With September here, we are two months away from mid-term elections. Things are beginning to rev up and I'm pretty much committed to doing whatever I can to help between now and then. It will be a big push and I hope we will win enough for everyone (me included) to relax a bit...and to slow down much of what is happening in our government. The last two years have been totally bazaar, unbelievable and frightening.
Our local Democratic Headquarters has opened after having great difficulty getting anyone to rent a space to them!! And for the first time since I've been here, we have a democrat nominee for all open positions except two! So, we have a lot to work for. The one thing I'm doing new is joining a group to canvas communities. I hate making phone calls, as most of you know, so I thought I'd try canvassing, which should be interesting and test my metal! We'll see how it goes. The trump baby in the photos was given to me by David, a Drinking Liberally buddy. He has a funky little Mini and asked if we could use my car to pick up a sheet of glass he had ordered. It was no problem at all as everything was close by, and he had some play time with Rosie beforehand!! A couple of days later he called and asked if he could stop by on his way to work. As a thank you, he brought me the cute trump baby balloon and an RBG pin!! So, I mustered the courage to have the balloon inflated in the floral department of Publix. I was hoping I could pay there and make a rapid escape, but I had to go through the check-out counter!! Three of the cashiers got a real kick out of it, much to my surprise. I then took it to the Friday social at Democratic Headquarters and left it with them. Share the fun!
Our local Democratic Headquarters has opened after having great difficulty getting anyone to rent a space to them!! And for the first time since I've been here, we have a democrat nominee for all open positions except two! So, we have a lot to work for. The one thing I'm doing new is joining a group to canvas communities. I hate making phone calls, as most of you know, so I thought I'd try canvassing, which should be interesting and test my metal! We'll see how it goes. The trump baby in the photos was given to me by David, a Drinking Liberally buddy. He has a funky little Mini and asked if we could use my car to pick up a sheet of glass he had ordered. It was no problem at all as everything was close by, and he had some play time with Rosie beforehand!! A couple of days later he called and asked if he could stop by on his way to work. As a thank you, he brought me the cute trump baby balloon and an RBG pin!! So, I mustered the courage to have the balloon inflated in the floral department of Publix. I was hoping I could pay there and make a rapid escape, but I had to go through the check-out counter!! Three of the cashiers got a real kick out of it, much to my surprise. I then took it to the Friday social at Democratic Headquarters and left it with them. Share the fun!
It hasn't all been politics, though. I was invited to the 12th birthday party for Reyna's daughter, Valerie. It was lots of fun, complete with a huge pinata, and I met some very nice people who made me feel welcome. The smallest daughter, Michelle, was the one who whacked open the pinata and everyone scrambled for candy. I hate that the photos are blurred, but at least you get a feel for the afternoon.
As if there isn't enough going on, I was contacted by the President of Congregation Beth Yam to ask if I would ask our local Indivisible group to join a newly formed Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate! Believe it or not, in our sleepy, little hamlet we have a Holocaust denier running for mayor!! So, I emailed members of the Board whom I know and passed on the information. I then volunteered to attend the meeting as a representatives of Liberal Ladies of the Lowcountry. It was a pretty diverse group and a cross section of our community. By the end of it, the consensus was that the LCAH would stand against hate in any form (against people of color, LGBTQ community, documented workers, etc) and that it would extend beyond this one issue. There were lots of ideas as to how to deal with this issue and it will be interesting to see how things develop - as well as how some groups handle the rabbi's interpretation that we would defend LGBTQ, undocumented workers, etc. Not sure the republican lady (from Mormon church) who sat by me will be on board with that!!
On Thursday I received some sad news from my dear friend Chris, whom many of you have met. On Monday Larry, her husband (in beige shirt at left), had a massive stroke. It was a real jolt. He was airlifted to University Hospital in Charleston, which is the major stroke center in the state. Thus far they have not been able to dissolve the clot, and he suffers paralysis on the left side. Another major issue is that he is unable to swallow. David, who had a severe stroke on his 60th birthday, and I had dinner with Chris last night, and she is hoping to get more definitive information on Tuesday. It is doubtful that he will be able to walk again, and even sitting up is difficult. So, they have dealt with a lot this week. This is one of those situations that makes one feel totally helpless and reminds us how little control we have over the really important things in life. Please keep them in your thoughts and send comforting vibes their way.
To add to the sadness of the week were the funerals of Aretha Franklin, a real celebration of life and talent, and John McCain, a patriotic call to country and decency. Through the week I was only able to see bits and pieces of the events, but on Saturday I made a point of seeing McCain's whole service, which was very impressive. It was truly patriotic, making a plea to save our government from trump. His name was not mentioned once, but he was indicted repeatedly. It was wonderful to hear President Obama again, and George Bush even made sense! It was also interesting to get a more complete picture of the man in various aspects of his life......but then everyone seems to see the good once you're dead; and, if your foil is trump, it doesn't take a lot to look good. Between the music and eulogies, it was emotional. I was in tears with Meghan's eulogy and the last straw was Danny Boy!! Ugly cry in full display. Melodee and I messaged throughout the service, which added to the experience - sharing it with someone while remaining in the comfort of your home!
Thankfully, there is some happy news. At the end of this month, Ann is coming for a visit and I'm really looking forward to it. We had been talking about this for a while, but then when I heard their first grand-baby (Katie and Adrian) would be arriving in December, I really pushed for her to visit before that time. Once grand-babies start arriving I knew she would be much too busy and visiting me would move way down on the list! I'm hoping that our weather will be a little cooler by that time so we can enjoy some beach time or whatever else we decide to do. It will just be good to catch up.
And finally, when Eileen was here we had an impromptu tour of Graves' House in downtown Bluffton - just as it was finished and before the pastor moved in. Shortly thereafter a local magazine ran a nice article on it, which you can see HERE on page 138. It really was beautifully done, in an understated kind of way. Seeing it was a real treat.
