SLAPSTICK

Ordinary Life

2010-04-27T12:05:00.009-05:00

I just read this paragraph written by a 17 year Stage 4 breast cancer survivor:

"One thing I don’t ever think to say: When I was told I had a year or two, I didn’t want anything one might expect: no blow-out trip to the Galápagos, no perfect meal at Alain Ducasse, no defiant red Maserati. All I wanted was ordinary life back, for ordinary life, it became utterly clear, is more valuable than anything else."

Ordinary Life, Ordinary Courage, ordinary days - are extraordinary now that we have cancer in the family.
Our days are filled with appointments, blood tests, visits to the dermatologist, runs to the pharmacy, catheter flushing, episodes of sheer unadulterated fatigue, parking garages, dinner/schedule negotiations, thermometer checks, phone calls, bandage changes, jokes about the sea of lasagna that exists in our freezer.
I guess this is our new ordinary - at least for now. There are days I long for our comfortable steady routine and our sights are focused on the Fall for that - all the while, trying to find the gifts in this time - because you and I know there are plenty. They are becoming apparent - the overwhelming response to a group email I sent from "Lotsa Helping Hands" for meals twice a week. Who knew we had so many generous wonderful friends? The surprising strength and wisdom from our children - "you know mom, I miss the old dad - but he's gonna be OK and we are gonna be OK". The new-found admiration I have for my husband. He is Strong. Unbelievably so.
So, these days, I am grateful for a somewhat ordinary day like yesterday. Both of us talking about work, sex reinstated, jokes made, scouts and ballet and homework getting done.
Chemo is over - Radiation starts today - daily for 7 weeks. I am sure a new normal will be established.
I welcome it.

My Alma Mater went Co-ed (read: down the tubes)

2010-04-19T14:20:00.010-05:00

My Alma Mater was founded as a Woman's College in 1891 and was made co-ed in 2007 (the reasons cited were dubious at best and they no longer have the support of 65% of the alumni). Just now, reading one of the Randolph-Macon Woman's College yahoo boards, I ran across this post from one of my sister alums Margaret McKean who teaches at Duke. She writes re. the benefits of single-sex education for women (for at least a portion of their schooling):

"Research done by Rose McDermott of Brown University (these are game theoretic experiments in learning and conflict resolution that she does with chemists and geneticists) shows that men suffer from an intractable problem she calls "unjustifiable overconfidence," which means they refuse to scale back their beliefs about their abilities even in the face of damning evidence that they are not actually as competent (say on tests of technical ability or knowledge) as they expected to be. Instead of the men who perform at the 20th or 50th or 80th percentile accepting that performance, each and every one of them ignores those test results and persists in believing that they are each at the 90th or 95th percentile.

Women turn out to take in reality much better (a woman who thinks she will perform at the 90th percentile who learns that she actually performed at the 50th percentile will take in that information and understand afterrward that her performance is in the middle of the range, not at the top).Putting these men and women together means that the men bluster on with overconfident aggression, the realistic women take in these claims but may imagine them to be realistic (after all, they will not in real life have tested the men for their competence the way the researchers in these experiments did!), and you have a chemically driven machine in which the men dominate whether they are able to function well or not. The only protection women have against being railroaded by unjustifiably overconfident men is an interlude when the women learn to perform tasks that the men would otherwise dominate. That will give them the knowledge base needed for spotting evidence that the men who claim to be competent are not, and perhaps also the confidence to challenge men who are in fact less able than the women are.

This is almost certainly hard wired, although traditional cultures are very likely to reinforce it. It means that some interval of single sex education is very desirable for women. There is no evidence, however, that men are helped to become more realistic and more justifiably humble through a period of single sex education for men."

Shit, any woman with a husband knows this! :-)

The unfortunate thing is, young women don't know it and the results are obvious at the newly dubbed Randolph College, where in just three years, Student Government has a majority of male members.

Explains a lot doesn't it?

Where is the Freakin Love??

2010-03-27T23:23:00.002-05:00

Oy - what a nasty week! After several confrontations with "I love Jesus" Christians on Facebook over the new healthcare legislation, I have to ask - Where is the Love?

Mother

2010-02-19T22:37:00.003-06:00

Random thoughts sent to her minister - prep for memorial service next Thursday...

She was extraordinary in so many ordinary ways. Wonderful sense of humor, always ready to lend a hand and volunteer, loved us all so much. She surrounded herself with our pictures and she called me practically everyday. Best grandmother ever! She had so many dear friends who love her and had the gift of making you feel important when you were with her.

As you know, men loved her! She always had an escort or man in her life. Barney was certainly her truest love. I think the work she did with you made her believe she deserved loving devotion. And so he showed up! (18 years ago!)

She raised five children! Oy! She put up with my father and his nutty family!

Highly intelligent - did the NYT Sunday crossword in ink. Voracious reader. Loved PD James and cozy British mysteries. Jane Austen fan. Her fave movies were Shirley Valentine and anything with Audrey or Katherine Hepburn. She taught me to love classic films like "Now Voyager" and told funny stories about how all the men would light two cigarettes at a time and pass one over to their date after that movie came out.

Some of her best times were spent being zany and/or dramatic while dancing several seasons with the G'Anne Boyd Dancers. She was one of the tallest dancers and often played male roles with aplomb.
She absolutely loved dance and we've had season tickets to Houston Ballet for 35+ years! She was thrilled to watch her granddaughter Claire dance in the Nutcracker this year. She always made time to attend various performances by Ziggy and Claire - no matter how mundane.

Mom loved to travel and brought her sense of humor and open mindedness with her. I have several hilarious pictures of her in Europe - one posing by the Trevi Fountain with an unknown but picturesque gigolo. :)
That same trip she and her friend Kay wrapped themselves in toilet paper and won the cruise ship's costume contest dressed as mummies.
She had a blast at a couple of travel/ study programs at Cambridge in England. She loved San Miguel D'Allende and moved there in her fifties to party and learn Spanish!

She was quick to laugh and could see the humor in any situation, but she was also our main worrier. We all knew we could count on Mom to do our worrying for us. There was some comfort in that!

She also had incredible recall and could remember details and dates from decades ago. She was very proud of her parents and family. They were country folk from Missouri and moved to Houston in 1926 when she was 3. Her father Ernest opened the first Philco distributorship here and they were early adopters of air conditioning and color film.
She loved Houston and had tons of interesting stories to tell about growing up in the Heights and River Oaks area. She was a charter member of St. Luke's and remembers how they held services at Lamar HS before the church was built. She worked at the Houston Chamber of Commerce after graduating from TWU (then Texas State College for Women) in Denton. She met my dad (he worked at his father's Ford dealership downtown) at this time and after a brisk but dramatic courtship they married and my dad went to work for her father.

She loved her babies and breastfed even though it was "out of style". ( you don't have to mention that!)

She was a hard core volunteer - church choir, PTO, scouts - girl and boy, carpools galore! Later she was very active with The Bluebird Circle, Discovery Dance Group and her garden club - The Late Bloomers. She was a member of The Houston Country Club and even volunteered there to teach exercise classes in the ballroom several years in a row! You would have laughed to see them all prancing around to "Tequila".

She was an excellent cook and loved to throw a party. Her social schedule at 86 was way busier than mine! She was an organizer and joiner and had fun with various dance and supper clubs over the years.

She was lovely and joyous and interesting and interested. I am so grateful for her and am happy that she had such a full life. I am so glad she left as quickly as she did. Her suffering was minimal. She would have hated being an invalid.

That's all for now. I will send more memories as they come up. Right now Baby and I are waiting to see his surgeon at MDA. It's gonna be a long haul here it seems. Big bummer.

xo
Bonnie

My Wonderful Mother

2010-02-16T23:26:00.003-06:00

September 28, 1923 - February 7, 2010

You are Missed and you are Loved. xoxoxox

Christmas Queso from Felix Restaurant - an old Houston tradition!

2009-11-29T13:02:00.005-06:00

We all have our holiday traditions and one of ours from my earliest years was eating really greasy Chile con Queso at the Suman's annual Christmas Party. The Suman's dining table had the same menu every year - smoked turkey, venison, durkee's, cranberry sauce, mayo, Ritz crackers with a dish of peanut butter and dish of jalepeno jelly on the side, explosive eggnog, lots of desserts and Felix Restaurant Chile con Queso in a chafing dish accompanied by a big bowl of tortilla chips. Strange I know, but it worked and the tableau screams Christmas to me just as much as snowy landscapes and jingle bells.

My mother and I were just discussing our Christmas Eve menu this afternoon and the subject of Felix's queso came up. Felix was a Houston culinary landmark. Basic Tex-Mex and good margaritas. Many an old-guard family celebration was held here - but the tradition died a few years back when Felix closed its doors. We mourned the closing - a old time favorite gone forever - along with the likes of Leo's Mexican Restaurant, Captain John's Seafood on West Gray and the venerable San Jacinto Inn.

Behold the power of the Internets!! While on the phone with Mom, I googled "felix chile con queso" and not only found the dang recipe, but also a story from the Houston Press about how another Houston institution - El Patio - now serves the original Felix queso! So - in case you need something new (or in my case, old) on your holiday table, here is the recipe!

Ho HO HO!

------------------------------------------------------

Felix's Chili Con Queso

Recipe By : Houston Chronicle, May 1997
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers Dips
Mexican/Tex-Mex

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ----------- --------------------------------
1/2 cup vegetable oil (see note)
1 onion -- chopped
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup canned tomatoes
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1.5 t sugar
2 T paprika
garlic powder to taste
1/4 cup each: flour and water
1/2 pound american cheese -- grated (2 cups)

Combine oil, onion, salt, pepper, tomatoes, cayenne, sugar, paprika and garlic powder in heavy pot and simmer 25 to 30 minutes over medium heat. Mix flour and water in small bowl; add to onion mixture gradually, stirring until smooth and thick. Add cheese, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Cook until well-blended and smooth. Serve warm with tortilla chips. Note: Some readers omit the oil because they think the cheese has enough fat. If so, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons hot oil to soften. This longtime Houston favorite from Felix Mexican Restaurant has been reprinted many times in the Chronicle. A similar recipe attributed to Felix's appears in the Houston Junior Forum cookbook, Buffet on the Bayou ($17.95), but the sugar is omitted and paprika increased to 3 tablespoons. Houston Chronicle, May, 1997.

LP's note: This is most everyone's favorite chili con queso. My friend Cyn says it's the flour. Most recipes don't call for it. Her's is a bit different from this - more like the Buffet on the Bayou version. She claims to have gotten it from Felix's in Beaumont. According to her, it freezes well.

Knock Knock -

2009-10-24T11:09:00.001-05:00

Best of Houston - Goode Co. Seafood - Campechana

2009-09-29T10:10:00.002-05:00

I've always wanted this recipe! Showed up in the Chron this morning. Guess what's in their secret sauce?

My new obsession -Flash Mob Dancing

2009-09-28T00:14:00.009-05:00

Totally puts me in touch with my joy. I want to do one of these in Houston! I'm thinking Rodeo or Art Car Parade... The Sociologist in me just loves this and I feel the need to post as many of these examples of "collective group behavior" as I can. My favorite part is watching the reactions of the unsuspecting onlookers. (Oprah in this case). Stay tuned!

My Dream Home

2009-09-23T17:06:00.001-05:00

Hopetown Beach...

We Are # 37!! Yeah USA!

2009-09-18T13:19:00.002-05:00

Whaaa...?

2009-09-16T08:05:00.006-05:00

Here's an articulate bunch of True Americans... I am sold! I especially like guy with the huge cross saying he just happened to be in DC cause he wanted to see the Capital. I guess he drags that cross around with him all the time. Cool.

Watch out for them evil Czars!

There's been a lot of discussion over this one on Facebook this morning. One of my friends posted this with a reference to Dumb and Dumber - she got a reply back from someone screeching FREEDOM!!!! - we have the FREEDOM to think what we want to think and say what we want to say - and my friend is UN-AMERICAN for calling these people dumb.

Well..

So now you are a g.d. commie-pinko to call an American idiot an idiot? I agree that it is way beyond awesome that we have the right to think and feel and express our views freely. But freedom isn't exactly free - with Freedom Comes Responsibility - I heard that somewhere... :)

With our freedom we have the responsibility to educate ourselves, to maintain intellectual curiosity and double check our facts. Don't be screaming Fascist! and Socialist! when you don't know the frickin meaning of the term! To protect freedom, we have the responsibility not to sit on our asses getting spoon fed information (that could be biased - or even, yes, a lie!) and then go spewing it in all directions without checking to see if the info is correct. It's irresponsible, lazy and yes, DUMB. It's scares me and angers me - because a willfully uneducated MOB is a dangerous mob.

I like this from Wikipedia - (I'm too lazy to go find my political science textbook in the attic) : )

Socialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with an egalitarian method of compensation. In Marxist theory, socialism is a transitional phase between capitalism and communism characterized by unequal distribution of goods and compensation according to work done. Contrary to popular belief, socialism is not a political system; it is an economic system distinct from capitalism, an ideology expounding the setting up of an alternative system, using intervention.

Fascism comprises a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology and a corporatist economic ideology developed in Italy. Fascists believe that nations and/or races are in perpetual conflict whereby only the strong can survive by being healthy, vital, and by asserting themselves in conflict against the weak.
Fascists advocate the creation of a single-party state. Fascist governments forbid and suppress criticism and opposition to the government and the fascist movement. Fascism opposes class conflict, blames capitalist liberal democracies for its creation and communists for exploiting the concept

This concludes today's lesson. Tomorrow we will cover Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism and several other ism's that will also confuse and scare the shit out of you.

xoxo

More on the Race Card -

2009-09-15T08:27:00.001-05:00

Andrew Sullivan may have it right..

OPINION

The Opinionator: Is It Because He’s Black?

By By Eric Etheridge

Published: September 14, 2009

Some see racism behind the actions of Barack Obama's opponents.

StopPressuringMe

2009-09-14T11:43:00.003-05:00

Jackson awesomeness - watch in full scream...

Scream Video

Mental Illness

2009-09-13T21:36:00.008-05:00

Was just reading Maureen Dowd's latest column Boy Oh Boy, where she discusses her reluctant realization that all the fuss over Obama this summer really does boil down to this - racism.

I've been feeling this way for a while. There is no other way to explain the ferocity and hatred his opponents display. It's not just the rednecks and illiterates that are guilty! I am hearing it from old friends of mine - people who are otherwise rational, intelligent and caring beings. The extent of concern goes way beyond what you would expect from a mere republican reaction to having to pony up more in taxes or fear of government getting bigger. They didn't freak out when government grew by leaps and bounds under Bush!

The first comment after MoDo's article really hit the mark for me and sums up what I've known all along:

"The saddest thing is, people aren't just angry with the fact that we have an African-American president. They are angry with the feelings within themselves which are activated by seeing such a symbol. Racism becomes not just an attitude at this point as it does a mental illness."

Mental illness is correct. You simply cannot rationalize this extent and expression of hatred and fear. I am certain that if the opponents of Obama's agenda were to sit down and read one of his speeches - the address to students, last week's healthcare reform speech, the Yes We Can speech - without knowing the author, especially the color of the author, they would recognize a true American Voice.

Another commenter mentioned how it is time for those of us who support our President to stand up for him and do it as loudly and as proudly as possible. My fear is that the lunatic fringe will succeed in marginalizing this intelligent, thoughtful and devoted American. After all, his poll numbers are down - not everyone who voted for him is supporting him. Strange and scary. What did they expect "Change" would mean? (that everything would stay the same???)

Let's work together to get this change enacted and to counteract the hatred and fear. Ya wit me??

From Mr. Cranky to you (through me - Ms. Cranky)

2009-08-26T20:27:00.003-05:00

Facebook is fun. It's also annoying as hell - especially when one of your friends (in this case a relative) spews never ending and really ignorant bile aimed at the current administration. I would love to roast said relative - but am employing good manners and appropriate FB etiquette. Instead, I will post Mr. Cranky's rant regarding the politics surrounding healthcare reform on my very own blog which very (and I mean very) few people read.... :) Just call me chickenheart.

No Longer a Christian Nation

Submitted by Mr.Cranky on Fri, 08/21/2009 - 18:36.

Culture War

What would Jesus Do on healthcare reform? Apparently, he’d scream all sorts of slanderous insults at the top of his lungs, call our President a Nazi, and tell the uninsured to go die in the streets like the money-grubbing suckholes that they are.

Keep in mind that the vocal opposition to healthcare reform is the Christian Right. It’s time to stop pretending that America has any form of Christianity that actually resembles real Christianity. Christianity used to be about helping thy neighbor, but now it’s just some bastardization of religion whose main tenets are: “Fuck the government. Fuck the poor. Let’s make sure I keep what’s mine.”

You can be sure that whenever a complex issue comes up, a huge portion of the American people will run in circles screaming at the top of their lungs in fear because they’re simply too stupid to understand anything and too willfully ignorant to educate themselves when information is so readily available. The right-wing and the Christian right have concocted an anti-healthcare reform platform that’s so filled with lies that it’s hard to know how to combat it. Surely, if they wanted to start a “World is Flat” campaign, they could certainly convince their constituents that the “World is Round” folks have just been shoving some giant government conspiracy down their throat for the last however many years.

These morons have been referring to healthcare reform as some kind of Nazi propaganda while being completely incapable of connecting the two (because there is no connection). These same morons have been willfully utilizing completely debunked criticisms as well: government takeover (debunked), illegal immigrant insurance (debunked), death panels (debunked) – the list goes on and on. And this is all in an effort to make sure the uninsured – the poor – stay uninsured. The irony is that the uninsured end up going to emergency rooms and driving up the cost of healthcare, costs that are put on the American taxpayer anyway.

A further irony is that the parents of all these idiots are likely on Medicaid or Medicare, a government run healthcare system that works quite well. Another irony is that old people are largely against healthcare reform, citing the “government-run” thing as their main criticism, despite the fact that the government runs their healthcare. I say that if you’re old and have the gall to oppose healthcare reform, we pull your Medicaid or Medicare and let you fucking die as soon as possible. And if you’re one of these Christian right-wing idiots and your parents are taking from the government, we let them die too.

After all, this is the mantra of our Christian nation: fuck the government, fuck the poor, give me what’s mine. Man, that Jesus must have been a hell of a guy.

This Cracks Me Up -

2009-07-04T14:48:00.006-05:00

Last night we got a wild hair and Mama took YaYa to the Demi Lovato concert. YaYa let her freak flag fly!! (FFF)

Mama (feeling very Mama-ish) enjoyed the ruckus and was especially moved by the quality of the opening act's voice - David Archuleta. The other Mamas there were a but stunned to meet someone who had never heard of David Archuleta. Hmmm... How much popular culture am I missing by not watching American Idol? (very small forehead wrinkle...then a shoulder shrug...)

I haven't let my FFF lately. Things have felt serious - lots of forehead wrinkling. I think I will put those concerns aside today and concentrate on smoothing out those wrinkles. I am going to learn to cook quinoa. So there.

ahhhhh

Mamarazzi Monday

2009-03-02T08:52:00.008-06:00

Palo Duro Canyon - Spring 2008

I Got It From My Mama

2009-02-26T09:21:00.015-06:00

A Facebook meme I got yesterday states: The BBC doesn't think we read!

(now I have looked at the BBC website The Big Read and I did not find any evidence the BBC believes only a few of us will have read over 6 of the books listed. So - grain of salt time...)

Anyway - the list is interesting and I had fun checking off those I've read and those I'm pretty certain I've read, (because surely (!) I read Hamlet in high school! Didn't we all? Or am I just having Mel Gibson movie flash backs?) This is not a list of the greatest books of all time, the BBC compiled this list in 2003, to determine the 100 best loved books.

Here's the meme:

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions:
Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read. (I added an m for "saw the movie" as well)

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen x m
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien x m
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte x m
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling x m
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee x m
6 The Bible m
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte x m
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell x
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman x m
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens x m (LOVE Ms. Havisham!)
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott x m
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy x m
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare (can't say I've read them ALL) m
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier x m
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien x (m - can't wait! eeek!)
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger X
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot x
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell x m
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald x m
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams x m
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh x m
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck x
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll x m
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy x
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis x
34 Emma - Jane Austen x m
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen x m
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis x m (sort of a repeat of 33?)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini x m
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden m only (I know...)
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne x m
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell x
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown x m
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving x m-sort of, if you can call it a movie
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery x m
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy x m
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding x
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan m only...sigh..
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel x
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons x m
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen x m
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon x
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley x
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon x
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez x
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck x
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov x m
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold x
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas m...
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding x m
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville m surely...
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens x m
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker m...
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett x m
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray x m
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens x m
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker x m
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro m only..
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert x
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White x m
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom x
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle x (m soon!)
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery x
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas m...
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare x m
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl x m m
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

MY TOTAL = 57 Hmmm – 43 to go!

I already have several of my non-read books on the shelf, but for some reason have not picked them up - Catch-22 and A Confederacy of Dunces come to mind. Doh! It's OK - I plan to have them all read (and those on the greatest novels of all time list) by the time I am 90. My epitaph on the wall at James Coney Island? "She was well read and ate a ton of popcorn to boot"

So are we Dunces? (I mean in the sense that we don't read..) I like to think not! However, the stats for the "general population" are sobering... Minnesota Matron (one of my everyday blog reads - I am a big fan!) recently posted a link to a very disturbing article from Truthdig. Is it really possible that 80% of American Families did not buy one single book last year? Suffused with disbelief and drama -because I certainly don't know anyone like that! - I recited my horror to one of my work buddies who admitted that yes, she was one of the 80%. After gnawing on my foot for a while, making references to how much ROOM books take up in the house, we hung up and I decided that my book clutter was not so annoying after all.
Thanks to my wonderful book-aholic Mom! I have you to thank for the countless hours of adventure, romance, mystery, wonder and awe I have gleaned from my library. I hope I can promote the same passions in my children.

Exponential Times

2009-01-28T11:11:00.005-06:00

It's a 6 minute long video, but just think, in a couple of years they'll put it on a microchip and insert it into the Microport in your skull and voila! you'll have an extra 5minutes and 55seconds to make chocolate chip cookies!

Love the music from "Last of the Mohicans". Always wanted to choreograph a ballet to this one... It's called Promentory.

Kookie Anyone??

2009-01-27T20:30:00.004-06:00

What it's REALLY like at our house....

Doppleganger Take #2 or so...

Doppleganger Take #31 or so....

You can hear the voice of their horrified mother in the the background...

Love Thursday

2009-01-22T08:34:00.006-06:00

YaYa made this!

The World Has Changed
A poem written for these times by Alice Walker

The World Has Changed:
Wake up & smell
The possibility.
The world
Has changed:
It did not
Change
Without
Your prayers
Without
Your faith
Without
Your determination
To
Believe
In liberation
&
Kindness;
Without
Your
Dancing
Through the years
That
Had
No
Beat.
The world has changed:
It did not
Change
Without
Your
Numbers
Your
Fierce
Love
Of self
&
Cosmos
It did not
Change
Without
Your
Strength.
The world has
Changed:
Wake up!
Give yourself
The gift
Of a new
Day.
The world has changed:
This does not mean
You were never
Hurt.
The world
Has changed:
Rise!
Yes
&
Shine!
Resist the siren
Call
Of
Disbelief.
The world has changed:
Don't let
Yourself
Remain
Asleep
To
It.
--By Alice Walker for the Inauguration

Michelle says..

2009-01-21T09:45:00.008-06:00

Ladies, You Know I Love This Man - But Oh My GAH! My Feet Hurt!!

This Day in History - Let Love Grow

2009-01-20T09:38:00.010-06:00

My Dearest Children (Z and C) - I am so proud of you and am so glad you are both here to see this Day!! What an amazing world!

................................

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballot; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality. Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity. Yes we can heal this nation. Yes we can repair this world. Yes we can.

And so tomorrow . . . we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea.

Yes. We. Can.

Text from President Barack Obama's speech at the New Hampshire primary, Jan 8, 2008.

Thanks for the idea Meg!

Check Out This Girl's Placement!

2009-01-19T13:04:00.009-06:00

Did you know that I was a dancer? Still am in my heart. Keep thinking I am going to go back to Ballet Class. Hmmm - maybe I will. (just as soon as I lose 20 lbs....hee hee! Vanity, thy name is Bonnie!)

Saw this just now on YouTube. Aria Alekzander is a member of the Corps de Ballet at Houston Ballet - her fouettes turns are amazing! Looks like she is having fun...

Enjoy!

Her page at Houston Ballet.

16 Things About Me

2009-01-16T13:46:00.006-06:00

Brene memed me -

16 things about me

1. I prefer British Mystery to American Mystery. Seriously. :)
2. I am a vegetarian. Have been off and on over my life - but last year, I read "Skinny Bitch" and the conversion was complete.
3. I love to be "catnapped" – my cats rest on my legs – I pass out.
4. I am an introvert. I love interaction – but need lots of alone time to sort things out. I would much rather work a party than be a guest at one.
5. I got my first shotgun when I was 7 and now I am an animal rights activist!
6. I really dislike being around drunk people when I haven’t been drinking.
7. I love big goofy Great Danes.
8. My dream job would be Travel Writer for Lonely Planet’s Italy edition.
9. I love to learn – I would much rather hear about you than talk about me.
10. I believe in temporary geographic cures.
11. My favorite movie is Amelie.
12. I want to live in the country. Near a city. (with Ballet season tickets). And horses. And my Man. And Children.
13. I am a good mommy. I know how to love them and I know how to apologize to them.
14. I am perfect exactly as I am! Yeah!
15. I could live on chocolate and popcorn – for a while anyway...
16. My favorite philosophy book is a Theory of Justice by John Rawls. The root of all my political beliefs.

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!!

2009-01-10T16:39:00.003-06:00

Please buy from this poor shrinking violet of a child...

xoxo

Stand By Me

2008-12-28T12:19:00.002-06:00

Happy New Year, Happy New Era! Let's get it on!

Yes We Did!!

2008-11-05T10:04:00.004-06:00

Undecided???

2008-11-03T08:53:00.004-06:00

I found this on some message board the other day - (can't remember which - Political Junkie that I am)

Closing Appeals

Dear America,

Mine.

Mine mine mine.

Me Me Me Me Me Me Me!

Mine mine mine mine mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine!

In conclusion: Fear fear fear fear. Very scary fear!

Sincerely,

The Republican Party

P.S. If you liked Joseph McCarthy, you'll love us!

-

Dear America,

We.

Us. We. Together. Americans. United States.

Hope compassion equality inclusiveness competence.

Brains common sense community respect hard work accountability.

Action change responsibility. More viewpoints, smarter solutions.

In conclusion: Yes we can.

Sincerely,

The Democratic Party.

P.S. Vote.

Damn. I'm still undecided. (NOT!)

Cutest Halloween Costume Ever!

2008-11-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

Just saw this in the Houston Chronicle...

Hot Hot HOT!!

Anne Lamott on Molly Ivins

2008-10-29T17:50:00.001-05:00

A friend just sent me this piece that Anne Lamott wrote about her friend Molly Ivins. Boy do I miss her - especially this week!

What's missing from this election? Molly Ivins

The late buckaroo populist and freedom fighter would have had a ball with the insanity of this current news cycle.
By Anne Lamott

Oct. 03, 2008 | It breaks a girl's heart to know that Molly Ivins does not get to have a go at the Republican slate this year. I can see that big, rosy, sunflower face watching this all with astonishment and roaring with laughter. Ivins -- the legendary buckaroo populist, journalist, freelance hell-raiser and freedom fighter -- would be pounding her fists on the arms of her easy chair, stomping her feet as if listening to live bluegrass.

She would have had such a ball with Sarah Palin -- the trooper scandal, her love of moose (between buns), the flamboyantly botched television interviews, the bravery of people who hunt wolves for sport, from the air. Even though Molly was a Texan -- who would have been on guard for the sneering tone of liberal criticism toward anyone with a gun or a double-wide -- she still would have obliterated Palin as a faux populist wingnut with a tanning bed instead of a heart. She would have made great hay with the capacity of certain politicians to reinvent themselves in entirely new realities, as newfound populist Brotherman McCain has done, and his desperate, icky laugh of contempt might have raised some worries for her.

She would not have been happy with either McCain or Obama for opting out of public finance: She would mention Phil Gramm at the drop of a hat, McCain's chief financial guru, whom she always called the senator from Enron. I think she would have been intrigued by Obama, for all the game-changing aspects he's brought to the arena, for upending all the assumptions about whether someone could win with such a spooky name. She'd have cheered his speech on race, been amazed by his speech in Berlin. She'd have been pissed at the Democrats for not being as robust as they should have been on civil liberties, even as she reasserted her heartbreaking faith in American democracy, the faith that if we stuck together, we'd figure it out in the end. We'd somehow help the poor.

She would have celebrated the tidal roar of support from younger voters, who have the vision and stamina to fight for someone who would hold the nation's leaders to account, people who would fight to make this a country where it was once again safe to be a small child, or a very old person, which it has not been for approximately 7.6572 years.

She would have known all along that this election was going to be as tight as a tick. She would have had the sense to be afraid but to not let her fear hurt her. She would have done one constructive thing after another: Sent money to swing states, offered her car to volunteers from out of town, let young campaign workers sleep on her couch.

The last time I saw her, she was several weeks away from death, spending most of her time in bed, hanging out with her best friends and her dog. And you know what she was doing, off and on, the weekend I spent with her? She was working on her last column, about the need for Americans to fight like hell to stop Bush's proposed surge in Iraq. All she had at that point was a great ending: "We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action. We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it, now!'"

She was also rereading parts of her favorite books when suddenly she wanted to have a dinner party, because I had never met her great friends, "Shrub" co-writer Lou Dubose or populist heavyweight Jim Hightower. This was a major obstacle to happiness for all concerned. She adored those two men, and I was commanded to call them. Unfortunately, Lou, her longtime collaborator, was out of town. So, instead, she told me Lou stories for half an hour.

No one loved her stories more than Molly, especially those about the art and absurdity of politics. This was part of her greatness. She reigned like a queen -- imposing carriage, great sense of style, with a mind and smile that radiated warmth.

In between trying to write her column, she would call out to me. "Associate Party Planner!" she would say. "Front and center! We have a problem!" So I would appear with the clipboard I had been issued, stretch out next to her and her dog, and we'd fiddle with our menu or grapple with the despair and bitterness of having discovered that none of the cloth napkins matched. Lou couldn't come, and two of the good plates chipped. We agreed: It was a nightmare.

Her brother Andy was in town, though, as was her great assistant Betsy Moon, with her boyfriend. Jim Hightower and his wife, DeMarco, could be there.

It was really not an ideal weekend for a party, what with her being close to death, unable to walk much anymore or to stay awake. Also, she had to get chemo that morning. But I ask you -- what are you going to do?

Obviously, have the party. Everything she loved, one more time.

Her niece and nephew came."I don't have any children," she once wrote, "so I've decided to claim all the future freedom-fighters and hell-raisers as my kin." And she adored these two (although later we conspired to set the table so that they got the two chipped plates).

She was so excited about her party that she insisted I make place cards.

She slept a lot the day of the party. The chemo had knocked her for a loop. But she managed to work on her column a little. I Googled it just a moment ago. Here's what she wrote, "About the only politician out there besides Bush actively calling for a surge is Sen. John McCain. In a recent opinion piece, he wrote: 'The presence of additional coalition forces would allow the Iraqi government to do what it cannot accomplish today on its own -- impose its rule throughout the country. By surging troops and bringing security to Baghdad and other areas, we will give the Iraqis the best possible chance to succeed.' But with all due respect to the senator from Arizona, that ship has long since sailed. A surge is not acceptable to the people in this country -- we have voted overwhelmingly against this war in polls (about 80 percent of the public is against escalation, and a recent Military Times poll shows only 38 percent of active military want more troops sent) and at the polls. We know this is wrong. The people understand, the people have the right to make this decision, and the people have the obligation to make sure our will is implemented."

She got up from bed a few times to sit with me at the table. We drank tea and ate dried cherries and told each other stories. She was such a performer, with that marvelous Texas Hill Country accent that used to get stronger with every drink. But she and I had both been sober for some time by the end of her life. Her stories were precisely delivered, and her face so in control, as if she had trained with Marcel Marceau. I can see her looking over the tops of her reading glasses -- mugging, mimicking, liberally using old lines even as she pulled new whoppers out of the ether. Sometimes being with her was like watching fireworks on a small scale. Finally, she'd lean forward to deliver the money line, while fluttering her eyelids, then throw herself backward into her chair, roaring up at the ceiling, as if she were laughing at God.

Then she'd lean forward again, hoping that you might have a story, too, and get the log rolling again.

I swear, she might be the only person who can help get me through these last 33 nerve-wracking days. She would not have taken Sarah Palin lying down. She would laugh her ass off, and do something every day to defeat McCain. She would eat with beloved friends, put people together who simply had to know one another, who might together be able to throw a wrench in McCain's Rube Goldberg machine. She makes me want to move around on the floor with her one more time, standing on her shoes like I used to with my father when I was a little girl, and he was teaching me how to waltz.

-- By Anne Lamot

Why oh Why is Nobody Talking About This?

2008-10-24T09:02:00.005-05:00

This is our Annual Federal Discretionary Budget people!!! Does it look balanced to you? It doesn't to me!

The pie chart and the Priorities Campaign are the efforts of the "mavericky" Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's fame. I think it is something that should be THE talking point of this year's campaign. Why isn't it?

Another Political Video! yeah!

2008-10-12T23:36:00.001-05:00

OK - this one is funny and SO well done! Love the pianist and the final chords!

Brain to Nowhere!

Commonality

2008-10-07T18:06:00.002-05:00

The campaigns are getting nasty, the economy is tanking. I'm feeling BLUE.

Remember this?

Hilarity

2008-09-30T10:39:00.005-05:00

As you know, I haven't blogged in a while. Been in a post-vacation, Hurrication, power-restoration, McPalin Nation stupor. I find little to laugh at - until NOW....

Sarah Palin Vlog: Debate Prep (from 236.com)

Video no longer available on 236.com. Probably because it's not funny any longer. We have

MOVED ON!

My Brain is Still in the Bahamas

2008-08-18T22:07:00.011-05:00

I know, I know - how 'bout some news? The news is - I wanna move to the Bahamas! Wha!!!

Been in a bit of a blogging slump but am now inspired to say this:

Uhmmm - Dang!

Ok - I feel a bit freakish and guilty checking out this sweet 23 year old BOY. His mother and I are probably close to the same age and that totally creeps me out. But still, Dang!
That's all.

Except for this:

Oh and this - your introduction to paradise. One evening on Elbow Cay, I decided to walk to the north side of the island and check out future rental properties. (I'm always planning the next vacation...)
The north end is quieter than the south end and can only be accessed by boat or golf cart..

The scenery was terrible! - the bay and the lighthouse on my left and over the dune on the right, the sound of surf crashing...

After a while I became quite bold and decided that a few of the homes needed further inspection. I could tell they weren't occupied - hurricane shutters in place and no AC compressor noise - so I felt safe doing a bit of exploring.
A cherry tree, loaded with fruit, greeted me at the end of one driveway..

The gardens were beautiful - terraced, leafy and private...

It's a woman's home - Ruth's Ridge - a quiet and lovely place to rest and let the creative juices flow...

and as I walked up the dune, this is what greeted me on the other side. A private staircase to..

This.

(click to enlarge - do it! The colors are amazing...)
.

Shoot me NOW

2008-07-14T20:57:00.006-05:00

We are leaving for here in the morning:

And this is me right now!!! Ahhhhhhh!!! I hate to pack!!!!

Photo Booth and the American Girl Phenom

2008-07-02T11:02:00.012-05:00

I purchased my first Mac this Spring. I learned computing on my company issued PC laptop and stubbornly stuck to that platform in light of Baby's almost evangelical stance as a MacHead. I finally "gave way" this year (I hate being told what to do) and I have to say - I was wrong Mama! REAL wrong! Here's one of the reasons why:

YaYa loves the built in iSight camera and the Photo Booth application and has started a whole new portfolio of herself and her YaYa friends. The special effects available are endlessly entertaining, and I am liking the creativity involved!

   She has fantastic eyebrows - No?

   Glub, Glub.

   V. Cool

   I'm sure this is a "mistake" but I love the chaotic composition.

   Yikes. What is that thing?

   Future Cirque du Soliel!

Did you know that YaYa is an Octuplet??
(Have you seen John and Kate + Eight?? Gah!!!)
The picture option is great as you can see - but Photo Booth also has a VIDEO feature! YaYa has made multiple videos - most of them featuring her and several of her friends doing the SoulJa Boy dance. (don't tell me - I know - someone explained the meaning of the words to me the other night. I was freaked!!)
This feature of Photo Booth presents a dilemma - I will never be able to delete any of the videos and I wonder how much hard drive space they use. Hmm - another trip to the Apple Store may be in order!

Oh well - one of the videos is actually topical this week - a sleepy YaYa and her American Girl Doll:

(removed at the request of YaYa) (Tooooo embarassing! MOOOOOMMMM!)

11 years - I feel so lucky!

2008-06-29T12:14:00.022-05:00

This is my Dude. He is a sweetheart. Can't you tell? He is a sensitive soul, a funny spirit and will be a good hearted man. He is an expert NASCAR 08 driver, makes a mean quesadilla and learned how to rip-stick in about 5 minutes. He constantly amazes me - his perfect grades, his inability to lie about anything and his depth of empathy for others. He just turned 11 years old and I have to say, these last 11 years have been more wonderful than I ever anticipated. I love being his mom.

I started this post with the intention to share the fact that he is a reader (like me!). But I got carried away with what a great guy he is. I will post more about his amazing self in the future - but let's get back on task shall we?

Aw heck - just one more look at his sweet self... He's always had fabulous hair.

OK.

What do adolescent boys read? This question came up on one of my Yahoo Groups the other day. You walk into a book store and there is a huge amount of reading choices for girls this age. But what about the boys? One mom on the board needed suggestions. I checked out Dude's bookshelf just now and this is what I found:

The Black Stallion Series - I bought the entire series in hardback on Ebay. I loved them and so did he.

Chronicles of Narnia - he read straight through.

The Lord of the Rings - he read the Hobbit and now is into the Two Towers.

The Little House on the Prairie series - not just for girls!

The Bartimaeus Trilogy - you will love this too. A good choice for reading together - some big words that he found difficult last year.

The Series of Unfortunate Events - he loved these. (I find them mind-numbingly repetitive - but he really dug them).

The Warrior Series by Erin Hunter- just getting started with this - his friend has devoured them all.

Indiana Jones - He read all the movie ones and is now delving into the others. There are a lot of them and there is even a series of Young Indiana Jones!

He also has Spiderwick, The Edge Chronicles, Peter and the Starcatchers and lots of Roald Dahl on his shelf. He also loved the Eragon books. Waiting for the third!

I was thinking about this and am so excited I have a fellow reader in my son. The tipping point for his interest in books was Harry Potter. We went to a midnight opening at Borders a few years back (Book 5 I think it was), and as we stood in line he saw the LightWedge that has a Harry theme. I bought it for him and it has made all the difference. He started reading at night with the lights out (I think he felt he was getting away with something) and the habit has continued. He stayed up till midnight (eeeek) last night reading.

I wish there was another big book event coming up I could take my 8-year old YaYa to that would spark the same interest! Any ideas?

Isn't she fabulous? She's reading The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew!

Aww - I just can't help it... What a schmoopy! xoxoxox

Pure Magic

2008-06-25T10:42:00.006-05:00

Good Morning! I'm cuddled up here with my "familiars" and reading the news. This is my favorite place in our house - my side of the bed. It's a very cozy place, often populated by children, husband and other purring creatures.

I am feeling the need to create a nice long newsy post - but don't have the time! So, I will share this with you:

JK Rowling's Harvard Commencement Address

It's so worth the read...

xoxo

Get the Funk Out Ma Face

2008-06-13T11:02:00.007-05:00

I'm with Mrs. G - a serious end of school year FUNK has settled in blogwise (and otherwise) and though there has been plenty of blog fodder to relate to you - I just couldn't seem to think about it in an entertaining, endearing or even informative way.

I'm not going to blame this on aging, I'm going to blame my increasing inability to sort my thoughts on TBD. (too busy disorder).
May was a doozy - juggling the end of school with a science project and book report/diorama in the last two weeks! 5th grade graduation! Whaaa! Bullying 5th graders making Dude's life miserable! Whaaa! Being in charge of a Campout, the teacher's last day of school breakfast, the end of year 2nd grade party (now I know how to use a popcorn machine!), the end of year 5th grade Field Trip! The end of softball (thank you Jebus for not letting YaYa make the summer tournament team!) and Ballet! Not to mention my JOB. Uh Hello?

Anyway - enough of the pity party. I'm over it now and REALLY enjoying summer. It's so nice not to have an activity EVERY night of the week. No morning drama! No last minute, "Oh NO! I forgot my math homework!" drama. The children are sleeping in and starting to complain about boredom. Excellent. I even felt motivated to COOK dinner the other night! (thank you Pioneer Woman)

I'm focusing on work - my company just got bought by a Giant Japanese Pharmaceutical Company. I still have a job (a good thing) and am taking my time, making decisions about my next move. (Should I cool it or should I blow?)

In the meantime, I have decided to Vote Republican!

Say Ahhhh....

2008-05-27T11:10:00.006-05:00

Our Summer Destination... Elbow Cay in the Abacos.

Everything is better in the Bahamas.

(more later- I LOVE this part of vacation - the planning is as thrilling to me as the actual vacation. I live in LaLa Land for weeks prior to our departure)

Yippeee!!

I am also celebrating the END OF SCHOOL! We are just a couple of cranky early mornings away from sleeping in!!

Check Out These Beauts!

2008-05-11T18:56:00.018-05:00

What a great Parade! I won't post all of the fabulous entries here - (you can find them on my Flickr page) - but here are several that knocked EVERYONE'S socks off. Please excuse the dark photos - had the exposure set on 4000 accidentally and had to tinker with them. Doh!

The Milan Car by David Best:
Front:

Back:

Our Lady of Transportation by Amber Eagle

Back:

Hen A Tron II by Pomponio Napumucino
Front:

Side:

Back!

Percy Peacock by Sam Jones
Front:

Closer view:

I understand there were some AMAZING parties this weekend - that I missed. But did I really "miss" them? Nah! I can truthfully say, I've had my day - I can let the Baby Goddesses carry the torch for now...

Speaking of Baby Goddesses - checkout this burgeoning chick!

The Art Cars Are Coming! The Art Cars Are Coming!

2008-05-07T08:45:00.017-05:00

Mishell Karma Ghia (artist: Kathy Kathaman)

Yippee! Art Car Weekend is almost here! It's one of the ~~few~~ many things that makes Houston a tolerable place to live. (sort of an antidote to the crippling traffic, endless strip centers and paralyzing heat).

BC (before children), I found my social niche in the activities of the Orange Show Foundation. I was recently divorced and had just" run home to Momma" after an 11 year stint in the bourbon soaked frat-rat society that was (not you Charlsie!) Lynchburg, Virginia. I started to volunteer with the Orange Show and found my spiritual home with the skaters and artists that celebrate folk art of all kinds. Eventually (since I am more of an organizer than an artist), I chaired two Art Car Balls - serious fun in a downtown parking garage! (I wish I had a picture of my red rubber dress.)

Anyway - now that I am a ~~middle-aged fart with kids~~ mom, my Art Car experience is simply a bike ride down to the Parade, which takes place in downtown Houston every May. Last year, there were close to 300 (!) entries - so it's the Biggest Art Car Celebration Anywhere! (everything is bigger in Texas!)

Here are some of my favorites:

The FruitMobile! One of Houston's first Art Cars. (artist: Jackie Harris)

The Stink Bug - classic VW bug covered in cigarette butts - beautiful! (artist: Carolyn Stapleton)

FinnJett- Wow - now that's a LOT of welding. (artist: Antti Rahko)

DeKuntry Pedlur - OK Then! Do you think they are huge fans of the Clampetts? (artists: Rich and Pam Molden)

I love the Yarn Car! (artist: Tim Klein)

And how can you resist the Peeps Car? (artist: unknown to me..)

The Star Car! (artist: unknown to me)

And the FABULOUS!! Fandango - The Little Ol Car From Texas (artist: Rebecca Bass and Waltrip Highschool Students) Check out the ZZ Top beards....

Anyone want to join us this Saturday at 1:00?

Ethical Dilemmas of the Week!

2008-05-05T08:50:00.000-05:00

I have decided that blogging is a wonderful excuse to indulge in one of my favorite pastimes - delving into the intricacies of the Grey Areas of Life. (I was a Philosophy major after all). : )

Now that 25 years HAVE SAILED BY, I can't tell you the differences between Kant and Kierkegaard, but I can pretend to wax philosophic about what is happening in my own little world. I'm interested in what makes people tick and I love behavioral inconsistencies - especially my own!

So this last week several things came up -

1. Reverend Wright.

What makes this man's ravings any different from those of Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson (except that some of Wright's make sense)? Why was Obama pressured to renounce Rev. Wright while the Repubs actively court the support of Fundie Nutjobs? Is it his proximity to Wright or is it because Wright is black? Isn't all hate speech deserving of universal condemnation? Or does the voting power of the followers of a particular preacher excuse his extreme antipathy? Have the Republicans renounced Ann Coulter?

2. Horse Racing.

As a child, I remember celebrating Derby Day and loving the whole scene - the horses, the excitement, the fashion, the "gentility", the tradition, the hats! A very long time ago, I had dinner at the King Ranch and saw the 1946 Triple Crown Trophy awarded to their horse Assault. Every May, I make a special effort to either watch or record the race and I love the final furlongs when the horses battle to the finish. This last Saturday, I rushed the kids home from soccer and plonked us all down in front of the TV in time for the race. We all agreed - the horses were magnificent and beautiful and almost other-worldly in their noble demeanor. Alas - a few short minutes later, we were all in tears and I found myself wondering why the heck I encouraged them to witness such tragedy.

Last September, shortly after my "Official Chicken-Fried Steak Tour of Texas", I read a book that changed my life, Skinny Bitch. I thought it was going to be a chicklitty, girlfriendy, sassy New Yorky diet book - and it is. The authors say things like, "Smoking is SO 1989 - Nobody does that anymore!" It's funny and irreverent. It is also a diatribe against the meat and dairy industry. I haven't touched meat since and have also become a "complete vegetarian" - no dairy or eggs, or fish or any animal at all. I have stopped buying leather, down and other animal sourced products. We don't support Ringling Brothers and this year I was able to avoid my longtime favorite, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

Now, I am having to re-think horse racing. It's beautiful and exciting and fun. But at what cost? Yes, these horses are bred for the sport - but who are we to make sport of horses? Would the horse choose this life given the opportunity? I read that tracks in California are changing their dirt surfaces to synthetic surfaces and the injury rate there has decreased by 75%.

WWTBD? (what would THE BLACK do? - Huh Walter Farley?)

3. Kids, Manners and Stranger Danger.

Yesterday, after YaYa's choir performance and awards ceremony, the church provided lunch. I got in line behind Dude and couldn't help noticing another little boy about his age who was talking non-stop to him about the virtues of the Nintendo Game Cube Vs. the Wii. I was amused at his eloquence and the depth of his knowledge on the subject and I leaned down and asked him (thinking he might be a fun friend for Dude), "Where do you go to school?"

His excitement immediately changed to hostility and he said, "Why do YOU want to know?"

I was blown away and just stared open-mouthed at him and barely uttered "how rude!" before he walked off.

Yes, my feelings were hurt by an 8 year old! At the same time I thought about how, as a child, if I had talked to an adult that way, I would not be here right now. My parents would have strung me up.

I got our food and settled at the lunch table and had a chance to reflect on what might have caused his reaction. The usual self-doubt talk came up - Am I scary? Do I look mean?

OR - is this a Stranger Danger thing? Perhaps he's been taught to respond to all strange adults in that way - no matter the setting.

So the question for me is, how would I respond if one of my children spoke to an adult that way? If it was some creep cruising around the neighborhood in a car and asked one of them to help him/her find a puppy, then yes, I would encourage and expect rude behavior from them! But at church? I would be mortified. Yet - does the setting really matter?

I talked to Dude about it later in the day and actually practiced a couple of responses for him to use. In the hypothetical "safe" setting like church or school, I simply encouraged him to be real - to politely tell the person that he felt uncomfortable sharing his personal information with them since he didn't know them. In the hypothetical "unsafe" setting, like a mall or a street, he can do what ever his fear tells him: scream, run for help and shout obscenities if he so desires. I am certain that he will have the emotional fortitude to follow these instructions to the letter if and when the time comes!

(OK - my feelings are still hurt by the 8 year old).

Hi Ho

Images from Google Images and my own camera.

Ladies - New Class Offering! Sign Up Now!

2008-04-28T08:29:00.001-05:00

Uhmm, Mrs. G -

Do you think we could add Personal Training to the schedule options at the Woman's Colony?

I really need the weight training as a compliment to my ~~blogreading~~ cardio workout...

Are You Smarter Than a 2nd Grader?

2008-04-26T12:44:00.001-05:00

You learn something new everyday!

Did you know that the Viking Rune Alphabet does not contain the letter J? What? You didn't? Were you raised by wolves?

Well, it doesn't. So if you want to write" YaYa's Viking Project" you must transcribe those RUNES to say "YaYa's Viking Progect". Because it just makes sense to use the hard g for the absent j.

Coolness Alert!!

2008-04-25T08:53:00.000-05:00

Many of my readers, (all two of you) know our friend Scott Parazynski, father to Dude's friend and YaYa's friend, husband to my friend and all around Renaissance Man. I mean really, not only did he graduate from Stanford Med with honors, compete in Olympic Luge events, complete 5 successful Shuttle Missions, 7 Space Walks, and is a really NICE guy, he is now scaling Everest.

(my friend is fit to be tied)

Nevertheless - this is amazingly cool. (FREEZING - I understand)

I am following his team's progress up the mountain at the following blog:

Everest OnOrbit 2008

I had no idea the incredible detail involved in an Everest attempt. One of my favorite things I've read so far is the list of gear Scott took to Kathmandu. (the Assistant Scoutmaster in me is totally Jonesing). That can be found here: Gear List

So log on and adventure vicariously with Scott!

Happy Belated Earth Day - the Slapstick Way

2008-04-24T09:53:00.000-05:00

Cruising the Interwebs - I came across this slapstick classic, George Carlin's take on Earth Day. I found myself getting very offended by his tone, being the optimistic small carbon footprint vegan that I am, and then as I continued to read and got his point, I was like... oh..uhm.. yeah.

"George Carlin's "The Planet Is Fine"

We're so self-important. So self-important. Everybody's going to save something now. "Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails." And the greatest arrogance of all: save the planet. What? Are these fucking people kidding me? Save the planet, we don't even know how to take care of ourselves yet. We haven't learned how to care for one another, we're gonna save the fucking planet?

I'm getting tired of that shit. Tired of that shit. I'm tired of fucking Earth Day, I'm tired of these self-righteous environmentalists, these white, bourgeois liberals who think the only thing wrong with this country is there aren't enough bicycle paths. People trying to make the world safe for their Volvos. Besides, environmentalists don't give a shit about the planet. They don't care about the planet. Not in the abstract they don't. Not in the abstract they don't. You know what they're interested in? A clean place to live. Their own habitat. They're worried that some day in the future, they might be personally inconvenienced. Narrow, unenlightened self-interest doesn't impress me.

Besides, there is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The PEOPLE are fucked. Difference. Difference. The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. Been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We've been here, what, a hundred thousand? Maybe two hundred thousand? And we've only been engaged in heavy industry for a little over two hundred years. Two hundred years versus four and a half billion. And we have the CONCEIT to think that somehow we're a threat? That somehow we're gonna put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that's just a-floatin' around the sun?

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through all kinds of things worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles...hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages...And we think some plastic bags, and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet...the planet...the planet isn't going anywhere. WE ARE!

We're going away. Pack your shit, folks. We're going away. And we won't leave much of a trace, either. Thank God for that. Maybe a little styrofoam. Maybe. A little styrofoam. The planet'll be here and we'll be long gone. Just another failed mutation. Just another closed-end biological mistake. An evolutionary cul-de-sac. The planet'll shake us off like a bad case of fleas. A surface nuisance.

You wanna know how the planet's doing? Ask those people at Pompeii, who are frozen into position from volcanic ash, how the planet's doing. You wanna know if the planet's all right, ask those people in Mexico City or Armenia or a hundred other places buried under thousands of tons of earthquake rubble, if they feel like a threat to the planet this week. Or how about those people in Kilowaia, Hawaii, who built their homes right next to an active volcano, and then wonder why they have lava in the living room.

The planet will be here for a long, long, LONG time after we're gone, and it will heal itself, it will cleanse itself, 'cause that's what it does. It's a self-correcting system. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed, and if it's true that plastic is not degradable, well, the planet will simply incorporate plastic into a new paradigm: the earth plus plastic. The earth doesn't share our prejudice towards plastic. Plastic came out of the earth. The earth probably sees plastic as just another one of its children. Could be the only reason the earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place. It wanted plastic for itself. Didn't know how to make it. Needed us. Could be the answer to our age-old egocentric philosophical question, "Why are we here?" Plastic...asshole.

So, the plastic is here, our job is done, we can be phased out now. And I think that's begun. Don't you think that's already started? I think, to be fair, the planet sees us as a mild threat. Something to be dealt with. And the planet can defend itself in an organized, collective way, the way a beehive or an ant colony can. A collective defense mechanism. The planet will think of something. What would you do if you were the planet? How would you defend yourself against this troublesome, pesky species? Let's see... Viruses. Viruses might be good. They seem vulnerable to viruses. And, uh...viruses are tricky, always mutating and forming new strains whenever a vaccine is developed. Perhaps, this first virus could be one that compromises the immune system of these creatures. Perhaps a human immunodeficiency virus, making them vulnerable to all sorts of other diseases and infections that might come along. And maybe it could be spread sexually, making them a little reluctant to engage in the act of reproduction.

Well, that's a poetic note. And it's a start. And I can dream, can't I? See I don't worry about the little things: bees, trees, whales, snails. I think we're part of a greater wisdom than we will ever understand. A higher order. Call it what you want. Know what I call it? The Big Electron. The Big Electron...whoooa. Whoooa. Whoooa. It doesn't punish, it doesn't reward, it doesn't judge at all. It just is. And so are we. For a little while."

Wow - never thought the Planet might be OUT TO GET ME! (cause it's always about me)

Gives this picture a whole new sinister feel doesn't it?? Duht dunt duuuun.

Maybe Earth Day should be renamed - Survival of Not Only Humanity But All Other Forms Of Sentient Life Day! (SONOHBAOFOSLD)

Hi Ho

While on the Subject of the Rolling Stones

2008-04-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

What does "she comes in colors everywhere" mean exactly?

Secret Boyfriend #2 - Mother's Little Helper

2008-04-13T22:01:00.002-05:00

Guess which IMAX movie I saw today?

Mick - the Ultimate Naughty Boy.

This is a man to PLAY with.
This is NOT a man to Marry.

This man is 64 years old - but his strength, stamina and raw energy are simply amazing. As he dances onstage in Scorsese's very interesting film (I want to see it again), you see the young 60's rebel, more polished, more mature -but definitely there.

Hot, Hot, HOT!!

Photos Courtesy of Google Images

Simplify

2008-04-12T19:16:00.000-05:00

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness,
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, "Stay awhile."
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, "It's simple," they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine."

~ Mary Oliver ~

(gleaned from a comment on Ordinary Courage)

I Like to Goof-Off

2008-04-11T10:13:00.000-05:00

That's it folks. I am a goofer-offer! (I've even been goofing-offing this blog lately.)
What brought this up? I just read a post of Brene's at Ordinary Courage regarding our choices when it comes to what we ask of ourselves. She says:

"I’m not going to dig deep anymore. When I’m emotionally, physically and spiritually done, I’m going to stop. I’m going to stop feeling proud about

PUSHING THROUGH
SOLDIERING ON
DIGGING DEEP

And I’m going to start honoring

SAYING NO
FEELING TOO FULL OR TOO EMPTY
TAKING IT EASY"

This SO spoke to me today! Lately I've been thinking of making a list of all my volunteer obligations (this is in addition to Work, Parent, Household, Partner, Daughter, Sister, Friend) - since I am having trouble keeping up and am feeling overwhelmed.

OK:

PTO Valentines Luncheon Chair
2nd Grade Class Co-Chair
2nd Grade Monday Folders
5th Grade Party Chair
5th Grade Room Mother
PTO Hospitality Chair
Assistant Scoutmaster
PIC (person in charge) for May Camp Out
Soccer Team Parent
Wife to Softball Team Scorekeeper
Choir Parent
Houston Ballet Student Chauffeur (just YaYa - but it's enough)

Jeez - no wonder I haven't seen a movie in ages and haven't been to the GYM in oh.. 6 months.

Here's the rub - saying NO is difficult for me. I want to be liked. I want to feel necessary. I fear my children won't get what they need at school and activities if I don't stay active there.

(little voice in head): "Uhmm... Gee Bonnie. I hear a lot of FEAR."

(me): "Oh Shut Up."

So - back to goofing-off.(my favorite subject). Looking at the list above reminds me I may not goof-off near enough.
(Actually, if my manager could see the above list, he would say I goof-off plenty)
To me goofing-off means being somewhat naughty. I love that feeling that I am getting away with something and bending the rules a bit. Taking time for myself feels naughty - is that the "coming alive" that Brene is referring to? If so, these are the things that make me come alive:

Reading
Blogging
"Cat" Napping
Sneaking off to movies by myself
Horses
Photography
The Whole Spa Thing
Exercising (after about 20 minutes - the lead up to and first 20 are HELL)
Dancing
Cooking (when I want to)
Giving Parties
Tha Theatah
Traveling
Dates with Baby
One on One time with each child
Learning new things!
Staffing Woman Within weekends

I actually do a few of the above on a regular basis and some are less guilt-inducing than others. They all feed my soul.
It feels good to acknowledge them and to pledge to embrace them more fully (especially the exercise thing and movies and dates with that man).

This coming school year, I intend to say "NO" more often to fear and say "ABSOLUTELY" more to what makes me come alive.

Peace out.

PS. The Optimist Would Like to Recognize BABY for making all this Goofing-Off Possible. I am so grateful for him.

She's got me Spinning..

2008-03-26T13:35:00.001-05:00

I was driving home from work today and thinking about an article I read in the Chron covering Hillary Clinton's "statement" regarding Obama's pastor. I think he explained his position quite clearly and effectively and that should be the end of it.
If you haven't read or heard his speech, do yourself a favor and click here:
Obama keeping it Real

Anyway, I am dismayed that the negative campaigning continues between DEMOCRATS! How amazingly stupid. I fear we will blow it yet again! Don't they realize what is at stake here? The environment, our country and our souls (mine at least) just cannot handle another 4-8 years of a Republican regime. I saw a hilarious article on Alternet yesterday about how the progressives need to stop being so politically polite and get mean (like the conservatives)!
I would love to have the following bumper sticker:

There are two types of Republicans - Millionaires and Suckers.

Finally, I have a great deal of respect for Hillary. However, I am not happy about the infighting and the Chronicle article made me remember a Nick Anderson (our neighbor!) video that I just adore. I thought I would add it here for your listening pleasure. : )

Spred Love

2008-03-11T22:14:00.000-05:00

Dear Ones -

Please check out this video that my new friend, Brene Brown, put together this week. Our girls are members of our new Mother-Daughter Book Club. A month ago we agreed to read A Little Princess, and we met to discuss it over the weekend. I didn't know what to expect (having never been a Book Club member before - but always wanting to be!). The hosts totally had it together. Before we sat down to discuss the book, they had crafts for the girls - care packages for the homeless, toy bags for children in crisis and the notecards you will see in the video. The sun was shining through the window - and the light was great for photos. The energy in the room was amazing.

BTW - check out my YaYa. She's in brown and her card says, "Spred Love". She's getting a kiss from me in one of the shots.

HopeREVO is a project dreamed up by Krystyn Heide. She started leaving anonymous hopeful messages around New York City and her Hope Revolution has "spred" as you can see!

YaYa took her cards out to dinner that night and left one in the ladies bathroom at the Hobbit Cafe when we first arrived. She checked on it an hour later and it was gone! She was thrilled and slyly checked out all the tables in the restaurant to see if she could find "her person".

Thanks Brene! (the Official CEO of HopeREVO Houston) :)

Truth and Consequences

2008-03-09T23:14:00.000-05:00

One-sided phone conversation overheard today:

(10-year old) Son: Hi Mrs. G. - is Jack home? Can he come over?

Son: Oh, OK.

Son: Are you all going to see Hannah Montana tonight?

Son: No, since my Mom became a VEGAN, she doesn't like the Rodeo anymore. She thinks it's mean to the animals.

---------

Hmmm, being a Vegan-Freak sort of sucks sometimes - doesn't it? Having a Mom be a vegan-freak REALLY sucks!!

Ouch. (more on this later).

The Secret Boyfriend Phenomenon

2008-02-29T12:06:00.000-06:00

Several of my favorite "bloghers" have Secret Boyfriends and I must admit that I too feel the need to feature and pay tribute to some outstanding members of the opposite sex. Why though? I have the most fabulous husband in the entire world. He is my dude, my man, my guy, my friend, my "hot tool-belt wearing hunk", the person I love most!! What will I call him on my blog? Baby, I think - with a Texas twang. /baaay-bee/ (he would say, "that's MR. Baby to you!")

"He my main dude - she my main thing - we don't need nobody else!"

It's just that there's something kind of fun and "writing on the bathroom stall door naughty" about having a secret boyfriend feature.

As far as naughty goes, Baby says "it's fine with me honey, as long as you bring it on home!".
OK then.

Here is the first of many crushes: (I am a Gemini after all).

Ahhhh... Adrien Brody..... sigh.

Oh my, oh my, oh my! It's the nose you know - I imagine a kiss would involve a careful tilt or even a sudden forceful bending... Mmm, mm, mmm, mmm, mmmmm!

Adrien has played some scary, bizarre and powerful characters. I haven't seen all his films, but when are they gonna cast him as a romantic lead? Did you see him kissing Halle Berry at the Oscars? I mean! I am waiting...

For more on that amazing nose, his kiss and the intensity of his gaze - check out this freaky but delicious video. Brings a whole 'nother meaning to "you complete me".

Photos Courtesy of Google Images

Just doing my part...

2008-02-24T16:27:00.000-06:00

The Stars are coming out tonight!

And I am eating all of these since they can't!!

A Public Service of sorts....

Houston - not so boring...

2008-02-23T18:03:00.000-06:00

I just got this invitation... Must put on calendar...

Perhaps you've seen the Beer Can House from the street? There is so much more to John Milkovisch's creation - come find out why!

The Beer Can House is a creation of John Milkovisch .
The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art acquired the Beer Can House after creator John Milkovisch and his wife, Mary, passed away. Diligent documentation and planning over the last few years have determined a comprehensive plan to restore the site to its former glory, and we are ready to share the successes of this project with the world. Unfortunately time and Houston’s climate had faded and deteriorated John’s original art work. The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art’s intent was and is to carefully restore this work to its original condition where possible and to recreate artistic elements where necessary, bringing back the delightful ambiance of the site. Thousands of pieces have been sorted, cleaned of oxidation and rust and re-hung, along with 8,000 new replacement pieces made from donated vintage beer cans. Volunteers from the local neighborhood to the far reaches of Houston’s suburbs and even as far as California (seriously!) have been an integral part of creating these new beer can elements. The site is re-opening for a major celebration on Friday, Feb 29, and in Mid March to visitors for guided and self-guided tours that will feature the history of the Beer Can House, the Rice Military neighborhood, John’s artistic techniques and Folk Art in Texas. Come see! Thanks so much for the generous support from the The Brown Foundation, Houston Endowment, the Cullen Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Silver Eagle Distributors, as well as in-kind contributions from SpawMaxwell and Apollo BBC, Inc. in helping to make this project a success. For tickets, please visit BEERCANHOUSE.ORG

LOTS OF PARKING. Art Cars will be providing continuous shuttle service from the Beer Can Opener at Kicks to the site of the Beer Can House. Stay there as long as you want, but don't forget the interesting take on traditional American food and amazing Zydeco entertainment by Corey Ledet a few blocks away at Kicks Indoor. Thanks again to our art car friends for providing the most fun round trip transportation ever!
I can't make the party, can I support the effort anyway? Of course. All donations to the Beer Can House are tax deductible.Please call 713-926-6368 to support the Beer Can House, or email oranges@orangeshow.org

Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. 2402 Munger, Houston, Texas 77023 USA

Ba-Rack the Vote!

2008-02-20T10:38:00.000-06:00

My cynical neighbor (whom I love..) invited me to the Obama rally at the Toyota Center last night and I went. I figured I needed to the check the vibe and hear the speech.
First of all I have to say - my neighbor isn't as cynical as I thought. She was Fired Up!!
I was probably one of very few "on the fence" types at the rally - but I liked what I heard. He wants to bring our troops home and end this ridiculous war. That's enough for my measly vote. He wants to CHANGE things - and I am all for that! I think a relative new-comer in Washington is probably a good thing and I like his Optimism (naturally...).

So why am I feeling sad this morning?

I thinks it's because I fear the Swiftboaters. I fear what the press and the "conservatives" will do to him (and to us). It's gonna be ugly and I don't want to watch it or hear it. I have disaster fatigue already and I am sick sick sick of the bile they spew.

On the Houston 10 o'clock news after the rally, there was a piece poking fun at the "Hope" Obama promises, how he's the new guy, how hard it is to create change and how we should all beware of a big 'ol Texas-sized let-down.

Obama says that hope doesn't equal "blind optimism" - hope is what drives us to make meaningful change. It's what drove women to fight for the right to vote - it's what drives all people to better themselves and their situations.

I hope he brings our troops home and reassures the World that America isn't the enemy. I hope he reads Sunshine's blog!

That's what I hope.

Shock and Awe - a "Woman" (OMG!) President?

2008-02-11T08:37:00.000-06:00

I am a long time Feminist. I grew up feeling special because I was female. My mother celebrated my femininity. This was augmented by the all-girl summer camp I attended, a girl's catholic school for junior-high and finally 4 years at a Woman's College. I have been politically active in support of a woman's right to reproductive freedom and even spent two glorious weeks with the Woman's Action Coalition, helping blockade abortion clinics during the Republican National Convention in Houston against the SCARY pro-lifers, so women could enter freely.
I have a strong sense of myself as a woman.
So why was I not more fired up about Hillary Clinton's campaign for President of the United States? Did I forget a few things over the years? Did I fall asleep? Where did my shock and awe, regarding this historic event, go?
Well my dears, it's back. Thanks to the misogynists in the media and on the campaign trail. New Hampshire and those a-holes with the "iron my shirts" signs woke me up - but Hillary's response to them was so fantastic, I felt my feminist passion reawaken. Especially when one of my woman neighbors said "She staged that in order to win votes". I mean - how cynical we have become!!
So - I don't know who will get my vote. I am unhappy with Ms. Clinton's support of the war and I'm not sure if the tearing down the Berlin Wall of men-only presidencies supercedes ending our occupation of Iraq. As usual, it's not a black and white decision for me, (no pun intended!) and I will be delighted if either Obama or Clinton win the election. Edwards for VP anyone?

A friend of mine posted the following on one of my yahoo groups and I have to share. I have never heard of Robin Morgan - but I looked her up and she is a famous poet and author. Based on this essay, I will read more of her:

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT (#2) by Robin Morgan

Goodbye to the double standard . .

--Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who's emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.

--She's "ambitious" but he shows "fire in the belly." (Ever had labor pains? )

--When a sexist idiot screamed "Iron my shirt!" at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted "Shine my shoes!" at BO, it would've inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.

--Young political Kennedys--Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.--all endorsed Hillary. Sen. Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort "See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him." (Personally, I'm unimpressed with Caroline's longing for the Return of the Fathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe's suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)

--Goodbye to the toxic viciousness . . .Carl Bernstein's disgust at Hillary's "thick ankles."
Nixon-trickster Roger Stone's new Hillary-hating 527 group, "Citizens United Not Timid" <http://www.weeklystandard.com/Utilities/printer_preview.asp?idArticle=14617&R=138F92C658>" (check the capital letters).

--John McCain answering "How do we beat the bitch?" with "Excellent question!" Would he have dared reply similarly to "How do we beat the black bastard?" For shame.

--Goodbye to the HRC nutcracker with metal spikes between splayed thighs. If it was a tap-dancing blackface doll, we would be righteously outraged-and they would not be selling it in airports. Shame.

--Goodbye to the most intimately violent T-shirts in election history, including one with the murderous slogan "If Only Hillary had married O.J. Instead!" Shame.

--Goodbye to Comedy Central's "Southpark" featuring a storyline in which terrorists secrete a bomb in HRC's vagina. I refuse to wrench my brain down into the gutter far enough to find a race-based comparison. For shame.

--Goodbye to the sick, malicious idea that this is funny. This is not "Clinton hating," not "Hillary hating." This is sociopathic woman-hating. If it were about Jews, we would recognize it instantly as anti-Semitic propaganda; if about race, as KKK poison. Hell, PETA would go ballistic if such vomitous spew were directed at animals. Where is our sense of outrage-as citizens, voters, Americans?

--Goodbye to the news-coverage target-practice . . .The women's movement and Media Matters wrung an apology from MSNBC's Chris Matthews for relentless misogynistic comments (http://www.womensmediacenter.com/<http://www.womensmediacenter.com/>). But what about NBC's Tim Russert's continual sexist asides and his all-white-male panels pontificating on race and gender? Or CNN's Tony Harris chuckling at "the chromosome thing" while interviewing a woman from The White House Project? And that's not even mentioning Fox News.

--Goodbye, goodbye to . . .

--blaming anything Bill Clinton does on Hillary (even including his womanizing like the Kennedy guys--though unlike them, he got reported on). Let's get real. If he hadn't campaigned strongly for her everyone would cluck over what that meant.

--Enough of Bill and Teddy Kennedy locking their alpha male horns while Hillary pays for it.

--an era when parts of the populace feel so disaffected by politics that a comparative lack of knowledge, experience, and skill is actually seen as attractive, when celebrity-culture mania now infects our elections so that it's "cooler" to glow with marquee charisma than to understand the vast global complexities of power on a nuclear, wounded planet.

--the notion that it's fun to elect a handsome, cocky president who feels he can learn on the job, goodbye to George W. Bush and the destruction brought by his inexperience, ignorance, and arrogance.

--Goodbye to the accusation that HRC acts "entitled" when she's worked intensely at everything she's done-including being a nose-to-the-grindstone, first-rate senator from my state.

--Goodbye to her being exploited as a Rorschach test by women who reduce her to a blank screen on which they project their own fears, failures, fantasies.

--Goodbye to the phrase "polarizing figure" to describe someone who embodies the transitions women have made in the last century and are poised to make in this one. It was the women's movement that quipped, "We are becoming the men we wanted to marry." She heard us, and she has.

--Goodbye to some women letting history pass by while wringing their hands, because Hillary isn't as "likeable" as they've been warned they must be, or because she didn't leave him, couldn't "control" him, kept her family together and raised a smart, sane daughter. (Think of the blame if Chelsea had ever acted in the alcoholic, neurotic manner of the Bush twins!)

--Goodbye to some women pouting because she didn't bake cookies or she did, sniping because she learned the rules and then bent or broke them. Grow the hell up. She is not running for Ms.-perfect-pure-queen-icon of the feminist movement. She is running to be President of the United States.

--Goodbye to the shocking American ignorance of our own and other countries' history. Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir rose through party ranks and war, positioning themselves as proto-male leaders. Almost all other female heads of government so far have been related to men of power-granddaughters, daughters, sisters, wives, widows: Gandhi, Bandaranike, Bhutto, Aquino, Chamorro, Wazed, Macapagal-Arroyo, Johnson Sirleaf, Bachelet, Kirchner, and more.
Even in our "land of opportunity," it's mostly the first pathway "in" permitted to women: Reps. Doris Matsui and Mary Bono and Sala Burton; Sen. Jean Carnahan . . far too many to list here.

--Goodbye to a misrepresented generational divide . . .

--Goodbye to the so-called spontaneous "Obama Girl" flaunting her bikini-clad ass online-then confessing Oh yeah it wasn't her idea after all, some guys got her to do it and dictated the clothes, which she said "made me feel like a dork."

--Goodbye to some young women eager to win male approval by showing they're not feminists (at least not the kind who actually threaten the status quo), who can't identify with a woman candidate because she is unafraid of eeueweeeu yucky power, who fear their boyfriends might look at them funny if they say something good about her.

--Goodbye to women of any age again feeling unworthy, sulking "what if she's not electable?" or "maybe it's post-feminism and whoooosh we're already free." Let a statement by the magnificent Harriet Tubman stand as reply. When asked how she managed to save hundreds of enslaved African Americans via the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, she replied bitterly, "I could have saved thousands-if only I'd been able to convince them they were slaves."

I'd rather say a joyful Hello to all the glorious young women who do identify with Hillary, and all the brave, smart men-of all ethnicities and any age--who get that it's in their self-interest, too. She's a high-profile candidate with an enormous grasp of foreign- and domestic-policy nuance, dedication to detail, ability to absorb staggering insult and personal pain while retaining dignity, resolve, even humor, and keep on keeping on. (Also, yes, dammit, let's hear it for her connections and funding and party-building background, too.

We are the women who now comprise the majority of US voters.

Hillary said she found her own voice in New Hampshire. There's not a woman alive who, if she's honest, doesn't recognize what she means. Then HRC got drowned out by campaign experts, Bill, and media's obsession with All Things Bill.

So listen to her voice:
"For too long, the history of women has been a history of silence. Even today, there are those who are trying to silence our words."It is a violation of human rights when babies are denied food, or drowned, or suffocated, or their spines broken, simply because they are born girls. It is a violation of human rights when woman and girls are sold into the slavery of prostitution. It is a violation of human rights when women are doused with gasoline, set on fire and burned to death because their marriage dowries are deemed too small. It is a violation of human rights when individual women are raped in their own communities and when thousands of women are subjected to rape as a tactic or prize of war. It is a violation of human rights when a leading cause of death worldwide along women ages 14 to 44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes. It is a violation of human rights when women are denied the right to plan their own families, and that includes being forced to have abortions or being sterilized against their will."

"Women's rights are human rights. Among those rights are the right to speak freely--and the right to be heard."

That was Hillary Rodham Clinton defying the US State Department and the Chinese Government at the 1995 UN World Conference on Women in Beijing (the full, stunning speech: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm>).

Me, I'm voting for Hillary not because she's a woman--but because I am.
RMFebruary 2, 2008

Images courtesy of Google Images

Catching Up - Combining my blogs...

2008-01-29T23:46:00.001-06:00

I have two tiny blogs - each with different email addresses. I am combining them, since this log in/log out thing is such a hassle - and I like this email address the best.
Here is all the "Happiness of Pursuit" contained - (not much I must admit). Let's see if this works...
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Friday, February 9, 2007

Junk Food

So - I was just updating my profile and decided to explain the significance of "the Happiness of Pursuit". This got me thinking about tombstones and "life slogans" and little traditions - things I say all the time.
For instance - I have a pat answer to the question, "cremation or burial?". I always answer that I want to be cremated and have my ashes spread at James Coney Island. You know - that great hot dog place we have here in Houston. You might ask, WHY? Well - it's simply a tradition. James Coney Island is the place I celebrated many of my landmarks in womanhood. (why I chose a hot dog place is beyond me - but Freud would have a field day!). Here's the story:
When I was 13 and started my (whisper) period, my mother wanted to celebrate. She told me that when my sister embarked on her "life as a woman", she was given the choice of where to go for a celebration luncheon. She chose the Sakowitz lunch room (very swank Ladies who Lunch place back then). I was now given the choice and I chose James Coney Island - it was my favorite place to eat after all.
So since then other womanly landmarks celebrated there with Mom include:
1.My first bra
2.Turning 16
3.My debut (eeek)
and 4. my wedding (the first) - this actually wasn't at JCI - we were in Lynchburg, Virginia which is not blessed with same - so we had a chili dog at the Cavalier.
I don't eat hot dogs any more (nitrates!) but the flowerbed at James Coney Island remains for me the eventual repository of my remains. At least that is the story I like to tell.
xoxo

PS - I forgot to mention that the births of my children were not celebrated in this way. My boy's birth was toasted with a fried egg and cheese sandwich and an Oreo shake from the Pig Stand - and my daughter's was marked by the consumption of an entire Pecan Pie from Goode Company BBQ.
I think I'll go and make myself a salad now...
Posted by Optimist at 12:58 AM 0 comments Links to this post

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Thursday, February 1, 2007

Molly - we will miss you.

This is so sad - the news that yesterday one of Texas's greatest women passed on. She was such a beacon - I hope that the rest of us Texas bitches can step up!! She said:

"So keep fightin' for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't you forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce. And when you get through kickin' ass and celebratin' the sheer joy of a good fight, be sure to tell those who come after how much fun it was."

Thank you Molly. You Goddess. xoxo

Posted by Optimist at 10:57 AM 1 comments Links to this post

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Friday, January 26, 2007

What the hell is my problem??

I don't have any!! My whining about gmail - pfffft. What a crock.

I just finished reading some of Sunshine's (see links - Days of my Life) posts about her life in Iraq. In fact, I have spent the last several days "discovering" the Blogosphere.

I am in awe. I am humbled. I am swept away by the sheer wall of noise out there that is humanity - (many of them) - at it's finest.

Must go - had to post. Love and Peace and Angels.xoxo

Posted by Optimist at 1:42 PM 0 comments Links to this post

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Saturday, January 20, 2007

Well, it worked!

Lynnette over at Rebellin Woman is right - you raise some hell in a blog and people sit up and notice! This time, the person that noticed was Lynette herself!! Thanks girl!!

Google finally emailed me on Thursday with "the message" I could have my account back. A mere hour or so after I filed a report with the IC3. Yeah!! So - a total of 4 days before I got my identity back. I spent the rest of the evening making sure that everything was clean in my mailbox. The only strange messages were a request for login info from Orkut and from eHarmony. I have to tell ya - There are a couple of dozen guys in New Jersey that want me baby!! (had to cancel that account - sorry fellas...) OK - so some lessons learned here:

1. diversify passwords!! Often! (being brain dead is not an excuse!)

2. email passwords should always be distinct from any others you use!

3. Don't upload your Outlook contacts into an online mail server! Those cleverly hidden Amex account numbers won't fool anyone.

4. If you are a Gmail user - make sure you have a back up email address. You can find this under Google account settings.

I was shocked at how this consumed my life this week. OK - yes, I can be just a tad obsessive - but... I do a great deal of business online and securing all of that took a lot of time and energy.(maybe I should use the phone more...)

So - this weekend we are hanging out, listening to the rain and I have a stack of books to read, a Grey's Anatomy and several movies to watch and my child's Pinewood Derby car to root for!Ahhhhhh....it's nice to be out of computer hell.
Posted by Optimist at 10:55 PM 0 comments Links to this post

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Thursday, January 18, 2007

Day 4 - Is there anybody home at Google??

STILL have not heard from Google. Nice huh? People - a simple phone call will do!! Or an email!!Wait! I just got another automated response from Google asking me to fill out a form (the same one I have filled out 4 times already...) This was in response to me forwarding them a message I got from IC3 - the Internet Crimes Complaint Center.

I found out about IC3 here: http://www.pajamamarket.com/pajama_market_small_busin/2006/07/my_gmail_was_ha.htmlHmmm - I hope it helps!!

To my readers - if you are interested in learning more about this issue, I have found several blogs that relate similar experiences:

http://www.somewhatfrank.com/2005/11/gmail_hacked_it.html http://www.rebellin.net/archives/000899.html http://optimalaccess.iuplog.com/default.asp?item=203307

Enjoy -
Posted by Optimist at 10:09 AM 3 comments Links to this post

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Day 3 - still waiting!!

To all you fabulous folks at Google -You say you care! You say you take security issues seriously! So - WHY have I not heard from you? (I know, I know - you get what you pay for). But I bought into your hype. Your coolness, your concern for your fellow man, your serious w/out suits ideology. But this is serious - at least to me!! Please block my account so the hacker can't access it!! And give me a chance to reclaim my data!!

Sincerely -
Posted by Optimist at 11:03 AM 1 comments Links to this post

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Tuesday, January 16, 2007

My Gmail was Hacked and no help from Google so far!!

Two days ago, some idiot hacker broke into my Gmail account, changed my password and now has free access to all my info and mail - and I can't do a damn thing about it. Unfortunately, the email account I opened my Gmail account with is now defunct - so I have no way to retrieve my "new" password. Google's site states that in this situation, people like me should wait for 5 (!) days of account inactivity, and then try to retrieve my password again - at which time I can answer my secret question and gain access. That would be great (not) as long as my account was truly inactive - but with the asshat hacker there keeping it active - I have no chance.

I have filled out several online forms to Google security and have sent several emails - but have heard absolutely NADA from Google. So what gives??

The hacker used my Gmail account to request my login info from Ebay, accessed my Ebay account, changed my password there and effectively locked me out of that. BIG difference here though - Ebay, has live online help and resolved the issue right away.

I have spent the last two days changing the login info from all the accounts I had linked to my Gmail account - fortunately most had decent and diverse passwords - so no problems so far.

I opened this Blog with the intention of getting Google's attention, and to learn more about this issue. After reading several similar stories on different blogs today, I have realized that I may need to raise some hell in order to make sure I get my email account back. Feedback anyone?Thanks -
Posted by Optimist at 11:27 PM 0 comments Links to this post

Stepping off the High Dive

2007-02-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

So I think - who would want to read me? Why should I blog? Isn't the blogosphere stuffed to the gills already with 46 year old women from Texas yakking away about themselves? The sheer number of people sounding off... What the heck do I have to contribute? (because contribute I must! - or what else am I here for?)
But I do have a voice, that I like to keep to myself a bit too much.

So - this is an exercise in self-expression. Just Because I Want To.

Hi Ho