buddy dive is a great dive resort. Everyone involved in the dive operation is knowledgeable and friendly. I had a broken leg 6 months prior to the trip and it was still weak- they helped me in and out of the water every time. The only complaint would be about the restaurant Blennies. We had dinner there 3 times and the service is atrocious. The BBQ, which had always been excellent, was terrible.They ran out of fish and chicken and the line took forever as people waited. We were in line for 45 minutes, only have to wait again unless we wanted only sausage and pork. The breakfast buffet was fine. It seems that they hire students with no waiting experience. It's too bad that after a night dive you can't have dinner at your own hotel without service issues.
- Kathy
This was our 3rd trip back to Buddy Dive and had a great time. As always we were greeted at the airport on time and check in was a breeze. The resort hadn't changed much in the last few years so most everything was the same. Staff was very helpful, boats nice and crew OK. Some better then others. Dive shop was the same and photo center closed as the person who ran it is retiring. They have some new vehicles which was really nice and driving around the island is always fun along with the shore dives. Lots more cruise ships in town which did create problems for us as Buddy Dive is trying to capture more business from the cruise ship passengers. Because of this our last boat trip was almost 1 hour late and the crew was not happy about it although they were great with us. Seems Buddy Dive is understaffed and not enough boats to work this all out correctly. Also, we had a group of 19 divers and 4 snorkelers and usually we would have the same crew for all trips but not this time.
- Ken
Our Bonaire trip was indeed wonderful. As this is the 6th time there, expectations are high, and so was the experience – justifies going back. Buddy's was great – food, diving, the room ,the training. We'll certainly be back soon.
- Robert
Buddy Dive was all it's promised to be - great diving, good DMs and captains, dive operation well run. Nice room, pretty good food @ resort. Those are the most important areas, but a few comments about our personal experience, which was just fine overall. But if you want adequate lighting or a screen door that works so you are not savaged (literally) by lil 'squitos, or any kind of ambiance in your room, or a single place to hang wet things - upgrade to another place. I spent hours trying to clear out the bugs (I am NOT an anti-bug freak either!) that were intent on drinking us. Lovely grounds but looked like they needed more care and clean up. Another thing we found odd -a different DM and boat almost every dive - no continuity w/ personnel so you don't get to know them, or they you, and cannot count on diving w/ new friends either - all depends on how quick you get to the board to sign up. Will think hard about returning here but Bonaire is wonderful!
- Anthony
We just returned from a wonderful vacation at Buddy Dive Bonaire. Buddy Dive was great. The staff are very helpful. I get the feeling, having been there 3 years or so ago, that they are investing substantially in their infrastructure. There is also a new manager named Rene who was constantly around and making sure things went well. We would surely love to return in the future. Just for some insight, we learned that Insilair is having alot of financial trouble and therefore equipment problems. There is another airline on those routes called Divi Divi Airline. Yea, sounds funny, but they have smaller planes but they have alot of flights and the passengers say they are great. FYI.
- Dean
Buddy Dive provided their usual excellent accommodations and service. There were more guests present than we've seen in the past, but we still had adequate space for our diving needs.
- Carol
All went well at Buddys
- Donis
Just wanted to tell you that our vacation was perfect. Buddy dive Bonaire is a great operation and everything went without a hitch.
- Harry
Our trip was wonderful. The accommodations were upgraded to a 3 bedroom with plenty of space. The resort is run like a fine tuned engine with all cylinders firing to ensure a well functioning organization. As far as diving goes, Bonaire always rates high on my list of destinations. Taking care of their reef is of utmost importance to this tiny island and it shows. Coral restoration is ongoing and the habitat is thriving making the dives in this area unbelievably awesome. The dive packages are better than I have ever experienced anywhere and my son and I had no problem completing 15 dives each with 6 boat dives among the 15! Buddy Dive stands behind their promise to provide a safe and pleasurable dive destination.
- Naumann
Maduro recommended Buddy Dive and I was very pleased with the resort and accommodations. Their description was acurate and they had great pricing. Bonaire is a great place for underwater photos!
- Harrison
Love Buddy Dive. Spent two weeks for the first time. So much more relaxed than a week. Will be back again. This was my 7th trip to Bonaire, 4th to Buddy Dive.
- Kathy
We had a super trip to Bonaire. The diving was awesome, the PADI course for the kids worked great and who knew there were so many great restaurants there? Plus we windsurfed on Lac Bay and want to go back to try the mountain biking and more boat dives with Buddy. We ended up thinking Buddy Dive had a much more vibrant diving program than Captain Don's. Buddy had lots of families and kids taking courses and in the water. Their dive shop was bustling and we loved the mix of locals and Dutch folks who worked there. For groups with kids, we preferred Buddy.
- Scott S.
We just returned from buddy dive. All went smoothly, they were at the airport waiting for us. We went to the resort, and since we registered online, we were given keys and off we went to our rooms. Augusto the dive shop manager greeted us, we went to the dive shop and signed in. Was able to do our check out dive when we arrived so we could start our boat diving on Thursday. We had our own boat and we had a great schedule. I would definitely stay again!
- Cindy H.
The trip was exceptional. The accommodations were great and the diving was, as always, exceptional. The staff ay Buddy's is always friendly and accommodating. Other than the delayed flight the trip was fun and I am looking forward to doing it again.
- Terry F.
Lovely resort near town, the rooms are a bit tired but still adequate for needs. Many stairs, a consideration when traveling with folks with more limited mobility. Food was amazing, prices reasonable. The diving center was great, super helpful and getting tanks was an easy process. Everything was within a short drive and the island is easy to navigate. Many of the shore entries are challenging for people with more limited mobility and folks with this challenge may want to consider utilizing the affordable boat dive option from the resort. The only real negative of the trip was the Bonaire tax authority which charged us for an individual who could not travel, double charged one individual, and charged us for the whole group. The online payment portal does not work. Suggestion for other travelers would be to register each traveler individually and have them pay the visitor tax with their own QR code. Utilizing a group QR code caused us lots of issues and the tax authority refuses to give refunds for duplicate payments. Paying the marine park tag fee and printing at home was easy and simple. We laminated the printouts to be sure they would survive the trip, a great tip we picked up from other travelers.
- Sarina E.
Buddy Dive has gone cashless, you are forced to use credit cards if you want to eat, drink and be merry. Not the way we vacation - we use cash for our vacation fun. Buy your beer and snacks at the Chinese Store down the road - saves on the bar tabs. The Wi-Fi is not available in all units. They replaced the doors to the patio that block the signal. Since Wi-Fi is free - they do not guarantee that it will work in your unit. You have to either sit outside on the patio and be attacked by mosquitos or sit at the bar. The staff is very friendly, accommodations and attentive. The units are nice and clean. I can't say how the food was, since we couldn't use our cash at the resort. Diving was great although we didn't see many of our usual finds - squid, rays or octopus, all MIA. We did encounter many turtles.
- Janet
Overall it was a good trip. We stayed about 10 nights with a primary focus on diving. The resort is kind of dated but they are definitely working to improve things. I found the breakfast buffet at the Ingredients restaurant excellent and the staff at the Blennies bar/restaurant friendly and helpful. My only minor complaint is they seemed to be sticklers about making reservations at Blennies even though the place was pretty empty. I thought maybe it was because they use it to plan for staffing needs, which they are in short supply of (as is about everyone). Advice is, just make a reservation no matter how empty you think the restaurant will be. The accommodations we stayed in, a 3 bedroom apartment, could use some work. Water pressure was poor (even non existent once!) and only the bedrooms have A/C. The 1st floor bedroom is fairly small. The upstairs rooms are more roomy and are "master suite" like. The room cleaning staff was excellent and took care of the room(s) quite well. If it matters to you, the Wi-Fi on property is good when you can get it (which is most of the time). The locations of the access points and the concrete buildings make it difficult or impossible to get connected at times - even in the same apartment. They have, what I call "faux beaches" by the pools with lounge chairs, thatch umbrella shade, sand and oceanfront views that I liked. Bonaire has very limited traditional sandy beaches so it was a nice touch. The bar is nice and convenient to get a drink but you don't get chair-side service. They have a pool that adjoins the bar with seats in the pool water you can sit at. If you are intending to "drive and dive" at Buddy with their trucks be advised most/all of them are manual transmission. The extremely unavailable automatic transmission trucks surprised me a bit. So if you are not able to drive a stick shift, be certain to have this very specific item "locked in" before you arrive.... otherwise you might be scrambling (or learning to drive a stick!). The dive shop at Buddy's was awesome and the staff there were wonderful. Overall it was great experience. I would definitely return one day.


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Vintage Industrial Round Three Outlet 21cm Pendant Retro Ceiling Light E27Edison
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Study Abroad Programs
Studying abroad can be a unique and fulfilling experience, and financial aid is available for eligible students - in fact, most financial aid programs available for on-campus study are also available for study abroad.
The WIU Office of Study Abroad holds regular informational meetings, which are crucial to understanding the application process and programs available. Once you have attended a meeting, contact a WIU Study Abroad Advisor to determine the program that is right for you.
Once you have selected a program, the Study Abroad Advisor confirms your enrollment, verifies expenses, and provides the necessary information to the Financial Aid Office. If you haven't already, make sure to complete your FAFSA as soon as possible, the same way you would if you were studying on campus. Make sure to review available Study Abroad Scholarships as well!
The Financial Aid Office will assess your FAFSA and post an Award letter on STARS based on your financial aid eligibility and the costs provided by the Study Abroad Advisor.
For exchange programs, financial aid will credit your University account to cover study abroad program charges. The balance of your financial aid will be refunded to you to help you cover incidental expenses.
For affiliate programs, the student is responsible for paying study abroad program expenses upfront, before financial aid can be disbursed. You will see an Illinois MAP Grant (if you are eligible) and a Study Abroad Tuition Waiver on your award letter and on your billing account that will only go toward the Study Abroad tuition you will see on your billing account. Once other financial aid is credited to your University account, it will be refunded to you.
- You may be required to pay for various costs before receiving your financial aid and/or scholarships (i.e. deposits, passport/visa application fees, immunizations and vaccinations, etc.).
- The earliest financial aid can be disbursed is ten days prior to the start of your study abroad classes.
- Any federal student loans issued for one semester must be issued in two disbursements.
- If your grades do not arrive by the end of the WIU semester, it may impact your ability to meet WIU Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements and receive student aid in the future.
- For more information, visit the WIU Office of Study Abroad or call (309) 298-2504.
Special Programs Index
- Emergency Aid Application
- Consortium Agreements
- Summer Aid
- Study Abroad Programs
- Second Baccalaureate Degree Program
- Post-Baccalaureate Certification
- Teacher Licensure Program


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Over the past year and a half, we've been remembering some of the hundreds of thousands of people who have died in the U.S. after contracting COVID-19. And we've asked you, our listeners, to share with us the stories of those you've lost to the virus.
Today we remember Sean Fletcher, a retired German and history teacher in the town of Flippin, Ark.
ALEX THOMPSON: One thing that I think we all think about - or anyone who knew him thinks about - is he was just wickedly smart.
FADEL: That's Fletcher's younger brother, Alex Thompson.
THOMPSON: You could be talking about anything, and he would be able to tell you all about the history of it and, you know, how it came about. And to be honest, probably, you know, there were times where we were like, OK, Sean, yeah, we get it (laughter). We don't need to hear the history of everything. But I miss that.
CORNISH: Fletcher shared his curiosity and thirst for knowledge with the students he taught in more than two decades in the classroom. But he took it further than that.
THOMPSON: Every couple of years, he would take trips to Germany. He would take high school kids to Germany. And I know that it was, really, a big part of the joy in his life to be able to visit Germany and to introduce some of those students to that culture as well.
FADEL: Another thing Fletcher loved, learning and talking about was music - the history of different types of music, who was in what band and how those changed.
THOMPSON: I remember him once telling me all about, like, Rod Stewart being a semi-professional footballer in England before he became a rock star. And then he was with the band Faces. And I was like, how do you know this stuff, you know? It's just stuff that, unless it's your field, you just don't think about knowing.
CORNISH: Thompson also described his brother as being the glue that kept him tied to his family after Thompson came out as trans.
THOMPSON: My mother and my sister had a really hard time with it and didn't speak to me for a long time. And my mother came around, you know, probably within a year. My sister and I actually didn't speak for over a decade. It was 11 years. And he was pretty instrumental in convincing her that, you know, family is important.
FADEL: Thompson says while he doesn't know what was said in those conversations between his brother and his family...
THOMPSON: I know that that was what made the difference in sort of being a part of our family again versus not being a part of our family again.
CORNISH: Sean Fletcher, who was 49 years old, was also a husband and father of two. Despite his love for teaching, he retired in the summer of 2020. He was worried about getting COVID-19. But later that same year, he became infected. And Sean Fletcher died on December 12, 2020.
FADEL: If you want us to memorialize a loved one you've lost to COVID-19, find us on Twitter at @npratc. There's a pinned tweet right at the top.
(SOUNDBITE OF ROD STEWART SONG, "MAGGIE MAY") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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It's been a year, and Laci Marks still hasn't gotten over her break up with Del Keegan. She attends a New Year's Eve party hoping to snap out of her ever-present funk, but the frivolity only upsets her more. Unable to navigate the crowd and retreat to the sanctuary of home, she slips out to the balcony to avoid watching all the couples kiss when the ball drops.
But her private moment is ruined by someone joining her outside—Del.
Laci wants nothing more than to escape, but Del has other things in mind. Soft words and softer lips convince her to stay. And to try again. Thus begins a tumultuous twelve months of love and laughter, fear and failure. They still have the passion, but they also still have all the same problems.
Twelve months from their reconciliation, and nothing is resolved. If anything, Laci feels worse than ever. How many chances can she give their relationship before just giving up? And how many chances is Del willing to take on her?
This work is a series of twelve vignettes, one a month, until the story reaches its conclusion. There is also a bonus installment at the end.


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Farmhouse Vegetable Barley Soup
This Farmhouse Vegetable Barley Soup is a great recipe for the cooler weather we've been having. The flavor is rich and comforting, it's hearty and filling, and it tastes amazing reheated the second (or third!) day. I saw this recipe in the most recent Cook's Illustrated magazine and quickly realized that I had almost all of the ingredients on hand, thanks to my trusty CSA. I asked Mike if he cared if I made a vegetable barley soup for dinner (not normally his style), and he said he didn't care. I don't think he was listening. 🙂 I'm so glad I tried it because I know I'm going to be making this soup again and again. Unfortunately, Mike did not feel the same way. There was a little too much cabbage and a few too many leeks for his taste. But I didn't mind because it meant that I got to take it for lunch all week! This soup is full of flavor and incredibly healthy. It makes a lot of soup, but if you're anything like me, you won't have any trouble eating it all before it goes bad. 🙂
Farmhouse Vegetable Barley Soup
Yield: Serves 6-8
1/8 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
8 sprigs fresh parsley plus 3 tablespoons chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds leeks , white and light green parts sliced 1/2 inch thick and washed thoroughly
2 carrots , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 celery ribs , cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper
6 cups water
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 garlic clove , peeled and smashed
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Grind porcini with spice grinder until they resemble fine meal, 10 to 30 seconds. Measure out 2 teaspoons porcini powder; reserve remainder for other use. Using kitchen twine, tie together parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf.
Melt butter in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, wine, soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and celery is softened, about 10 minutes.
Add water, broth, barley, porcini powder, herb bundle, and garlic; increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes.
Add potatoes and cabbage; return to simmer and cook until barley, potatoes, and cabbage are tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove pot from heat and remove herb bundle. Stir in lemon juice and chopped parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.
from Cook's Illustrated, Nov. 2011


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Hunting/Fishing Licenses
Learn to Hunt
Report Your Harvest
Current Fishing Report
Taking Kids Fishing
Iowa's natural resources plates include the state bird and flower, pheasant, eagle, buck and a Brook trout. Support conservation in Iowa by buying a natural resource plate for your vehicle. Natural Resource Plates
Experience Iowa's natural beauty and all the fun our state parks offer. Make your online reservation for state park cabins, camping sites, shelters and lodges.
Support conservation in Iowa by buying a natural resource plate for your vehicle.
Natural Resource Plates
Iowa DNR Customer Service Mon - Fri, 8:00am - 4:30pm CST p: 515-725-8200 f: 515-725-8201 Submit Online Inquiry Information / Records Requests Contact Information by County
Press/Media inquiries: firstname.lastname@example.com
The Olofson Shooting Range is offering three turkey patterning nights at the range:
Stations will be set up with sleds for use, a covered shooting area, ear and eye protection, two splatter turkey targets, and assistance from certified range safety officers. Cost is $5 per person.


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Disinfection Practices for Education and other Places Our role as Infection Prevention Specialists has taught us many new things over the past year. Having entered into this space back in 2014, we learned how Disinfection Practices work in Healthcare to keep patients...
Showing the single result
About Us
ASR Healthcare is a national Point-of-Care Dealer representing today's Leading Manufacturers of Mobile Carts and RX Carts. We are celebrating 10 years in Point-of-Care and 7 years in Infection Prevention.. helping those who help people.
From the Blog
Mobile Carts for Testing and Vaccinations
Mar 12, 2021 | COWS & WOWs, Infection Control, Point-of-Care
Mobile Carts are needed for Testing and Vaccinations. We are receiving many, many requests for our Mobile Carts to use Testing Tents and Vaccination Sites. We have Carts in stock and can often ship within 5 Business Days. We are prepared to handle any expedited...
ASR Healthcare merges with national Service Provider Futura Healthcare
Mar 2, 2023 | Accessories for COWs & WOWs, COWS & WOWs, Point-of-Care
Press Release This is the beginning of a great partnership to provide the absolute best coverage for Healthcare on a national scale. How it all started: Computer on Wheels (COWs) or Workstation on Wheels (WOWs) Electronic Medical Records...
Contact Us
4319 Abbotts Bridge Rd, Ste 5
Duluth, GA 30097
Copyright © 2023 ASR Healthcare | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Public Notice


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You agree not to post anything on the website that is abusive, defamatory, libelous, illegal or obscene. You may not a provide a name or user name with the intent of impersonating another person or represent anything you post as the opinion of someone else.
Comments must be on-topic and not abusive. It is okay to disagree, but do not use language that can be construed as a personal attack or that attacks others on the basis of race, religion, nationality, gender, sexual preference, age, region, disability, etc. Comments and other user/reader posts are not reviewed before appearing. You are solely responsible for the content you submit to the website. We cannot review every comment, blog entry or other forms of reader contributions to the site, but we reserve the right to remove content at any time and welcome users to flag content they feel should be reviewed. Comments and other reader/user posts do not represent the opinion of any part of the Connection Newspapers or affiliated sites.
Connection Newspapers and its affiliated websites reserve the right to decline requests for removal of content from the website based on maintaining the historical and archival nature of the site.
Your contributions to the site may be displayed elsewhere on any affiliated website, published in print or in other formats for editorial or promotional uses.
Connection Newspapers reserves the right to change this policy at any time.


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CorrectionsOne Academy and Lexipol Merge, Creating Comprehensive Training and Policy Platform for Corrections
DALLAS, TX – CorrectionsOne Academy and Lexipol, leaders in the public safety industry, today announced the merger of the two companies to offer a single, comprehensive platform addressing critical education, training and policy needs among public safety and local government agencies.
The combined company will offer a range of content and solutions unequaled in the public sector, including a library of 200,000 articles and reports, 16,000 policies and procedures, almost 4,000 training courses and a network of digital media communities that includes Corrections1, Police1, and their respective Academy online training platforms. The company's existing reach includes more than 7,000 public safety agencies, departments and municipalities, with nearly 2 million public safety professionals and local government leaders who rely on the properties for mission-critical information, training and policies.
In an era of escalating threats to communities nationwide, correctional departments, public safety agencies and local government are struggling to more effectively respond, be better prepared and mitigate risks. These challenges require multi-faceted solutions, which often requires agencies to work with multiple systems and vendors.
The combined company exists to address that fundamental challenge, with a single platform offering robust content and product solutions that educate, engage and connect individuals, agencies, municipalities, insurers, organizations and the companies that serve them. Those solutions include online training and learning management, state-specific policies and procedures, grant assistance and marketing solutions. All are delivered through the company's award-winning online communities, such as Corrections1, which is one of the top online destinations in the world for correctional professionals.
Corrections1 founder and CEO Alex Ford has been named CEO of the newly-merged organization. He will be supported by an experienced management team from both Praetorian Digital, Corrections1's parent company, and Lexipol, including Michael Davis, current CEO of Lexipol, who will be joining the board of directors for the combined company.
"This merger joins two complementary offerings together in pursuit of our mission to use digital content and technology to revolutionize the way in which correctional personnel, departments, municipalities, companies and organizations keep our communities safe and reduce risk," Ford said. "I'm excited to work with our talented combined team to solve the many critical threats and challenges faced by our nation's public safety professionals and local government entities."
"Helping public safety agencies protect their communities is at the heart of what we do at Lexipol. The addition of Praetorian's robust learning platform will increase the value we provide to our current and future customers," said Michael Davis, current CEO of Lexipol. "We are excited to join forces in offering the most comprehensive policy and training solution available in the industry and to expand our reach to new markets."
Lexipol was founded over 15 years ago by Gordon Graham and Bruce Praet, attorneys and former law enforcement officers with extensive experience in risk management. The company provides state-specific policies and related training for law enforcement, fire and rescue, corrections, probation and juvenile detention agencies.
Founded in 1999, Praetorian Digital has grown to support 2 million first responders and municipal leaders with access to articles, videos and training courses through 25 topical websites and e-newsletters and five learning platforms. In addition, its Grant Services division has helped secure more than $200 million in funding for public safety and local government agencies to date.
The newly combined company is owned by The Riverside Company, a global private equity firm focused on acquiring and investing in growing businesses valued at up to $400 million.
To learn more, visit www.lexipol.com.
About Corrections1
Corrections1 serves the correctional community by providing corrections staff and leadership with the most complete range of information and resources available. Since 2007, Corrections1 has served as a trusted and reliable online environment for the exchange of information between correctional personnel and departments from across the United States and around the world. For information on advertising with Corrections1, visit our advertising section online at www.correctionsone.com/corrections-marketing-advertising.
About Praetorian Digital
Praetorian Digital is the leading platform for learning and content in the public safety and local government market, with a suite of tools dedicated to the distribution of trusted information and mission-critical training resources that help first responders and government officials better protect and serve their communities. Each of our brands – including Police1, FireRescue1, EMS1, Corrections1, and Gov1 – offer up-to-date news, analysis, workflow solutions and training as well as a grant assistance platform that has assisted departments and local governments in securing more than $200 million in funding to date.
About Lexipol
Lexipol is America's leading source of state-specific policy and training solutions that reduce risk, lower litigation costs and improve personnel safety in law enforcement and probation agencies, fire departments and corrections facilities. Delivered via an online platform and mobile app, Lexipol's content is continuously updated to address legislative changes and evolving best practices. Using accountability tools and integrated training, Lexipol provides a cost-effective way for agencies to enhance policy compliance and understanding, allowing leaders to focus more resources on serving their communities. With principal offices in Dallas, Texas, and Irvine, California, Lexipol offers policy management solutions to more than 3,500 agencies in 35 states. For additional information, visit www.lexipol.com.


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Small Rose Bear
Instantly charming, The One Roses Rose Bear is brimming with color and character. Pops of bright, recreated florals are perfectly arranged into the beloved shape of a teddy. The Bear is carefully handmade with perfectly replicated artificial florals that feature realistic botanical details. A heartfelt gift that leaves nothing wanting, our Rose Bear immediately uplifts mood and elevates home decor, making it fit for all celebrations.
Item Dimensions: 9.4" x 7.1" x 6.7" (Small)
Shipping & Local Deliveries
Shipping & Local Deliveries
Delivery in Orange County Areas: We offer same day Local Delivery! (About 5 miles radius)
We hand deliver up to 40 miles Radius in all Orange County Area. Delivery Timeframe (ASAP or specified time depends on the size of the order). Info via text only - customer will receive text message when the order is on the way and will receive a confirmation Text/Email once its delivered. If you need to order last minute or have any questions please contact us at (714) 343-2729 and we will do our best to get your order out ASAP.
Domestic (US) Shipping: The normal processing time for orders is 24-48 hours during business days (Monday-Friday). We've got you covered with fast shipping methods to ensure we meet your date and time through our delivery partners at FedEx, UPS and USPS. Rates may vary based on your order size, timeframe and location in order to provide you with the best delivery experience. Next-day (overnight) shipping is available if ordered before 1 PM PST (3 PM EST).
International Shipping: If you or your recipient live outside the United States, we also got you covered for wherever you or they may be. We work with delivery partners such as DHL, FedEx, and USPS to make sure you and/or your loved one receive their beautiful roses within a reasonable timeframe. Again, rates may vary based on your order size, delivery timeframe and country you're located in order to provide you with the best delivery experience.
We strive to uphold the highest levels of quality customer service. It is our ultimate goal at The One Roses to create life-long customers and we will do everything in our power to ensure that your experience with us is one that makes you want to shop with us again and again!
Care Instructions
Care Instructions
DO NOT Water the roses!
AVOID direct exposure to sunlight.
Keep the arrangement in a room-temperature environment.
If dust collects after a few months, remove it lightly using a duster.
DO NOT place anything onto the roses as they can crush and damage the roses.
DO NOT remove the roses from the box; they are secure and happy there.
DO NOT allow roses to have direct contact with light colored fabric or surfaces, as staining may occur.
The lid is meant to stay on the side or bottom of the box.
Be mindful when carrying the arrangement: it's a very delicate product!
Fresh Roses Care Instructions:
Roses should be placed in a clean vase with lukewarm water and flower food. Remove any leaves that fall under the waterline, these leaves can rot and cause the roses to wilt. Trim the stems again after a few days to expose fresh stems and place them back into the vase with fresh water.
Please ensure that you take care of your rose bear as follows:
Please do not water the rose bear. If a rose falls off, please use super glue to put it back together. Use a gentle brush to remove any dust or dirt from the rose bear. Avoid the rose bear from being directly exposed to sunlight, strong air-conditioning, fans or vents.
This will ensure that the roses will last a lifetime and will preserve its beauty throughout the ages.


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VIN05 – Margaret River Vineyard, Large Desktop
Frame size: 505 x 205mm
Frame size: 505 x 205mm
The Large Desktop Frame is available in a wide range of image and framing choices. We make them ourselves in our Busselton studio. They have a sturdy wooden frame with a high-quality surface finish in white, silver, oak, teak or black. The images are printed onto high-quality photo paper and protected behind glass.
Large Desktop Frames come with a support leg for display on a desktop and they can also be hung on the wall.
- Free pickup is available at our Busselton gallery, please ensure you have confirmed your pickup day as the artwork will not be in the gallery unless arranged.
- Australia – shipping costs within Australia are calculated in the shopping cart and include discounted rates for combined shipping based on weight and destination.
- International – we only ship rolled prints and gift items to overseas destinations. International orders are shipped Airmail and usually take between 8-12 business days from date of order. International orders for some destinations cannot be completed in the checkout. Please contact us for a shipping quote.
- Express international shipping options are available upon request at an additional charge. Please contact us for a shipping quote.
- Delivery times vary but typically an order for a framed artwork in Western Australia is delivered within 10-15 days and other Australian states 13-18 days.
- Print only orders are rolled and placed in a strong postal tube, they are usually received within 5-10 days in Australia.
- Shorter time frames may be possible upon request. Please ask.
- All artworks are expertly packed in very strong custom-built cardboard boxes. We guarantee its safe arrival.
- Insurance – you do not have to pay insurance. We guarantee the safe arrival of your purchase within Australia and will replace or refund if it is damaged.
- Tracking information and an estimated time frame will be provided for your delivery within Australia.
- Deliveries occur during business hours. It is recommended that you use the tracking service to monitor your delivery and ensure that you are available at the delivery address.
- Signature is required on delivery.
- Missed deliveries will be returned to the carrier's warehouse and can be collected by you at no additional charge. Re-delivery is your responsibility to organise and you may incur additional charges from the carrier. We are not responsible for artwork left longer than 5 days in a carrier's warehouse after a missed delivery.
Q. Do you post internationally?
A. Yes. Please see our page about shipping information
Q. Will you convert an image to black and white?
A. We are happy to do a black and white conversion of most images in our collection. Let us know what image code you are interested in and we will prepare a black and white version for you to see.
Q. Do you do custom sizes?
A. We frequently prepare images to suit the space available. We are not bound to the standard sizes on our website and are happy to print to your specific requirements. We have prepared many images to fit inside wall recesses and penetrations. We can also crop many of our images to a size that fits.
Q. Can you prepare my order any quicker?
A. We print our own images and do most of our own framing and can usually accommodate a request for completion on a short time frame.
Q. Can I use your digital images?
A. All images on our website are copyright Phil Hollett Photography. Most of our images can be licensed for many personal and commercial uses. Please refer to our page on Copyright and Image use.
For answers to any other questions, please ask via our Contact page.


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It's in the Telling
A Memoir by Beth Schorr Jaffe
He hasn't seen me in a few months. So glad, he says, I have come in, finally. The Korean clerk behind the dry cleaner's counter thinks he is in for a happy chat today when I come in to pick up my husband's shirts. I usually banter about an idiotic thing I've done, like when I crushed my eyeglasses while backing out of the garage.
I tell him immediately, "My father died. I've been staying home a lot."
"Oh, so sorry, Mrs. Jaffe." He lowers his head and frowns.
"You remember? My father was a dry cleaner," I remind him. The winter rushes in before the store door drags itself shut; so intimate are we — me, the clerk, and my dad. He hurries to gather my items, as if I am going to be late for a funeral. I collect my husband's shirts and thank him with a polite smile. I make my way to the beauty supply center a few doors down in the highway mall. I don't really want anything, but I feel like walking the peaceful, self-centered aisles. Women walk slowly, thoughtfully, in the beauty store. I stop in front of the Maybelline products and numbly peruse the multitude of mascaras on the wall racks. X times longer. XX, XXX times. An adorable, petite teenager wearing a smock comes over and asks me if I need help. Oh for sure, I tell her. So many to choose from. I recite I need black mascara that is very, very waterproof. Like a chess game, I have thought out the conversation three moves ahead and lead her to checkmate.
"This is a very, very waterproof one," she recites back to me.
"I need a very, very waterproof one because I cry all the time."
"Oh?" she says. Her face is blank except for the ever so slightly peaked eyebrows, not as much questioning as frightened. She is very young and I am so middle-aged. I am wearing a long, gray coat, and the cuffs of my orange sweatshirt, a little frayed, extend past my wrists, so of course, I imagine she thinks I must be a homeless person.
"I cry for a reason, of course." I giggle a teeny giggle for her comfort. "I cry because I just lost my father and I am still mourning. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." I touch her elbow.
She squirms a step back. "That's okay. I'm sorry. Just happen?"
"No. Three months ago."
"Oh." Her eyebrows re-emerge. Now I know she has lost any sympathy she may have had. Like others who have not yet lost, she thinks I should have stopped crying by now.
"Three months is not a long time really. I mean, I have a husband whom I love, but my father was the love of my life." She is too young, too wild to understand. It is time to choose mascara and move on. "You think the very, very waterproof, XXX is the one I should buy?"
She concurs and we proceed to the checkout.
I have told two more people. The makeup girl will forget, but the dry cleaner will tell his family I am sure. Perhaps they will say some kind of Korean prayer for us.
Perhaps every time we come in they will remember that he lived and died. I become upset that I didn't take out his picture. I carry the photo of him when he was in the Army, dressed as a bugler playing the trumpet. Then if someone asks, I can tell more stories about him. And they can remember him as a musician and a war hero. A picture tells a thousand words, but I add a few, and make sure they understand how much is actually missing. When I go back to the cleaner I will show him the picture. I begin thinking of dirty clothes I can start collecting to bring. Disappointed my husband had not spread the word to the dry cleaner, I am more than curious about
why he would let that fact go without saying.
Is it only the first thing out of my mouth? I concede that it is not newsworthy, in the scheme of the universe. But still I am paralyzed, gripped with the knowledge that even my husband does not understand, has not seen it as worthy of telling: The one man who thought so much of me has died, and with his death, there is also no one left, no clues, no evidence, that in the entire world, a fantastical man had idolized this one particular fantastical girl. Where does that leave me?
My last stop on the way home is, unfortunately, the grocery. There is no more lonely and isolating place. Everyone hates where they are, rushing to get in and out. I start to become anxious about the excursion, not only the task at hand, buying sustenance, but also the barren tunnels, the women with their children in carts, wiggling around you as if on a crowded highway trying not to crash. Just get the hell out of here alive and get home.
I eat a lot of carbs these days. Bread of choice: sourdough. It has to be sliced. The bread counter is empty. I hand the woman at the bakery my loaf. I breathe deep. I try very hard to control myself. I cannot tell her. It is inappropriate. She does not care. She does not know me. But when she hands me the bread in the plastic bag my eyes start to water.
"You look so sad today, sweetie," she says. "Everything okay?"
"It's been a rough couple of weeks," I say. "I just lost my father. He loved sourdough."
"Oh I'm so sorry." And then she comes around to me, from behind her glass pastry barrier. "I lost my father 10 years ago and I miss him every day," she confides in me.
"Really. I'm sorry I brought it up."
I go home and phone my mother. She is alone in their apartment, grieving the loss of her husband of 65 years.
"Mom, what do you say I come over and we put together that photo album of Dad's Army pictures?"
"I already have the boxes of all his war pictures waiting on the table."
Back in the car I decide I won't let her know about his bugler picture in my wallet.
Beth Jaffe lives in Sag Harbor and is the author of a novel, "Stars of David." She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and creative writing from Brooklyn College, and has had short stories, poems, and essays published in numerous publications.


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Texas potato salad with nasturtiums
There was once a town in North Texas known as Cathron's Store. In the late 1800s, a grocery, a grist mill, and a post office could be found in this small Lamar County community, though by 1905 the name had changed to Tigertown and Cathron's Store was no more. Most people, I reckon, have never heard of this place; it is forgotten. But because of a most unusual potato salad recipe by one of its residents, the town and its legacy continue.
Now, I realize that potato salad may seem an odd subject for contemplation, but Texan-style potato salad—which is typically yellow and tangy with mustard and often mashed to the point where you can't tell where the potatoes end and the other ingredients begin—is not usually seen outside the state. It's a unique dish.
Curious as to its beginnings, I began to do research and delved into a collection of recipes from the 1800s to see how it was made in the state's early days. Most of the potato salad recipes followed a familiar fashion with hard-boiled eggs, pickles, and onions all bringing color and spark to the dish. Surprisingly, mustard was the preferred dressing even then, and while some recipes were prepared with cubed or sliced potatoes, mashed potatoes were used, too. The potato salad that Texans eat today has deep roots.
As I was reading, I came across a mashed potato salad by a Texan named Mrs. Lissa Gardner Bowman. She lived in Cathron's Store. Her version started with leftover potatoes that she mashed and then mixed with the usual suspects. But just when things were becoming predictable, Mrs. Bowman encouraged the cook to go out into the garden and pick some nasturtiums for garnish. Not only was her hometown new to me, but also was her directive to add flowers to one's potato salad.
Admittedly, I don't cook with nasturtiums and I certainly don't have a garden. But I had to try this unique combination so I headed over to the Union Square Greenmarket to see what I could find. My first stop was at the stand of Windfall Farms, a reliable source of squash blossoms, and to my delight they had a whole cooler full of the brightly colored nasturtium blooms. With a bit of a jig and much jubilation, I bought some flowers and rushed home to recreate the dish. A windfall indeed!
In my kitchen, I had the rest of the ingredients, which included cucumber pickles, diced onion, and hard-boiled eggs. (Pickled beets were also recommended, but I demurred as I'm not a fan). The original recipe's dressing was only vinegar, but I augmented that with some melted butter and mustard, a popular combination found in most other Texas potato salad recipes from the late 1800s.
Since the only flowers I'd tried before were squash blossoms in quesadillas, I had no idea how how nasturtiums would taste. I took a bite of the soft petals, and was surprised at its peppery bite. It was assertive and strong, a sharp edge to the plain potatoes, so I chopped a handful and mixed them into the salad, too.
After it all came together, I garnished the salad with more flowers. It was the prettiest potato salad I'd ever seen with a flavor both familiar and new. So, here's to Cathron's Store, Mrs. Bowman, and a delicious addition to my side dish repertoire. It's a joy to have discovered all three.
Would you like more Homesick Texan? Well, I've started offering additional recipes for paid subscribers to help with the costs of running the site. While I'm not taking anything away, if you'd like to support Homesick Texan and have access to exclusive, never-seen-before subscriber-only posts, please consider becoming a member; annual subscriptions are as low as $25. Thank you for reading, your consideration, and your support!
Texas potato salad with nasturtiums
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- Salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickle
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped flat parsley
- 3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and finely chopped
- 4-6 freshly picked nasturtium blossoms
- Black pepper
- Peel the potatoes then cut into 2-inch pieces. Place the potatoes in a large pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil on high, then turn the heat down to medium and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse and turn off the heat.
- While still warm, return the potatoes to the pot and add the butter. Mash the potatoes with a masher, leaving a few lumps, then stir the warm potatoes with the butter until the butter is melted. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, mustard, dill pickle, onion, parsley, and eggs.
- Leaving 2 nasturtium blossoms for garnish, finely chop the remaining blossoms then mix into the salad. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill for 4 hours. Garnish with the remaining whole blossoms before serving.


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My Secret Santa was Judy of J N Originals.
Judy sent me the most wonderful gift! Just wait till you see what it is!
Oh WOW!!!
It's a beautiful hand~made journal!! Wait till you see the inside!
I open it up and discover it has a beachy theme. Perfect!
a pocket with seashells and lovely tags!
Just look at this paper! a sailboat! (One of my favorite things to do on beachy vacations is to take a sailboat snorkeling cruise.)
Waves, and oh look! There's an inside pocket. (I already have a few items stashed in there including a map of a favorite island--St. Maarten.)
another beautiful seashell pocket with tags! and a little note on the back of Judy's business card. That will stay in the book.
This journal is filled with lovely paper, some patterned, some blank. Here's another seashell pocket page.
Once I calmed down a bit from the excitement of receiving such a lovely gift, I began to think about what I would put in it. This journal will be a treasure. There will be photos and written memories of beach visits over the years. When I was a young child living on the East Coast of the US, my family would go on beach vacations. (Here's a POST about that long ago time with photos. At least one old time photo will have to go in this journal.)
Here's a couple photos from when my kids were young.
My parents lived in Naples, Florida, and we would visit them (of course!).
In more recent years, I would take my sketchbook, watercolor pencils, and a paintbrush with me on vacations. I made a few sketches. These should go in the book as well. I may tip them in.
This journal is most certainly a treasure! Judy constructed it sturdily of lovely fabric. It has a velcro closure. The journal is made up of 3 wonderful signatures. I can't wait to start adding my memorabilia!
Judy, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!
LINKS to Judy Nolan's websites:
This Creative Journey
Word Walks
J N Originals
Mister Pen Quin
Dancing Thimble
2nd Chance Treasures
interview by Storybeader
photos by me © 2011 & 2012


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WOW! I didn't want to believe this, but apparently its true. Chris Attoh and Damilola are officially divorced. The Tinsel couple got married two years ago ON February -14 – 2015 and have a son together.
Though there have been speculations about their breakup, they never confirmed it until totally, until Today! The Ghanaian Actor confirmed their split in an interview with Bella Naija.
When asked how he and his ex-wife Damilola Adegbite balanced their marriage, son and work, he said: "I believe throughout our marriage, It has probably been one of the most challenging things we have ever done, however, the key word is balance. .
At times when we both had to work, our parents would be there to hold the fort. God bless family because they were and still are very supportive.
However, since the divorce, we are obviously now reworking things to create a new balance between work, spending time with and raising our son. Dami is a wonderful woman and an amazing mother. .
Despite our differences, she and I will always be friends. So more than anything, we will find ways to continue to make sure that Brian can still have a balanced upbringing filled with love and support. .
Both our families have been and are still very supportive in helping us take care of our son Brian when we can't be there due to work."


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Watching the pro-democracy marches in Burma both inspires and sickens me. I am inspired by seeing thousands of red-robed monks leading the demonstrations and sickened by the violence they are being met with by the military.
Seeing the images of the monks and others being beaten reminds me of the Democratic Convention in 1968 where Chicago police beat the living daylights out of demonstrators who were there to try and force the party to come closer to the budding anti-war movement. It didn't work. Instead of wonderful-pro-peace candidate, George McGovern, the party nominated Johnson's VP, Hubert Humphrey. We know what happened next: Nixon. After last night's Democratic "debate" I am terrified and assured that the Democrats will have another pro-war nominee.
The other event in my memory that the pro-democracy movement in Burma reminds me of is Kent State, Ohio in May, 1970. Four students were killed and nine were wounded marching against escalation of the Vietnam debacle.. I have heard from many people who were of age to protest the Vietnam war at that time that the killings had the affect of frightening them into not protesting, or scaling their protests back.
Of course the present state of our nation is not as overtly oppressive as the government of Myanmar (Burma), presently where a Nobel Peace Laureate Aung Sang Suu Kyi has been under house arrest there for years, but we who have been paying attention to events can see that America is on the precipice of serious fascism and only the brave actions of Americans committed to freedom, democracy and peace will help stem the tide of this rising neo-fascism that doesn't march through our streets in goose-step and swastikas, but is creeping into our lives like cat's paws.
According to Chris Rowthorn, in his brilliant article, When America Went Fascist, we went fascist on December 11, 2000 when the Supreme Court appointed George as our unelected, un-democratic and illegal President. Although it is easy and tempting to blame everything on BushCo, this is about the only assertion that I disagree with in his article.
What about during the Clinton regime? Does anyone remember Elian Gonzales or The Branch Davidians in Waco? Let's go back further. What about when Truman dropped to WMD on hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in Japan? What about Korea? Eisenhower and the Military Industrial Complex? What about the Gulf of Tonkin? What about Watergate? What about Panama? Kosovo? Nicaragua? Free trade agreements that hurt workers in all countries that are involved in them and what about the abuse of language in this country: Patriot Act; Homeland Security; Clear Water and Clean Skies—and the No Child Left Behind Act that leaves every child behind and is just a funnel to the recruiter's office?
There are just a few measures that we can use to stop this slide and Rowthorn articulates what has become an important part of my platform. Only vote for candidates that promise the following things…for president, or any other federal elective offices:
* Repeal the Patriot Act
* Repeal No Child Left Behind
* Scale down the Department of Homeland Security and rename it so it loses its Nazi
tone and is brought under civilian control.
* Restore habeas corpus and close all torture camps by repealing the Military Commissions' Act.
* Repeal all contracts with paid mercenary killer companies.
* Restore the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878.
* Repeal all BushCo-Presidential directives (especially Directive 51) and review all laws that contain signing statements.
* Restore the 4th Amendment by enforcing warrants for spying on Americans.
* Impeach Bush and Cheney-post presidency so they can't receive federal benefits.
* Bring all troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan and review military needs for other bases around the world.
* Repeal all free trade agreements.
* Kick AIPAC and other lobbyists out of the halls of Congress where they have no business.
One of the most profound ways we can stop this descent into fascism is by impeaching, removing from office and incarcerating George Bush and Dick Cheney, et al. I am very skeptical of a complicit Congress, Inc doing anything about them in this term. I am also very skeptical of a "professional" and fascist military leadership taking their oath of service seriously and above their corporate-military allegiance to the Executive Branch recently and so tellingly revealed by General Betray-Us, so a military coup is out of the question and has the tricky element of becoming a military dictatorship.
I was supposed to be in court today in Washington, DC for my last arrest. I didn't go because I am not under allegiance and repudiate the fascists that run our government and the enforcers who are doing their best Nazi-job of "following orders" in oppressing our rights as Americans.
Why are they beating up a Reverend who served in the Air Force, and honorably left after the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq, for wanting to attend a hearing in Congress?
Why are they arresting a Gold Star Mother for exercising the very freedoms for which George Bush freakishly says her son died?
Why are my daughter and assistant under indictment for Contempt of Congress when BushCo have steadily refused to testify before committees under oath, or any other way? As a matter of fact, Betray-Us wasn't even put under oath that day in the House.
Why are college students being tasered for asking the same questions that we all want answered from John Kerry who threw our Representative Republic in the garbage along with the 2004 election?
Why are nooses being hung in the South?
Why do any of us pay our Federal Taxes to a government that we abhor and which we adamantly disagree with? Why do we allow our hard earned money to be used for murder and oppression?
Why is Congress giving BushCo more authority to begin a New World War?
Where are religious leaders to lead us in pro-democracy demonstrations? Most of our mainstream religions suffer from the same neo-fascism that our governmental leaders suffer from.
Why do we march in DC on Saturdays and get arrested just to get arrested? It's time to descend on DC on a weekday and make commitments to our world and our posterity to over throw this fascism right now.
When can we have a country-wide massive general strike?
Recent reports show that Saddam made overtures to America through the UAE and Spain to go into exile weeks before the March, 2003 invasion of Iraq. Of course, the overtures were rejected because George's small mind was already made up to invade Iraq before he became president in some sick way to either show up or gain approval from a dysfunctional family. What if Spain's former President Aznar had spoken up then? What if Colin Powell, George Tenet, or any of the criminal neocons had spoken up to prevent this horrible loss of life and pain before it even started?
I wouldn't be under a bench warrant right now. Rev wouldn't be recovering from a badly sprained ankle. Casey would be alive and hundreds of thousands of others would be alive.
We can't count on anyone but ourselves. It's now up to we the people to follow the example of our brothers and sisters in Burma to courageously confront the anti-democracy/pro-fascist elements of our society.
ZNetwork is funded solely through the generosity of its readers.


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Hawkish think tanks had laid plans for escalating the U.S. "regime change" war in Syria after Hillary Clinton's expected election, but a different result has forced them to repackage their scheme, says Gareth Porter.
By Gareth Porter
A new coalition of US-based organizations is pushing for a more aggressive U.S. intervention against the Assad regime. But both the war in Syria and politics in the United States have shifted dramatically against this objective.
When it was formed last July, the coalition hoped that a Hillary Clinton administration would pick up its proposals for a more forward stance in support of the anti-Assad armed groups. But with Donald Trump in office instead, the supporters of a U.S. war in Syria now have little or no chance of selling the idea.
One of the ways the group is adjusting to the new political reality is to package its proposal for deeper U.S. military engagement on behalf of U.S.-supported armed groups as part of a plan to counter Al Qaeda, now calling itself Jabhat Fateh al Sham.
But that rationale depends on a highly distorted presentation of the problematic relations between Syria's supposedly "moderate" rebel groups and Al Qaeda's Syrian offshoot.
The "Combating al-Qaeda in Syria Strategy Group" was formed last July by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), according to the policy paper distributed at an event at the Atlantic Council on Jan. 12.
The "Strategy Group" also includes Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute and Jennifer Cafarella of the Institute for the Study of War, both of whom have advocated direct U.S. military force against the Syrian regime in support of the armed opposition.
But it was CNAS that had the political clout to bring the coalition together under what appeared to be very favorable circumstances. Michele Flournoy, the founder and CEO of CNAS and a former third-ranking Pentagon official, was reported to be Clinton's likely choice for Secretary of Defense during the 2016 presidential primaries. And the June 2016 report of a CNAS "study group" co-chaired by Flournoy was in line with Clinton's openly declared support for a more muscular US intervention in Syria.
That report had called for a U.S.-declared "no bombing zone" to protect armed opposition groups, vetted by the CIA, from Syrian and Russian attacks. Flournoy had then described the policy in an interview as telling the Russian and Syrian governments: "If you bomb the folks we support, we will retaliate using standoff means to destroy [Russian] proxy forces, or, in this case, Syrian assets."
Expecting a Clinton Victory
The new coalition of think tanks began meeting last summer when the politics in the United States seemed favorable for a political campaign for U.S. military intervention in Syria.
On Sept. 30, Lister published a lengthy essay calling on the United States to provide shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to "moderate" opposition groups as well as to threaten attacks on the Syrian army if it violated the ceasefire. Lister was obviously hoping that President Clinton would adopt that policy option a few months later.Now the new strategy group is trying to sell the same proposal to Trump, calling it "a holistic, preventative counter-terrorism policy that empowers moderate Syrians … to overcome extremists in Syria." It argues that Al Qaeda is seeking to gain control over areas now controlled by "moderate" forces in order to establish "an enduring Sunni extremist order in Syria."
But the argument that these armed groups, which the U.S. has supported in the past, would be prepared to resist Al Qaeda's long-term caliphate with more money and arms and U.S. bombing of Assad's air force, is too divorced from reality to have traction in Washington now. In fact, the so-called "moderate" armed groups have never been truly independent of Al Qaeda in Syria. They have depended on the highly disciplined troops of Al Qaeda and its closest allies and the military strategy devised by Al Qaeda commanders to pressure the Assad regime.
Lister himself has been clear on this point. Under his proposed plan for the United States to use the threat of military force against the regime, the CIA-vetted "moderate" armed opposition groups were not expected to end their military cooperation with Al Qaeda's Fateh al-Sham or to separate themselves physically from its forces, as had been provided in both the February and September ceasefire agreements.
Lister stated explicitly his assumption that such cooperation was "unlikely to diminish significantly" – even if his proposal were to be carried out. Rather, the idea of Lister's plan was to force negotiations on the Assad regime. That aim would still obviously have required the continued military power of Fateh al-Sham and its close ally, Ahrar al-Sham, to succeed.
Lister and his fellow coalition members are not likely to be able to sell the new administration on the idea that any of the Syrian armed groups the CIA has supported would even consider seriously resisting Fateh al-Sham under any remotely believable circumstances.
Syrian Army: The Only Alternative?
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius recently recalled meeting with leaders of Harakat al-Hazm, considered the most promising "moderate" armed group in Syria, at a safehouse in Turkey in late 2014. He found them "despondent" because the United States had just carried out a rare air strike on Al Qaeda operatives believed to be plotting a terrorist attack on the West.
They told Ignatius that, because of the U.S. bombing what was then called the Nusra Front, Al Qaeda would no longer tolerate their own group's operations. Soon after the meeting, the Nusra Front did indeed eliminate Harakat al-Hazm and appropriate all the TOW missiles and other military equipment the CIA had given them.
The Ignatius account reflects a fundamental reality throughout northern Syria, from 2013 onwards, that was simply ignored in media coverage: all of the opposition groups have been absorbed into an Al Qaeda-controlled political-military order. The idea that the "moderate" groups could be a bulwark against Al Qaeda, which is now being peddled by Lister, Cafarella and CNAS, no longer has any credibility even in those quarters in Washington that were once open to it.
A tell-tale sign of the shift in attitude toward those groups' mood in Washington is the fact that Ignatius used the past tense in referring to the CIA's program of arming the "moderate" groups in Syria in his article last month.
The U.S. military leadership was never on board with the policy of relying on those armed groups to advance U.S. interests in Syria in the first place. It recognized that, despite the serious faults of the Assad regime, the Syrian army was the only Syrian institution committed to resisting both Al Qaeda and Islamic State.
It seems likely that the Trump administration will now return to that point as it tries to rebuild a policy from the ashes of the failed policy of the Obama administration.
Gareth Porter is an independent investigative journalist and winner of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for journalism. He is the author of Manufactured Crisis: The Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare. [This article originally appeared at Middle East Eye at http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/syrian-army-only-option-us-if-it-wants-fight-terror-1775504124]


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Dear friends,
As some of you may know, I am a man of meager means. Part of this is because of my NF, but part of it is also due to the way I've chosen to lead my life.
I live simply. I don't need much and I am not a complainer. I have a firm faith in God, Country, and my fellow man. I don't need a big house, a nice car, or perfect health because I have spent my life figuring out what is truly important: living comfortably within my means and enjoying the companionship of others.
But no matter how frugal I may be, sometimes even the simplest needs of the Just Ask! Foundation are beyond my ability to provide.
When people find this out, they often say "If only I knew you needed something, I might have been able to donate it to your cause!"
Like when I needed new shelves for my t-shirts, and my friend Lou Congelio helped me out by donating some really nice shelves he wasn't using anymore. Sometimes it just works out that a particular company or individual happens to have exactly what I need.
So, if you happen to be one of those people or companies that is in a position where you are able to make a positive difference in someone else's circumstances — or mine — I am asking you to please do so.
As you may know, a big part of Just Ask! happens via the Internet. It has truly opened the world to me. And now we have an online store!
I've always felt that life simply "comes at you" whether you are ready or not… and it's how we react to life's challenges that I believe is a person's measure. For all you reading this that have helped others through volunteering or charitable donations, allow me to say "Thank You" on behalf of everyone that ever needed the help of their fellow human beings.
Now, go out and "Make it a Tremendous Day!"