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This message was edited Oct 9, 2004 1:21 PM
Goodbye Ratza
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This message was edited Oct 9, 2004 1:22 PM
Hi, Ratza! Great picture of the kids. It looks like your tomatoes did well. As I recall, you container garden, don't you?
Terrific photo!
just found this
What a brill photo of the kids enjoying those luscious tomatoes
Had a great visit to Romania a few years ago, hunting out wildlife - saw bears VERY close up and other memorable things. A beautiful and very varied country!
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This message was edited Oct 9, 2004 1:22 PM
That's a fine family or felines you have there, Ratza. Yes, Burpee carries Biker Billy seeds. I don't know him personally. So glad you have a garden plot... much better than pots.
Aaaaaaw *****!! just spent a long time writing here, looked at the pic of your great cats before posting and lost the lot!! :( Will have to come back later to rewrite as I have visitors coming soon. Sorry
PS how old are the cats?
How many times have I done that, Phil! I write a long and glowing comment, then click on the pic one last time.... poof! My message vanishes! Sob!
LOL Weez, do you think this is something Dave can fix - or is it the browser's fault?
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo frustrating :(
Anyway, see if I can remember what I wrote
Firstly why the change from Ratza to Raza, Raza?
Loved the website, particularly the fuzzy caterpillar on the flower in the garden :)
I suppose my visit to Romania was rather privileged. We started out on the coast, then travelled via Bucharest to Brazov and into the Transylvanian mountains. Saw souslik, chamois, wallcreepers, the bears of course, various snakes, bittern, the buffalo and a cave with horseshoe bats. Hollow telegraph poles with roosting bats. The englishman who led the trip was married to a Romanian. He was very knowledgeable about wildlife (no we were not there with guns lol!!!!! only cameras). Unfortunately he died recently at the age of 41 :(
I also have a friend who, until very recently, raised money for his charity, Light up Romania, and went out at least once a year to put lights and electricity into schools and hospitals etc.
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This message was edited Oct 9, 2004 1:22 PM
Ratza I was most disturbed about the children and what you said, I know there are horrendous problems in Rumania, Russia, and other countries where people do not have enough to eat...
One of the organisations which we support give a tremendous amount of help, but I know not enough..they are supported by hundreds of thousands of dedicated Christians who give a lot both financially and spiritually to these countries, all over the world in fact...It is called 'Operation Blessing', but there are others...We do get a report each month and we see the food kitchens, and people who are eating there only have one meal per day, and this is their main meal, many many older people who do not have anything to live on, and many grandchildren who are being looked after by grandparents.[ their parents apparantly drug addicted]...I know it is only a drop in the bucket as so many need help...but they do as much as they can with the funds that are available to them....and they are stretched to the limit because of the worsening situations as in South Africa and Sudan...It is terrible to see this happening....
Yes, it's awful to know that so many people suffer so much because of their situations in so many different ways around the world. There are many many of us who help where we can....
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This message was edited Oct 9, 2004 1:22 PM
Yep - did think they looked a lot like my grandchildren ;oD
Still meant what I said about the number of people in different kinds of trouble round the world, some very close to home
(This chocolate bar with pecans is mmmmm yummy LOL)
You'll note, I stayed out of this discussion when starving children were mentioned. I must have clicked on that picture 10 times trying to see the hunger in their eyes and attribute those fat tummies to malnutrition.. it just wasn't working for me. I was beginning to feel like a calous cad! Ratza, you had us going for a moment there!
Very true Weez :)
Of course, living in tomat- starved Alaska, I might chase one of those hungry little kids down and steal his tomatoes! Well, maybe he'd drop one or two while I was TRYING to chase him down.
LOLOL
Yes, I don't think I'd catch any of the kids either - just hopefully those deeeelish tommies *g*
You start chasing, and I'll cut them off at the end of the block. You can probably run faster, but it will be a lot harder to get past me! We'll sit on the curb and share the 'maters.
OK - I'm off and running, puff, pant..... can you see them yet - how's the ambush ??
Can't keep this up for too long....hu uh hu uh
I'll need those fat juicy tomatoes after all this.....................squelch
What was that???
Phil, I think we have fallen victim to the Romanian Brandywine Bombardment. These kids should play major league baseball. Ah, well, lick your licks and think of England.
:oD
wish I could share your enthusiasm guys but since we support starving children around the world...sorry cannot participate in the joke.....
We are not joking about starvation. We are joking about swiping tomatoes from Ratza's neighborhood kids (which, of course, we don't plan to do). If you enlarge the photo, Peterson, you will note these are not starving children. I believe Ratza was being facetious when he made that statement. No harm was intended by any of us.
I am not sorry that we joked about tomatoes. I am, however, sorry that I missed Ratza's bit of humor in the first place. I'd have to be a bit of a bigot to assume all Romanian children are starving street urchins, but at the same time, I was not comfortable acknowledging the joke... thus my waiting to reply until Ratza clarified things.
Ratza, I hope you didn't think we were making light of anyone's misfortune. I certainly didn't see misfortune on this thread. I saw happy, healthy children with fresh tomatoes. If I have misjudged, I really apologize to you.
I would just like to explain something further...as I have explained we support children and their families from all over the world..we see vidoes of grandmothers many of them with their little grandchildren, walking thru these rat infested buildings to go to the kitchens where they are fed their one meal of the day [ old people are really having a very hard time]...the little grandmas are sweet and plump, but they are not plump because of good food, no they eat possibly as many potatoes and bread whatever they can get or lay their hands on... possibly some rats ? and no they do not look emaciated they are nutritionally bankrupt..as are a lot of people who live down here in the south..obese
because of their very poor diets..good food costs money right !!! We have been aware of this for years, and have supported for years, only a drop in the bucket..yes, but every drop counts...
Peterson, I don't for a moment question that their is either hunger or malnutrition in the world. I would never make light of it. I admire that you offer some relief where needed, and yes, every drop counts. Bless you for your efforts.
Please note this quote from Ratza: "Hey! I was just kidding. Nobody (almost ) is starving in Romania. If you take a closer look, one of `the kids is overweight. You could send them some chocolate bars - they are quite expensive here.
This thread is about some Brandywine tomatoes that Ratza grew from seed he received from DGers. He posted this picture, I am sure, to let us know that he was sharing his bounty and it was appreciated. I thought the picture quite sweet, and I still do.
It is my understanding that we are not to discuss argumentative subjects, and I can respect that, since we often have misunderstandings. I don't want to argue about world hunger, poor nutrition, inappropriate humor or inappropriate indignation. I just want to appreciate that Ratza shared the tomatoes he grew with some neighborhood children and they liked them.
No, I do not intend or was it ever my intenion to make an issure out of this, Ratza mentioned that the children have a very bleak future...I do not know why she said that about the children starving but it is a fact of life and she knows this...If I seem more or less touchy on this subject it is because I know how much of it exists...and you did seem to be making light of it. I will apologise only to tell you that I am not making accusations against you or anyone..it is just very close to my heart, as are the children in Mexico..children are children..the world over...and yes, it breaks my heart to see them in so much poverty...I will not mention it again, I'm gone.