Sunday 14th December 2014…the second grand slam!!!

We had a huge rain storm about 4am in the morning but when I woke up the skies were clear and today was the big tennis event that I spent some time organizing….so this morning no Sunday hike instead I had lovely poached eggs whilst watching a very entertaining soccer game from England.

Then I made sure that everything was in place for the tennis slam but my plans were thwarted when at noon, 2 hours before we were to start,  I received a call from the owners of the tennis courts informing me that the heavy rain during the night put the courts under water and they would not be dry by time we needed to play.

This was such a shock as I had spent a lot of time in preparation for the event 12 players were all set to attend…two of the participants Carolyn and Mary pat are members of a private golf and tennis club just outside of town so I called Carolyn and asked if it might be possible for her and Mary pat to get us into the club and use their wonderful facilities…..5 minutes later Carolyn called back and it was all arranged.

So I went down to the original courts and waited for everyone to arrive and then directed them to the new location  so glad this all worked out thanks girls!!!!

So there we were 12 ardent tennis players 5 women and 7 men and as I was the organizer MY RULES!!!!…..the first rule was only green or red attire could be worn in the sprit of Christmas

Do I look cute or not!!!!!

Mary pat!!!!

Fred being warned what might happen if he throws his racquet!!!!

Diane and Rob!!

The boys waiting to get on the courts!!

I had bottles to take drug tests….swear jar, thank you Martha for contributing and everyone abided by the green red rule….so we drew for partners and I was stuck with Carolyn(kidding) and then we played to 4 games and we all played each other…it was so much fun almost three hours and I forgot to mention I used my new racquet it was awesome photos tomorrow…the facilities are top notch and everyone had so much fun and Martha and Bruce were the eventual winners!!!!!!

We then all drove to the restaurant La Frontera where I had booked and the two owners put on a fantastic spread…the room looked so nice and the food which consisted of salad and rolls and a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings and to end the night pumpkin pie….it was wonderful thanks so much Noren and Jerry!!!!

Sorry I did not take many photos

The winners Martha in the blue and Bruce with the goatee!!!!

All the poinsettias that you see I had bought and brought them to the restaurant earlier and Noren had them around they looked so lovely and after dinner I presented the owners and all the ladies with a poinsettia to take home.

This was a lot of work but I so enjoy doing things like this and we had such a wonderful time I have some very special friends I am so lucky.

To cap the night off I asked each of the players to bring with them a wrapped Christmas gift for either a boy or girl…and they all did and these gifts I shall put with the other hundreds of gifts that we distribute to the less fortunate kids in the campo  on Three Kings day but more on that in a few weeks… thank you every one for being so cooperative… it was we all said the perfect way to start the Christmas season and we all felt so blessed!!!

Had an incredible and wonderful long soak in the tub with Epsom salts…………..and now tea and a cookie…..it was a great day!!!

 

Man issues in the States at this time!!!

Michael Brown: The workings of the grand jury explained

The grand jury has decided not to indict Darren Wilson, the white police office who shot and killed the black teenager, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Missouri on 9 August.

The shooting led to days of clashes between protesters and police in Ferguson, and there was further unrest following the decision.

What is a grand jury?

In many countries, the decision to indict someone for a crime comes down to the opinion of a single judge who reviews the evidence and decides whether or not it is sufficient.

But in the United States, a grand jury of ordinary citizens who represent the community is often used to decide whether there is enough evidence to pursue a prosecution.

While all states have provisions to allow for grand juries, only around half use them, with other states preferring to rely on a preliminary hearing to determine whether or not to indict a defendant.

Grand jury members may be called for duty for months at a time, but need only appear in court for a few days out of every month.

Usually the only lawyer present in grand jury hearings is the prosecutor, who will present evidence. The jury has the power to request to see and hear any evidence it wants.

Grand jury proceedings are conducted behind closed doors to encourage witnesses to speak freely and to protect the defendant's reputation in case the jury does not indict.

Even though a grand jury may decide not to indict, a prosecutor could still bring the defendant to trial if they think they have a strong enough case.

 

Who is the grand jury in this case?

There are 12 randomly picked citizens in this Missouri grand jury - six white men, three white women, one black man and two black women.

The grand jury was based in the justice centre in Clayton, Missouri.

This jury had been hearing evidence in this case since 20 August.

It was given until 7 January to complete proceedings.

Normally a grand jury would meet just once a week, but in this case the jury had been meeting more frequently.

This was because instead of considering an overview of the case as presented by the prosecutor, jurors were asked to act as co-investigators and consider all evidence available.

Analysts say this approach is allowed under law and it is often used in high-profile indictments.

 

What charges did the grand jury consider?

The grand jury was deciding whether Officer Wilson should be charged with any one of four possible crimes: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter.

It also had the option of charging the policeman with armed criminal action, if it could prove he was carrying a loaded firearm with the intent to commit a felony.

Nine out of the 12 members of this jury would have had to vote yes to indict Officer Wilson.

Analysts said if Officer Wilson could establish he had a "reasonable" fear for his own safety or the safety of others when he shot Brown, then he would be able to argue successfully that he was acting in self-defence under Missouri law.

 

Why is this grand jury controversial?

Brown's family and his supporters complained about the secrecy surrounding the grand jury's proceedings.

However, grand juries typically meet behind closed doors to assess evidence.

The prosecutor, Robert McCulloch, was criticised for being biased because his own father, a policeman, was shot and killed by a black man in 1964.

Many protestors were concerned that Mr McCulloch was not impartial and called for the appointment of a new special prosecutor to replace him.

Yashi Kochi!!!!