Of Milk and Honey
By Mona Lease 

Hi, all!! I've been trying to figure a way to make these words come out rightly - to make them convey what I want to say without it being slanted one way or the other. 

I've always wondered why anyone would want to come to the US to live and work. I mean - we have no language of our own. Piqua (Ohio) is a shortened form of a Shawnee Indian word. While sitting around a council fire, an apparition rose from the flames...and our Piqua, Ohio was born. Our use of the word pharmacy is from an old Greek word - pharmacopia. The Greeks believed that anything you had to "cook up" - you know - a little of this, that and the other - boil 5 minutes - was witchcraft. They used herbs that were bruised and put in olive oil - that gave the best coverage. These are a couple of examples - you get the idea. 

I've always been pretty inquisitive - I just have to find out for myself. You faithful readers (thanks, again!) will remember me telling of my burning my hand on a hot stove burner that had been turned off - I was warned. From a 4 year old point of view - it was not red. How could it be hot? Early life lesson - "It might not look like it can hurt you - but it just might - if you get close enough. 

I was readying a column a while back and looking up a couple of facts. Google cross-indexes for me. A site appeared for the US Coast Guard Auxiliary. So - I contacted the Recruiter listed. I went to the required first meeting. I filled out the application - complete with two sets of ink fingerprints and birth certificate. 

I draw your attention to Dec. 3, 2012 - off the coast of southern California. A panga - Mexican style fishing boat often used for smuggling - rammed one of our USCG chase boats. Our boat had on it's blue lights and was in pursuit. A Coast Guard aircraft spotted the panga before dawn. The cutter Halibut was sent to intercept it. 

The panga fled and was stopped by another Coast Guard vessel which detained two suspects. Even though air crew spotted the panga, they would have radioed ashore. Chief Petty Officer Terrell Horne III was pronounced dead after being brought ashore. His shipmate sustained non-life threatening injuries. 

My application has been accepted by Louisville, Ky FBI. It now goes "national" - Pentagon? - I do not know for sure. I studied for 13 weeks to pass the first test. I'll start studying via webcam and in person when everyone gets my temporary number. I intend on being involved in radio communications. Thanks to all who said I could use their name as a reference. 

I now see why others come to the USA - there is no one saying how high you can go in this life - or how much money you can make. The opportunities are there for the taking - if you want to work (study?) The USA is still full of opportunities for whosoever will- to come and reap of their work. It is still the land  of milk and honey!

Remember the kiddies and our service people. Be good to the furry and feathered ones out there. Be safe and healthy See ya next time. Ever Toodles!! MONA