Parnamirm

Our home away from home

Our house is located in the Barrio de Jardim Planalto on the eastern side of Parnamirim about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte.  We are in a more or less middle class neighborhood.

A intercity bus stop is about fifty yards from the house, we have a convenience store on the other side of the block, and a bakery with daily baked bread is six blocks away, not to mention a building supply store adjoining our lot. The store is facing the principal thoroughfare in Jardim Planalto.

Included below are some general statistics about Parnamirm 

Our House in Parnamirm
Information about Parnamirm, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil

 

Founded  December 17, 1958 Area Total 120,202 km² Latitude e Longitude:  -5.915833°, -35.262778° . Distance from Natal- 12 km² Altitude: 53 m Área Total  120,0 km² Annual Average Temperature                      70 F Population:  202,413 - (IBGE 2010) Urban Population: 100% Male Population: 48% Female Population: 52% Demographic Density: 1686,7 hab/km² Life Expectancy:: 68,27           School Attendance 85,13% Literacy Rate of Adults: 85,90% Gross Internal Product:  R$ 914,803 thousand (USD 568,201 thousand) Per Capita Income:  R$ 5,607.00 Fonte: IBGE/2005 (USD 3,482.61) Colado de <http://www.parnamirim.rn.gov.br/estatisticasemapas>

Invictus

This is a poem by William Ernest Henley that I had to learn in my high school English class.  The last two lines had a profound influence on my thinking and how I have viewed my life since then.

 Invictus

OUT of the night that covers me, 

  Black as the Pit from pole to pole, 

I thank whatever gods may be 

  For my unconquerable soul.

      In the fell clutch of circumstance         

  I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance 

  My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears 

  Looms but the Horror of the shade,  

And yet the menace of the years 

  Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, 

  How charged with punishments the scroll, 

I am the master of my fate:  

  I am the captain of my soul.

Family News

Our son, William, on his 40th birthday

Family News

Our newest grandaughter, Willianni.

One of the Oldest Cities in Brazil

Sao Luis -- the most Portuguese style city in Brazil

The view of the new part and old part of the city of Sao Luis, northern Brazil, May 6, 2011.

Add starLikeShareShare with noteEmailKeep unreadSend to

Add tags

I must be getting old.  I can remember when "assimilation" was not a bad word.

Broadly speaking, the short words are the best, and the old words best of all.

                        Sir Winston Churchill

Brazil: The Shame of Being the World's 7th Largest Economy

Brazil is truly a great country of contrasts.  The author of this article covers most of the inequalities that I have observed here.


Brazil: The Shame of Being the World's 7th Largest Economy

After much reflection and soul searching, I have decided that, for my inter tranquility and peace of mind, as of today, I am withdrawing into my own little shell of a world and only be concerned with day-to-day activities that directly affect the wellbeing and happiness of my immediate family and myself.

By doing this, I will not longer be a member of Facebook, Twitter,  or of any internet group or newsfeeds.

My Yahoo!

My Yahoo!

Kept Man

I have come to realize that, in retirement, I am a "kept" man.

My loving wife, Adinete, bless her heart, keeps me well fed, makes sure I stay healthy, and keeps me on a regular exercise program.

In addition to those important maintenance items, she makes sure that I do not spend lavishly by keeping me on a frugal allowance so she can save for necessities.

She always accompanies me when I go downtown to protect me from being kidnapped by some conniving woman.

In short, she keeps me on a short leash to make sure I do not let myself get into any trouble now that I have so much "free" time on my hands.

Yes, I am a "kept" man and I enjoy every minute of it!

 Thoughts for the Day

One of the drawbacks of retirement is that you never have a day off and it is hard work not doing anything when you are on vacation!!!

3/5/2011, 2:08 PM

Today, I believe my "get up and go" got up and went when I was not looking.

3/4/2011, 5:42 PM

We arrived on time in Natal Friday afternoon and by the time we gathered our luggage, William, Joanna, and Willianni were there to meet us.  We had to make two trips from the airport because the car is not big enough to carry all our luggage and us too.  I waited at the airport with two of the big suitcases while William took the rest to the house.

This past week we have not done much of anything except lay around getting used to the time and climate change.  Unfortunately my 72-hour cold turned into a 7-day cold moving from my head to my chest.  It is almost gone today.

Carnaval starts today.  Maybe we will go see some of the activities in Natal tomorrow.

William in front of our house in Parnamirim

2/20/2011, 8:01 PM

Thought: Retirement is like a dog's life.  One can eat, sleep, and lay around all day.  But when the Mistress of the house says, "Mush", one must mush.

January and February have been busy months.

I made two trips to the Brazilian Consulate General in Houston for a new visa.  My old one expired last October.   The new one is valid for ten years.

As I was driving to Houston on the second trip, I realized that when one is traveling on U.S. 59 between Laredo and Houston one could sleep between Edna and Louise if one decided to spend a night in Ganado.

The remainder of the time, I spent cutting and hauling grass, trimming and cutting down trees, mending fences, doing carpentry repair work and painting on the day care building, and spreading about six cubic yards of dirt on the back of our lot in Alamo.

Friday I came down a proverbial 72-hour cold and am just now beginning to recover from the misery.

Tomorrow and Tuesday we will be taking care of the final details in preparation of our trip to Brazil.  We will be leaving from San Antonio Thursday morning.

Then on Friday afternoon we will be in the tropic bliss of northeast Brazil, the land of beautiful beaches, good food, friendly people, and inexpensive living.

Now I know why my Grandfather Rankin would go outside when all us grandkids were visiting.  He wanted to get away from all the noise we made playing in the house.


My grandkids are doing the same with the computer that is in our bedroom.

The morning activities of an old man:  Say morning prayer, read emails, read online news, drink a cup of coffee, eat a bowl of mush (oatmeal), and play Solitaire on the laptop.


It is going to be another good day.

For the New Year, I decided to take up an outdoor activity. I started by trying to play catch.
I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

Next I tried throwing a boomerang. I couldn't quite remember how it worked, but then it came back to me.

Next up was hurdle jumping. I've always had a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

Finally, I tried rowing. Unfortunately, I'm an indecisive person; I couldn't choose either oar.

Have a fun day!

It is a cold, dreary day today in the Valley so I have an excuse for not going outside.


Last week, I continued to work on my "North 40" (40 feet X 60 feet) at our property in Pharr -- cutting down a tree, cutting grass, hauling off junk, and cleaning up around the day care building.


So, today I am suffering from laziness and enjoying every minute of it!

Looks like the hiring has started.

RGV sees development pick up in the new year | year, mcallen, new - Business - TheMonitor.com

Do we have reason to be optimistic?  I hope so.

RGV sees development pick up in the new year | year, mcallen, new - Business - TheMonitor.com