Spanglish

 since Spanglish, the movie, had come up in conversations a few times i just had to re-watch it.  it is a really good movie.  it does have a great message about commitments and keeping them.

 i noticed today that it also had some great messages about immigrants.  illegal in this example.  but our nation survives and thrives on our immigrants.  immigrants add so much to our nation.  they have a vital role in our workforce. our culture is totally blended with all the many cultures who have come to our nation and joined us over the years.

 they bring a renewed work ethic to our work force.  there was a scene where the father is with his two kids and the child of their immigrant housekeeper at the beach, he offers them all cash to find him beach glass.  his kids can't be bothered.  they have all they need and have little incentive to wander the beach looking for the glass.  the daughter of the illegal immigrant in the story, however, combs the beach for hours and turns up what ends up being over $600 worth of beach glass.  he'd offered a pretty generous incentive as i suspect he knew his own kids would need it.  he never counted on the incentive of the immigrant child.

 this is often true to life here.  i see that many immigrants are much more willing to sacrifice their time in order to get their fresh start here.  most of the immigrants i see are probably of the legal kind, but then i don't ask for papers and as a nurse i probably see many more illegals than i know.  i also see a great deal of refugees and they too tend to be willing to do what they can to succeed and to give their kids a better life.

 had kind of forgotten that this is also in this movie.

 interesting on a day when some GOP senators were submitting a bill to greatly decrease the  number of immigrants our nation takes in and to also get rid of the lottery system and instead try to only get English speaking with educations. we need educated immigrants, yes, i can attest that immigrants make up a large chunk of our health care workers.  the GOP is really just shooting us all in the foot with cutting back on immigrants in general. i look around at my co-workers, from the MD's to the house cleaning staff.  our hospital would not run without immigrants and refugees.  most hospitals in the USA would not run without them.

 we also need a great deal of unskilled labor or manual labor.  many jobs that many Americans just aren't willing to do at such low costs.  our farms are run with immigrants, both legal and illegal.   how we get food on our tables at a relatively low cost is due to immigrants.  hell, the iitoo continues to ask repeatedly for waivers to get workers from other nations into their hotels.

 anytime that Miller guy is put out in public it is really disturbing.  that guy has white supremacist/nazi written all over him.  

 it was a bit rainy later today.  slept in as usual.  did get out later for a walk with my friend KR and her new puppy, Ginger.  we did a loop out at Jodphur.  we took the side trail up to the coastal view trail and on over to the dunes.  little did we know the wind would really pick up.  the grass has grown in way over our heads so we made lots of noise.

 as usual on that trail i really have to keep the pups on trail so they don't slide down a cliff.  i suspect i worry more than i should about it.  all was fine. there was a lot of wind and when we hit the dunes we really got pelted.  my eyes still feel dry.  probably got some micro abrasions from the sand hitting them.

 the pups didn't seem too concerned and wanted to wrestle as usual on the dunes. KR and i just wanted to book across the dunes to safety.

 there was a little boy past the dunes sitting down.  i mentioned he seemed to have a owie on his knee.  next thing i knew he was walking with us. clearly the little guy has no stranger danger.  he said he was headed back to the car and that his people knew he was.  in bear country i figured it best if he sticks with us anyway.  he was pretty chatty.

 love this of Ivy below.  these are in Seward on the way down to Homer.

 i came home and did some stuff in the yard.  day two.  it didn't actually start raining until we got back to the parking lot.  i was pulling up some big pavers i have so i can move them to a different location in the back yard.  that means i met bugs and worms.  ick.

 between the bugs and worms and spiders and all the sand that was caked on me from head to toe.  i opted to just hop in the shower finally. sometimes you just get feeling like the bugs are crawling all over you.  i suspect the sand might have been adding to that feeling.

 pups in the waves.

 back to work tomorrow night.

 Ivy is like the dog in the movie.  once you start throwing that tennis ball she will bring it back over and over again.  I'm creating a tennis ball obsessed dog.

 i do always love the line in that movie.  they were talking about their kids and school.  between being odd and fitting in, you have to be routing for odd.  it's probably true.  the ones that totally fit in and are "popular" just have more pressure on them i think.  the odd kids may feel awkward and left out, but in truth that protects them.

 always love all the flowers this time of year.  they are everywhere.

 big ol daisies.

 of course, i had to stop at the SeaLife Center.  i hear he's been moved to an outdoor pool now.  getting bigger.  still has caregivers with him all the time. wonder if they have a covered area for them to keep them out of the weather.

 I'll have to see if i can make another day trip down there to see him my next stretch off.

 all stretched out.

 August is full of Birthdays.  just flipped over the calendars.

 Tusker has fallen asleep in here.  he's not always easy to awaken and get to bed.  it is so funny how different these two dogs are.  from the same litter but totally different.  so happy i have them both though for that very reason i think.  they are a great pair.

 liked this big puffin painting on the side of this hotel

 stopped to get a picture of these tracks right outside Seward

 i knew the train was coming so that was a bonus as well.

 i better crash.  it's getting late

thankful for:  A.  those who have immigrated before me, that brought my family here for a better life for those who came after them  B.  those who continue to have hope for a better future here in the USA.  may we come to our senses as a nation and continue to welcome them... may we also remember our souls and protect those who are at most risk, putting aside our own fears to allow refugees in.  C.  that i have been blessed to live in a community that is as diverse as ours is.  I'm grateful for all who live here and are creating a life for their families and sharing their cultures with us as they take  our culture into their lives.