BuFoon John
…
While goofing around with the post on BuFoon Mike’s Mother Theresa Show, I asked BuFoon John to give me an update on his work with War Veterans, (of which he is one.)
…
…
I’ve known John Joseph for several years, having first met him while doing deputy prosecutor duty in the office of BuFoon Mike, who was doing elected County Prosecutor duty at the time. John was then a fulltime Nurse Practitioner, doing medical work in the jail and, eventually, the prison system in our state. (The man just isn’t happy unless he’s trying to help people nobody else wants to help. What a BuFoon.)
After awhile, he had to retire so he could work pro bono (your paycheck is always lost in the mail) in the Free Clinic near his home, raise his adopted grade-school-age kiddies, (raising his first family was just a warmup), do Native American Sweat Lodge ceremonies for his friends and guests, and generally cram two or three lives into one, like he’s always done. (Yes, I’ve gotten butt naked with BuFoons Mike and John and complete strangers, so we could sit cross-legged around a bunch of hot rocks in a pitch dark hut while John implores The Ancestors to forgive our paleface sins and let us experience some Native healing, just like we were one of the Tribe. What a guy.)
I asked Itchwoot (John’s Native name) to give me a little background on his work with Veterans, so we could share it with Net Surfers who stumble into our impious little misadventure.
Here’s what I was able to drag out of him:
BuFoon Steve
…
“When I started doing Sweat Lodge was when I had returned from Sun Dance the first time and was inspired to start doing Sweats for Vietnam Vets with PTSD. I still do them for the Vets, but now there are Vets from Iraq and Afghanistan coming. A PTSD Counselor friend of mine will refer Vets to our lodge and they keep coming back time and time again. It seems to help.
“Most of what I do with the Vets comes to me by way of the Free Clinic. The
Disabled American Veterans (DAV) group here in town and the local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter send the Vets to the Free Clinic to make an appointment with me. I take it from there. Most of the Vets don’t understand their benefits and have let them lapse. For instance, every Vet returning from overseas has two years of medical insurance through the VA Clinics and Hospitals. It is supposed to be for war related problems, but the Clinics will see them for any reason. They are also given their medical records and discharge papers, and I am sure all of this is explained to them just before they are discharged or released from active duty and return to their National Guard Unit or civilian life.
“But, most of the Vets are so disenchanted, they throw away their discharge papers and records, and it takes an Act of Congress to get copies. Most of the time the reply we get from archives is ”no such person was in the military.” Most of the time it because the records haven’t made it to archives yet and the archive system is so far behind in copying records that it might be a couple of years before records are ever copied and filed. Most of the Vet still have their Military ID and we can go from there.
“Anyway, all the information given to the vets on discharge doesn’t sink in. They seem not to hear any of it and when they start having problems, either medical or psychological from the war, it takes an advocate to get them help. It can be a waiting game. For those that need help right away (i.e. suicidal or severely ill) we can get help faster than if they try on their own. I am a pushy kind of guy when need be.
“Our returning Vets are so vulnerable and have NO trust in the system at all, with good reason. They try to get along without asking for help, but in time their problems compound each other and soon we have a Vet in real trouble. Once they ask for help they are confused as to how to go about accessing the system. In comes Itchwoot and many others from DAV and VFW. It’s a crazy system and treatment is not always good, but it’s better than nothing.
“I’m starting to get on my soap box and feel my blood pressure starting to rise. I had better leave this alone here.”
Love ya,
Itchwoot
…
* * * * *
…
UPDATES
Fresh Do-Goodery at The October, 2008 Stand Down!
BuFoon John and Family deliver the Mac-and-Cheese.
Read about BuFoon John’s celestial origins HERE!
…
* * * * *
…
BuFoon Steve’s Note: I received this Email from BuFoon John:
…
…
Good Morning Opoots and Keekwullie
[The Native names given to BuFoon Lin and me by BuFoon John / Itchwoot.]
At the writing group there is a black lady named Louise. She was telling us about the time she went home after being out of the country for a couple of years and asked her mother to make her all time favorite, an apple pie.
She and her mother went to the store to get the apples and the other things needed for the apple pie. To her surprise her mother bought frozen pie dough and canned apple pie filling. Needless to say, she was very disappointed in the pie but didn’t say anything, and put on the act that she loved the pie.
I made her one of my infamous upside-down pecan apple pies. it was the winner of the New York Fireman’s pie contest. (I didn’t get a picture and sure wish I had. It turned out beautiful.)
Here’s the recipe: I think this would be considered a BuVu Do-Goodery.
[Amen, BuFoon John / Itchwoot. Or, it may fall into a new category: Taste-Goodery. Come to think of it, all our Do-Goodery should be Taste-Goodery, in some way.]
Line a glass pie plate with a thin layer of brown sugar, then put a layer of pecan halves over the brown sugar. Be artistic, place them with precision so as to form circles, covering the entire area covered in brown sugar.
Make some Carmel.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk ( Eagle Brand)
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cook on medium heat to soft ball stage using a candy thermometer about 245 degrees F.
I double this and then what is left over mix in a cup of chopped pecan nuts and poor into a well buttered glass pan. When cool, cut into small pieces and wrap in wax paper to hand out as Carmel chews to the kids, as rewards for whatever.
Next make your pie dough using:
3 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup good old fashioned lard
1.2 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 teaspoon salt
Blend salt and flour, then blend in the Crisco and lard using a fork or dough blender. Even the CuisineArt works well for this stage.
After the flour is corn meal stage, from blending in lard and Crisco, add 1/2 cup ice water and mix in with a fork. Don’t over mix: just enough to get all the flour mixture wet.
Makes enough Dough for two large pies.
Roll out bottom crust and place over the top of the Pecans and brown sugar.
Add apples lightly dusted with flour, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Arrange the apple slices so as to have a nice full pie. I use half Granny Smiths and half Braeburn apples, about three each.
Poor one cup of carmel over the apples and cover with dough lid for pie. Be sure to slice small vents in the dough lid.
Put the pie on a pizza pan to bake at 350 degrees F. for about 60 to 70 minutes. Guaranteed to spill over. The spill over is easy to clean once the candied brown sugar is cold. Chips right off and then hot water finishes the clean up.
This is very important: Once the pie is done, remove it from the oven and let it stand for only 3 Minutes. Only three minutes. TIME IT.
If the brown sugar is allowed to sit too long you will not be able to get the pie out of the pie plate.
Place a large plate over the top of the pie, using care turn the pie upside down onto the plate IN A QUICK FLIPPING MOTION.
What you will see is a BEAUTIFUL SUN BURST OF GOLDEN PECAN CANDIED IN BROWN SUGAR, ATOP A FABULOUS APPLE PIE.
Let the pie cool. With a sharp knife, cut pie and serve with a little ice cream.
There you have it: the pie I made for Louise. Needless to to say, all of the group were delighted with the pie and there was only one small piece left over.
Louise guarded it like a junk yard dog, so she could take it home.
I wrote the attached poem to go along with the pie, as my writing for this week.
Love ya
Itchwoot.
Change
John Joseph 5/6/2009
For Louise
Standing only knee high
To all the Giants of the world
We see all kinds of knees,
Fat ones, Skinny ones, Round ones
Bony ones and Sagging ones
The Sagging ones are usually nylons
Not pulled up high enough.
There are old knees, covered by coarse and thick fabric
Pulled up above the knee and twisted
Into a knot and tucked back in
On itself to hold ‘em up.
Grandma stocking I think.
Hug Mom’s leg
Just tall enough to press your nose
Into her apron at thigh high.
Smell the cinnamon and nutmeg wiped from
Her fingers as she makes an apple pie.
My favorite of all the pies she could make
Home made pie dough
Peeled and cut up apples
Covered with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
Laid in the pie pan with precision and accuracy
As if a work of art
Done with huge amounts of love.
Teen age years
I think I’m a Vegetarian
That is until my best friend tells me
Elephants are Vegetarian look how big they are.
I miss the smell of Mom’s apron
The smell of pot roast in the oven
The smell of fried chicken for Sunday dinner
And the smell of
Mom’s apple pie.
I left home to find my way
On my return I only wanted
Mom’s apple pie.
Off to the store
What’s this?
Frozen pie crust
Canned apple pie filling
No smell of cinnamon or nutmeg.
When Mom wasn’t looking sneak
back into the kitchen
Find her apron
No good smells of apple pie
Just the smell of the fabric softener
From the dryer.
What has gone wrong?
Not what I remember as a child
But then nothing is the same as it was when I was a child.
Enjoy the new twist to apple pie.
Brown sugar
Pecans, and yes
Home made pie crust
And cinnamon and nutmeg.
This is not your MaMa’s apple pie.
* * * * *
BuFoon John / Itchwoot, this reminds me of my favorite Tom Robbins quote:
“There are only two mantras. Yum and yuk. Mine is yum.”
BuFoon Steve
