Health Care Reform

Here is a piece of information that you all may find interesting. I have a prescription for Flomax (as do many of us older men) and I'm living in Spain. With my US prescription coverage my copay for a one-month supply comes to $32. I can go around the corner to a local pharmacy here in Spain and get the same drug for 14 euros. That is the TOTAL cost, not just the copay! (That is less than $20 for those who don't want to do the math.)

Health care costs are totally out of hand in the US and if we don't do something about it, the insurance and drug industries will break us all. Now is the time for all American citizens to weigh in on health care reform. Rest assured, the insurance companies and drug industry have been weighing in heavily by their contributions to many of our elected officials.

Anyone who fears “socialized medicine,” which is a catchword promoted by the insurance and drug companies, should take a serious look at most of the other developed nations in the world where health care costs are a fraction of those in the US and they get good care. I see it all around me here in Spain and, while people gripe about any health care system, the costs of health care are higher in the US than anywhere else in the world and we don’t get better care on average.

If you want to do something about it write to your congressman or go to one of the web sites that are working for reform. A good one is:

http://www.democrats.com/single-payer-petition

but you can choose any one to your own liking. I know that “single payer” is off the table, but, at the very least, we must have a public plan option like that proposed by Obama when he was campaigning. He seems to have backed away from strong support in recent weeks and needs a reminder from those of us who voted for him.

Trees

One of my readers has wondered about the strange trees that line the Plaza Mayor here in Sahagún. In the early spring they were only bare trunks and a few branches, but are now in the process of blooming out with leaves and new growth that will create fine shade by mid summer. I took these two photos several weeks apart to show this process. I will probably be showing this scene again soon, since Sahagún is gearing up for its annual fiesta, which is dedicated to San Juan de Sahagún, the patron saint of one of the local churches. This will be the most festive of all the fiestas here. We are told to expect that we won't get much sleep during the festival, since night time concerts on the plaza begin after midnight! We can hardly wait!

Torture

I realize that this is an abrupt about face from the usual content of this blog, but I just viewed a documentary of the US torture policies that is extensively documented and thoroughly researched. I believe that, as painful as it will be for most people to see, that this one film should be required viewing by all Americans. After you view the film, check out their documentation, which is there for anyone to view. After seeing the film and viewing the documents, I believe that you will be convinced that criminal prosecution should be brought against those government officials who were responsible for these actions. I realize that they attempted to cover their actions with immunity from prosecution, but something must be done or we will certainly see these abuses repeated by our government or by others against us. View the documentary HERE.

I warn you. This will not be an easy experience.

Back from a Trip

I'm just back from a wonderful, but tiring, trip to see some amazing places south and east of here. I will post these four photos to give you an idea of what we saw. There will be more later when we have recovered from the journey. 

A Procession

I was sitting in our living room (salon) reading a book when the distant drumming drew me to the window. Coming into the Plaza Mayor was a procession that included a folkloric band with drums and oboe-like double reed instruments, a large banner, a group of dancers dressed as shepherds, and a paso (float) showing The Good Shepherd (Joseph) and child Jesus. All we had to do was open our balcony window and get out our camera. The whole show played out just below and we had the ring-side seat! This new piso (apartment) is the greatest! If you want to see more photos and read the bunny and bear impressions go HERE.

May Day Outing

Today was a lovely May Day in our new home—only we weren’t home most of the time. We were on the road. Our friend Rebekah took us (Elyn and Gary), Kim (a lovely pilgrim who has been staying with Reb and Paddy), and Celia (a visiting Spanish professor doing research on women and the Camino de Santiago) on a seven-hour tour of Romanesque churches in northern Palencia. 

We drove into the dusty little town of Moarves de Ojeda, turned a corner—and there was an amazing church façade. 

Later, we searched for a cave church (never found it) and discovered instead an “hermita rupestre” (rock hermitage) off on a slight rise in the middle of nowhere. Makes you wonder what it took to get away from the madding crowds 1000 years ago…. Next, a stop at another church where we fortuitously saw someone unlock the door—and we eagerly followed behind. The apses were covered with paintings, including one of what looked like a two-headed Christ....

Later, a trip back to the Cistercian monastery of San Andrés de Arroyo, which had been closed on our first try; this time, after we finished our picnic lunch (eaten out of the back of Reb’s Kangoo van), we were able to take a tour. A tour led by the Nun From H... . She informed us we could take pictures—but not too many. If we took too many, she would let us know. First to bite the dust was a Basque motorcyclist who violated the code. Next down was Elyn, who apparently had also taken one too many, though she had taken fewer than the motorcyclist. And third down was Celia, after Elyn asked her to take the picture that Elyn was not allowed to take. And Celia had hardly taken any at all! Just goes to show that power corrupts, wherever you are…. Then, finally, an invigorating (if brief) walk on the 3-circuit stone labyrinth that Reb and Paddy have constructed on the Camino, just a kilometer from their home in Moratinos.

All in all, quite a delightful day spent with friends, exploring the amazing richness of this land we are living in! Elyn’s beginning to mutter that we really DO need to buy or lease a car…. Our easy train connections are great, but they don’t allow us to travel off the beaten path—or in this case, off the rails.