2/2/11
Dear Sister,
Today I had a chance to catch up on your blog posts while lying in bed recovering from the flu. The photos of your children in various parts of the world are amazing. Along with everyone else who posted responses, I am awed at their sense of adventure. However, being the more pusillanimous sister and auntie, I have a few issues. While the photo of Josiah standing on Lion’s Head is breathtaking, I never want to see him that close to a ledge again. If I were there I would have made him hold onto the strap of my purse just in case he lost his footing. Like our mother, I carry a fairly substantial handbag –I think it would hold him.
Another thing – MUST he and Monique pose so near the wild animals? I’m going to get them some sensible field glasses so they can experience the Seven Wonders of the World without becoming lunch.
Now for Elya – the next time she goes to South Korea I will send her with a “Get the Hell Outa There Kit.” As you know, I Googled the entire thing and I now possess a current map of all the safe zones and the best routes to the U.S. embassy, along with a list of the 10 essential items to pack during an attack from the North.
The problem is that it’s no good to her now that she’s back in the states doing even more dangerous things, like getting stranded in Harlem in the middle of the night and being a language tutor for Russian strangers, which I haven’t yet had a chance to Google. I’m now working on a “Beautiful Young American Girl English Tutor Tackle Box.” It includes a fingerprint kit, quick background checker and “Portable Creep Detector.” The problem is, by the time I’m done she’ll be on to something else. What’s a pusillanimous aunt to do? I can’t keep up! 😦
(Don’t you love the word “pusillanimous.” I don’t even care if I’m not using it correctly, it came up in my thesaurus and I couldn’t pass it up. How could I have gone my whole life to the age of 49 without once writing the word pusillanimous until today? Words – now there’s adventure!)
*Pusillanimous: cowardly, fearful
JoDee Luna Art 
I’m with you on having your son hold onto something! We almost lost my nephew over the edge of the Grand Canyon. He wasn’t holding onto anyone and climbed outside the protective fence. Not one for following instructions…No fear…bad combination.
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Flyinggma, you mean he almost fell off that same ledge?
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Flyinggma, I didn’t see the rest of your comment. The Grand Canyon edges terrified me. That is so scary.
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I love it all – the word, your sense of humor, the pictures! Made me chuckle this morning. 😉
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Dianne, I glad the post got you to giggle. My sister is soooo talented. About the comment plugin, what part of the blog are you referring to?
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PS – are you using a comment plugin?
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My stomach fell looking over the edge with Josiah. Don’t do heights like that unless I’m strapped into an airplane that works efficiently and no terrorists have boarded.
Your sister is great. Looks like she has writing capacity to write creatively in her DNA.
Loved this!!!! 🙂
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Great photos! Great adventures! I’d be pusillanimous, too. Ha! Blessings to you, JoDee…
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I was on my way to the google dictionary to look up the word “Pusillanimous” when I noticed she already gave us the definition! ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! Gene BEAN! OMGosh! So funny! This makes me long to sit and laugh with you guys all day long!!
Tell her if she is ‘Pusillanimous” then so am I!!!! I HAVE to call her and pronounce it the way I do…..she is going to LOVE it! LOLOLOL
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I miss you too Barb! I have the BEST memories of times you had me laughing so hard I was on the floor. The next time you come to CA we need a visit. If you come this summer, you, JoDee and I will paint our toes pink, float in the pool, and giggle like when we were teenagers. I mean it – let’s do it!
I MUST hear how you pronounce the word, I can only imagine! I keep thinking of you answering the phone, “Lamplida Modal!” OMG that was funny!
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My knees got shakey just looking at the pics. Josiah and Monque come home……………
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Haha classic! I love it Aunt Gina! Trust me, it was a lot more safe than it looks 😉
Miss you all!
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Don’t you love it, Josiah.
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What you don’t see is the chain around Josiah feet…not to worry. And those animals are fake, theme park ride. No comment about Elya’s picture though, that looks pretty real, haha! I have to explain lots of our pictures to my mom and dad as well! We miss everyone lots xoxo
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Monique, I so wish that were true but I know that you two are quite the adventure lovers. Nice try 🙂
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Monique, I can see the “wild” in your eyes and I know you love it all. That’s okay though, I’m happy to be able to live vicariously through your adventures. Soon you’ll both be home and back in our arms, but for now – Carpe Diem!!! (spelling?)
(I would love to use some of your photos as inspirations for paintings – with your permission, of course!)
Auntie G
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I loved the idea of the ‘portable creep detector’ – every girl needs one of those 🙂
I’m also pusillanimous (thank you for including the definition at the end of your post, because I’m also lazy and didn’t feel like looking it up!)
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Janna, I’m glad you enjoyed my sister’s post. I’ve never heard of pusillanimous either. I still don’t know how to say the word.
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Reblogged this on Elya Filler's Blog and commented:
Dear Sister,
Today I had a chance to catch up on your blog posts while lying in bed recovering from the flu. The photos of your children in various parts of the world are amazing. Along with everyone else who posted responses, I am awed at their sense of adventure. However, being the more pusillanimous sister and auntie, I have a few issues. While the photo of Josiah standing on Lion’s Head is breathtaking, I never want to see him that close to a ledge again…
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Your the bbest
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