The Celestial Sexagenarien's Forecast Courtesy of Clear Outside

 

Whispers Roar by Kathleen Helen Ackroyd

My Oma came over from Germany before my first birthday. My Mom and Dad both worked; Mom as a Buyer In Training at Joske's in San Antonio, Texas and my Dad, an Airman, worked the command post at Randolph AFB, better known, as 'The Taj Mahal'. They had second jobs also. Neither of my parents felt comfortable leaving me with strangers. And an Au Pair was not an option. 

My Oma Was Quite The Character! Hazel Green-Grey eyes flecked with gold, sparkled like cosmic fireballs, giving the illusion of a Powerful Enchantress or dare I say Bruha, when her ire got ired. 

Oma, perfectly coiffed henna hair, darkly tanned, lips and nails, (Avon Accented color match guaranteed), bejeweled slippers of silver or gold, purple swirled paisley, turquoise twirled with red violet vortex, on chaos theorized caftan canvas or (Fresh As A Flower, In Just One Hour) chemically dry cleaned, crisp pressed pant suit, was accessorized in over-size, by the intricately designed, turquoise inlaid, and tooled leather purse; with effortless, stately swing, upon Oma's heady, (and, this scent, on others, whose chemistry couldn't carry 'Patchouli' either, nauseous caustic coquettes of cringe) 'Tabu' enfragranced emollient creme glistening, inner forearm. 

Oversized Onyx stones of Oval or elongated ellipsis, floated on strong pronged settings of silver shiney and brush textured rings, worn on every finger, except Her wedding finger. Tiny thin-delicate silver bracelets, windchimed harmonically, around her wrists. 

"..Gold, purple swirled paisley, turquoise twirled with red violet vortex, on chaos theorized caftan canvas..."

One of the many, Mexican Diamond encrusted brooch, (an owl 🦉of course, and always) complemented the Tiger Eye Stone body and head of (an owl 🦉of course,and always) with the Emerald gem chip eyes pendant, that hung from a delicate chain of virtual crochet silver link ring to ring to ring of perfect length and drawing no gauche accent of breasts. Huge, heavy and solid, more than hoop, silver earrings, accented in punctuation the head shaking "Ja!" or "Nein!" counter in haggling of price on fruit, fish, or Fanta. the implore of the Stall Keeper, (who constantly conceded, conspiriatorially, with my Mother; but more on that later) 

"Por Favor, Señora Mayenfels...Or in heavily accented English; "Meeszes Mayenfels Pleeez..This too little money" 

And don't think a crowd didn't gather to soak up the energies of the 

BATTLE OF THE HAGGLE 

A Spanglish-Germanglish Dialectical Spectacle

Oh, but of course, My Oma always got the price She haggled. Adjacent stall owners and market regulars, blessed me with goodies, given me as gift, or sample, as consolation for the duration of The Battle of The Haggle. Not one person, derided my Oma, when she pulled out Her pack of Pall Mall non filters, feigning search for Her Brush-Silver, Ronson fueled, adjustable wick, wind proof flame, rubbed down to brass beneath, striker, and illegible initials of worn, World War II, lighter. The lighter bestowed upon Her, when She was commissioned as Lieutenant in the Luftwaffe. Oma Rode Patrol on a motorcycle with a sidecar. 

That was when, there were only whispers of war. . .

Oma cared for me. But, it was more. More like having another Parent. Stern, Strong, Sturdy when wielding, wooden spoon warnings, worried me not. And I would laugh, as I outran Her. 

Oma couldn't keep up. Her kneecap had been shattered, when she had to, once again run, to the air raid shelter, my Uncle in tow, and my Mother, clasped tightly to her breast, as the bombs whistled and dropped all about her, and the dust of bullets straif, choked her throat and the smoke burn blinded her freshly rubbled path to hope of safety. 

But I didn't know of these horrors. The war whispers, that, then roared. And throughout My Oma's Lifetime and Nightmares, in Her much later years, the roars, clawed and gouged, feeble attempts, at Her Sanity, and scratched ineffectually, at Her resilience. As often happens, in many families, the cared for child, exchanges roles. It was my turn to care for my Oma. One very early 2:00am morning, I was awoken by a bad dream. Only to find, it wasn't a dream.

Excerpt from Caring for my Family's Veterans Was An Honor My Oma ~ Helen Mayenfels, (deceased) exited service, German Luftwaffe, unconfirmed German Resistance Fighter

"Kahhh-Teee! Kahhh-Teeeee!" Oma cried out through her memory-misted night terror. She had these often. This one was particularly dark.

"Die haben mich geshossen! Ich bin geshossen!" 

("They shot me! I've been shot!") 

Oma's eyes were glazed and mired in the past. I could tell she wasn't with me here, now, in this time and place. I didn't know what to do. I felt so helpless watching her. She was terrified! My response shocked even me.

"No, Oma" I said in English, as I checked her back, under her nighty, for non existent injuries.

 "They just missed you. Don't worry. I've got my gun right here" (I lied) "I'll shoot those fucking bastards' heads off!" (and I would have).

"Nah Kah-tee!, so sprecht mir doch nicht" ("Kathe! we don't talk like that"). The shock of hearing her granddaughter's use of profanity, in her presence, brought Oma back into the waking world. I spent the next several hours rubbing her back. We shared warm tea and cookies and watched a German non-war movie.

Current Administration Immigration Atrocities, continued escalation and violation of U.S. Constitution Amendments and Human Rights, has, according to the sources below, Clawed Away At Our Freedoms.

Freedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution are under threat as the administration consolidates executive power, suppresses dissent, and reshapes public institutions to serve partisan interests.

...I Am Very Grateful My Oma is Not On Earth to see this...roar, that was once a whisper.

More of Oma's Influence Memories of Oma According to Communication Theorists: Jung, Huzinga and Barthes

📖 READ THE FULL STORY:

Whispers' Roar

🌌 SEE MY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY:

Human Is Only Temporary

🔊 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO OVERVIEW ON YOUTUBE

That Dam Kat's YouTube Channel 

"Welcome Back to another Deep Dive", G'ie, the Ai female voiced host, says to 'The AiNnihilators Podcast' Listening Audience.:

#AiNnihilators #NotebookLM #CaregiverStory #WWII #Veteran #AudioStorytelling #ImmigrantStory #Immigration #DeepDive #VisualStorytelling#AudioLab #ContentCreator#YouCut#YouTube 

 🏷️

 * NotebookLM Audio Overview

 * AI Podcast

 * Caregiver Support

 * World War II History

 * Immigration Story

 * Mixed Reality for Seniors

 * Veterans Stories

 * Deep Sky Astrophotography

SOURCES (Not Yet Formatted)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CEn9bZDC3dV9uo5ecAY7cGE6IqRDAy4Drv_UqeWnbF0?tab=t.0https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DOpaWM5NW-PyplSiKtiXVa5FdIsKagwmIxWxUyoSlw8/edit?usp=drivesdkBest Keywords (Put these in the "Tags" box at the very bottom):The AiNnihilators Podcast Hosts G'ie and I'mn Whispers' Roar Audio Overviewhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1aO-ELuzDEibpaGiUzLbyf-7F29V1KoAh/view?usp=drivesdkhttps://monitor.civicus.org/watchlist-july-2025/usa/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-democracy-report-1.7486317?utm_source=://www.thecaravelgu.com/blog/2025/5/4/9sh4acuwfnm4mp04liibz8ildgavwg?utm_source=perplexityhttps://m.youtube.com/shorts/cmsYUKjnrLQFreedoms guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution are under threat as the administration consolidates executive power, suppresses dissent, and reshapes public institutions to serve partisan interests.https://apnews.com/article/immigration-ice-children-detained-lawsuit-dilley-75530212ec0959eda2b42aada3fbe46ahttps://apnews.com/article/immigration-ice-children-detained-lawsuit-dilley-75530212ec0959eda2b42aada3fbe46ahttps://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/charts/annual-number-of-us-legal-permanent-residentshttps://public.tableau.com/views/LPRsintheUS1820-Present/Dashboard1?:language=en&:embed=y&:sid=&:redirect=auth&:embed_code_version=3&:loadOrderID=0&:display_count=y&publish=yes&:origin=viz_share_linkhttps://www.thecaravelgu.com/blog/2025/5/4/9sh4acuwfnm4mp04liibz8ildgavwg?utm_source=perplexityhttps://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-democracy-report-1.7486317?utm_source=perplexity

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/cmsYUKjnrLQ

Dewey's Toys for Kid's Annual Auction and Wrapping Party

Annual Auction at Chevy's Bar & Grill

1:00pm Saturday, December 10th

5151 Osage Beach Pkwy

573-302-0027

Photo courtesy of Cali4beach on flickr

Wrapping Party at 

Inn of Grand Glaize

9:00am Saturday, December 17th

5142 Osage Beach Pkwy

800-348-4731

 *Al

Visit Dewey's Toys for Kids on facebook

Images via Dewey's Toys for Kids  Cali4beach and Google Maps

Caring for my family's Veterans was an Honor

As a former Air Force Brat I have been afforded the many perks of travel and experience of diverse culture outside the contiguous United States. My Father, Wallace D. Ackroyd, USAF, (ret. dec.), served in command posts in Belgium and Germany during the Cold War. Raised "on alert" with sirens sounding during war exercises is a childhood memory I carry and reflect upon. My annoyance then, a groan to shrieking wail that pierced and interrupted my favorite song through my snugged stereo headphones, I recognize now as the sound of security.

Security, to feel secure, knowing that you will be safe and cared for; that was a given for me growing up. It was also a given, that in my later years, I would repay this in kind by caring for my family's Veterans. Not always easy and most times challenging; still, it was an honor to have cared for, in part or whole, each one.

On this Veterans Day 2012, I share these family and personal memories for several reasons. We are still at war. Many of our Service Men and Service Women will be coming home soon. It won't be easy for their families. The sons and daughters they knew before, they won't recognize now.

Know this as I know this. That young man or young woman you sent off to the other side of the world to fight for our freedoms, as unrecognizable as he or she may be; in itself a casualty of having lived through the atrocities of this war, still resides deep within. Muster every bit of strength, courage, compassion, energy, understanding and patience; lots and lots of patience. Weave it in a blanket of loving family familiarity and wrap your soldier in the gift of your time.

Please find below a list of my Family's Veterans. Next to each name is the information I know and have of his or her military affiliation and war. Alongside you will also find a memory I have as caregiver. Two have linked excerpts to a storied memory or memoir. Warning: there is some adult language. I start with my most recent caregiver memory and work backwards chronologically.

Herbert E. Keel, (deceased) retired Aerographer, United States Navy, WWII

"There had been a severe hurricane that brushed the New England coast in 1938, that caused the Thames River to overflow and flood the base. Watermarks on the torpedo shop walls were 10-15 feet above the floors and it had wrecked the old wooden barracks. They were building new facilities across the street and up on a hill on higher ground, but it wouldn‘t be done until spring. The old barracks, which we slept in, were damp, cold and drafty. I finally developed pneumonia, for the first time in my life, and from then on I would forever have respiratory problems." - The Memoirs of Herbert Eugene Keel, The Military Years

Dad, Mom's second husband, even though he quit smoking, was forever plagued by a consumptive cough that required much medication and elicited strong concerns from his doctors, Mom and me. Dad's bedroom door was just across the hall from mine. Late night and early morning hours were filled with the "mmmmwahhhh-shhhh-gah-shpishhhh" of his oxygen machine. Sleep, for me, sometimes came at a premium. But come it did; in the knowing that Dad was able to breathe comfortably.

Helen Mayenfels, (deceased) exited service,  German Luftwaffe, unconfirmed German Resistance Fighter

"Kahhh-Deee! Kahhh-Deeeee!" Oma cried out through her memory-misted night terror. She had these often. This one was particularly dark.

"Die haben mich geshossen! Ich bin geshossen!" ("They shot me! I've been shot!") 

Oma's eyes were glazed and mired in the past. I could tell she wasn't with me here, now, in this time and place. I didn't know what to do. I felt so helpless watching her. She was terrified! My response shocked even me.

"No, Oma" I said in English as I checked her back, under her nighty for injuries, "they just missed you. Don't worry. I've got my gun right here" (I lied) "I'll shoot those fucking bastards' heads off!" (and I would have).

"Nah Kah-dee!, so sprecht mir doch nicht" ("Kathe! we don't talk like that"). The shock of hearing her granddaughter's use of profanity, in her presence, brought Oma back into the waking world. I spent the next several hours rubbing her back. We shared warm tea and cookies and watched a German non-war movie.

Find more of my Oma's influence on me in Memories of Oma According to Communication Theorists...

Walter Ackroyd (deceased), Shipman, United States Navy, World War II
and
Delbert Bruegemann (deceased), (?) United States Army, World War II

My Grandpa Ackroyd and my Uncle Delbert are joined with the "and" for a reason. My Grandma Ackroyd cared for both of them in the same little house, in the small, small town of Steeleville, Illinois. What a difference it must have been to go from a quiet, tiny town, population < 200, to a war ravaged foreign country where they spoke in words you could not understand; in a place where you had to kill or be killed. And to wonder if you would ever make it home.

Both of them did though; make it home. But neither was the same as they were before. I know only because I eavesdropped from under my covers upon the late-night, low-hushed conversations.

"If Del doesn't get his lunch at exactly noon, he throws a fit!" 

my Grandma told my Father. As I grew older, I joined these late nights spent seated 'round the Formica covered, aluminum legged kitchen table; Grandma's therapy. There were worse things than Uncle Delbert's "fits." But you didn't talk about "those kinds of things" outside the home. Back then, there were no support groups.

My writing of this piece is both difficult and necessary. Those, who in no way, have any affiliation of the military, save what they read online or see on TV, do not often realize the sacrifices made by our Service Men and our Service Women. The above snippets of memories of my Family's Veterans are only miniscule momentos when compared to the Grand Service of all of our Veterans.

Please, today, as you rush from sale to sale or host that BBQ or languish and savor your day off, take a moment, just one moment, to remember all of those who enabled your freedoms. Ask a Family Caregiver if he or she needs help or a break. Bring resources and relief to your neighbors and organizations. Donations of money are always needed. But what will you get if you donate your time?

Resources

DAV.org
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Caregiver Support

FREE Meals & More to Honor our Veterans

Golden Corral    Military Appreciation Monday   November 12, 2012 4pm - 9pm
Outback Steakhouse Free Bloomin' Onion and Coke November 11th & 12th  Military Discount November 13th - December 31st

Donate

Step Up for Our Wounded Veterans this Veterans Day at USO.org

"...make a gift of $10 or more to support our career development programs for our wounded heroes and the variety of programs we offer our troops and their families. Your donation will provide us the resources we need to make sure we are there for our wounded, ill or injured troops throughout their healing journey."

Thanks for all you do,

Brigadier General John Pray, USAF (Ret.)
Executive Vice President, USO

If you are active service or a Veteran, present your military ID at Anna's Linens and Lowe's for a discount. Also, ask wherever you shop if their store carries a military discount. Please share any stores that have these discounts in the comments below. Thank You and have a Blessed Veterans Day.

Let's get together

Employment for the Unpaid Family Caregiver

My skills are of worth. As an only child, I have had shared responsibility of care with my Mother for my Oma and Stepdad,  And now, I have growing responsibilities for her. Through today's technologies I enable quality of life. With healthful strength and energy, I ensure the business of living.

As good as I may be at communications, administrative duties and getting the job, chore or errand done, my skills are not taken into consideration by most employers. Looking at it from an employer's perspective, the non-consideration is understandable. No matter how good the reason may be for an employee's absence or tardiness, it will not make up for the damage done to the business' bottom line.

On the first of November, 2012, Barack Obama issued a Presidential Proclamation -- National Family Caregivers Month, 2012 making November NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS MONTH. In it, the President states:

"Family caregivers have an immeasurable impact on the lives of those they assist, but their hours are long and their work is hard. Many put their own lives on hold to lift up someone close to them." - Barack Obama

This presidential acknowledgement in proclamation is a great first step. But still, there is more to be done.  Those who have "put their own lives on hold" because they have either cut back or quit their jobs, are no longer contributing to the economy or their own social security benefits. Solutions must be found.

As an Unpaid Family Caregiver, I use the technologies I have at hand primarily as an aid. Checking on Mom's benefits, emailing the doctor or doing a web search for her, only takes 10% of my online time. The rest is divided into uneven ratios of research, writing, designing, postings and job hunting.

Virtual assistance is a potential avenue of revenue. From my computer I am able to make reservations, research issues, assemble spreadsheets,build a customized database, post a company blog, write copy, edit submissions, answer your phones, promote your event and even have meetings via Skype or Google Hangout. Virtually everything an administrative assistant does in office, I can do remotely.

Finding a virtual assistant position is proving difficult. The Las Vegas metropolitan area still hovers around 11.5% (bls.gov). But, as it says at the top: Times are tough in today's job market; especially in Nevada. I won't give up. I will find work!

Sources:

Presidential Proclamation -- National Family Caregivers Month, 2012

Download the NFC Month Posters

National Family Caregivers Association 

Fill out my online form.

"Virtual assistants work from a home office. They use the Internet, email, and fax machines to communicate with clients. Although their assignments often vary from short term to long term, their typical duties are similar to those of other secretaries and administrative assistants. Working from a remote location allows virtual assistants to support multiple clients in different industries at the same time."

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/office-and-administrative-support/secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm (visited November 08, 2012). 

Let's get together

Our Great Grandmothers went through hell so that we could VOTE!

Check your Polling Place! 

It may have changed. Mine Did! 

Visit: http://www.clarkcountynv.gov

Be an informed voter November 6th

Collateral material sources: 

BarackObama.com/Plans
www.clarkcountynv.gov/vote
kathleenackroyd.com
Democratic Party of Nevada
www.Alexisfor NV.com