HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019!

Wishing friends and family a year filled with good health, good friends, happiness, joy, and adventure! I send love to you all.









Rosie didn't seem at all ready for 2019. I had to roust her out for bed for her morning walk and, as soon as we got home, she went back to bed - literally! We all have our down days and I hope that is all it is. For NY Eve, I went over to Reyna's for Chili Rellenos and Red Rice. I took her my Southern food for NY Day - Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas with Greens, in this case, kale. I think this is a keeper. I've tried several things over the years and this is my favorite. Being vegetarian, I didn't use the bacon, ham hock, nor did I add the Balsamic. Even so, it was very tasty. This developed from a recipe for Black-eyed Peas over Smoky Grits. The peas seemed bland so I looked for a better recipe. Then, for New Years we need cornbread, so I'm serving the peas over polenta rather than grits. Add a salad and it's ready. Tradition includes pork, but that won't happen here. Everything else is covered.

Christmas turned out to be much busier than expected. On some days, like the one shown here, I had two events happening, which is way too much for me! In this case, Chris and I went to Democrat SOB (South of the Broad [river]) holiday luncheon. Our newly elected Congressman, Joe Cunningham, was there and I got my obligatory photo. Somehow I always look better with a handsome, young man!! It was a fun way to celebrate his victory and we hold many good wishes for him. Later in the day, I joined the Liberal Ladies Steering Committee for our end of year luncheon. Both were nice in different ways and I enjoyed them both.

The holidays are also a time to touch bases with friends individually - through food, movies (The Green Book), special holiday activities, etc...and I was never at a loss. All of which makes me very appreciative for the friends I have here, who support me day in and day out. As much as I am NOT a phone person, it was wonderful to catch up with distant friends as well and learn of exciting happenings (grandbabies), future plans (moves to France), health challenges faced boldly, and stepping out of comfort zones!  It made me aware that, even at our age (and I speak only for myself, at my advanced age), we are engaged, active, interested, hopeful, and "happening"!! We are a lucky bunch......and I love you all!

Chris came over on Christmas day for a collaborative lunch, which was delicious and comfortable. We tried to arrange a Chickpea Loaf from a newly opened vegan place, but plans went awry. I was taking a Lentil Loaf over to Reyna's on Christmas Eve, which I knew would only be eaten by Reyna and myself, so I offered left-overs as an entree. Chris brought "crack" mac and cheese and I made a sweet potato casserole from a newly snatched recipe from a friend. We added a salad and desserts (Chris) and had a filling, delicious meal. My intentions were to include a photo of us at the table, but I completely forgot even though I left my camera on the coffee table as a reminder. A mind is a terrible thing to lose!

Sometime in the midst of it all, Tippy and I "Thai-ed one on" at our local Thai restaurant in celebration of our upcoming trip to Africa!! We will be going to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia in mid-March 2019. Needless to say, we are very excited and have acknowledged that we need to curb our enthusiasm. Our first trip was so incredible that this, or any other, will do well to live up to it. If this one can maintain the standard of the first, we will be happy campers. We are going to Johannesburg a day early, mostly to recover from the 16-hour flight from Dulles. We have also added a post-trip package of 3 days in Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope. This may be our last time there and we hope to cover as much as we can. We are both really looking forward to it and March will be here before you know it. 

Rosie, Jim, Magenta, and Anthony. We intended to take
a photo at the restaurant but, like Christmas day, we forgot!!

The day after Christmas I received a call from Jim and Anthony (thank you, Anthony!), who were on their way from points north to FL. They asked if they could stop in for a short visit. It has literally been years since I've seen them and a few hours would not do! Even though they only stayed one night (not enough time!), it was great to see them and catch up. I really would have visited them and other friends in FL if Rosie traveled well. She doesn't and I hate to sedate her for hours, but I would love to be able to take road trips to visit friends.....and just to get away from time to time, and I'd love to take my girl with me. This was spur of the moment but definitely icing on the holiday cake. Since Jim's retirement, they have been traveling and enjoying life, so it's difficult to keep up with them. I hope it won't be so long before seeing them again.

Since I've taken a break from politics, as much as one can when exposed to trump 24/7, I've been catching up on TV viewing. The three regular channels all seem drivel since watching news channels full time, but I have gotten into Netflix, etc. After Christmas lunch, Chris and I checked out HULU, hopefully as a means for dropping our local cable. What Hargray has done here is to make agreements with communities at the onset to lay the cable, etc. for the promise that they will not allow another company in! So, it is like a monopoly and we are at their mercy. Most of us have done as much as we can to resist, in my case even writing the FCC, but to no avail. Now we are looking for other alternatives. So, I signed up for a free month of HULU to check it out....and have become totally immersed in The Handmaid's Tail! WOW!!  I have tried reading Margaret Atwood and found it hard going; but boy, does it make for spellbinding TV, especially in these times. I've also discovered that they have Killing Eve with Sandra Oh, which will be my next viewing selection. If I can find something that streams either CNN or MSNBC happening news, I can drop cable and be fine with other options.

Thanks to one and all who thought of me during the season, in whatever form.  These are two of my favorites for diverse, but funny, reasons. Whose Boat is This? is a takeoff of trumps visit to FL after a hurricane and saying to a family that had a boat deposited on their property, after losing everything else, " well at least you got a boat"! The book was put together by Steven Colbert, with appropriate sarcasm, as a fundraiser. The kicker is the last page that says, "there is no moral", which sadly depicts our current times. The black shawl is a feel good, luxurious, sparkly Laura f-n Ashley (inside joke) upgrade to my Loft scarf experience!! I can tie it and wear it as a billowy cover.....of a multitude of sins, but I think I will have to upgrade my leggings to match! I also received lots of candy, which I took to mean that either I am not sweet enough or heavy enough!  Sadly, I know the conclusion to draw!! Thank you and I will enjoy it all!!

I've rambled on enough and there are things I've forgotten/neglected to include, but it has been a good holiday here, and I hope it has been the same for you. I'm holding you all close to my heart and wishing you only the best in 2019!


via GIPHY

Winter, No Heat, and the Holidays!

Rosie's electric blanket!!

I've been wanting to update the blog for a week but have used it as bribery in order to get other chores done! Today, a cold, windy day and President George H.W. Bush's funeral, seemed to be the perfect day to sit inside and get it done. This is made even more enjoyable by the fact that I now have heat after being without it for over 2 weeks!! I pay for a home warranty service (American Home Shield) that is usually helpful when something breaks around the house. I just call them and they send someone to repair it. This did not prove true in this case. There was a massive leak in the air handler and with the age of the system, the serviceman recommended replacing the system, as they always do! That was further indicated by the fact that the refrigerant used in my system is R-22, which will no longer be produced after 2020. Part of the delay was due to my effort to find out how much they would pay toward the replacement. As best I could determine, they would actually pay less than for the part that needed replacing! Every time I called, there was a least a 20-minute wait on hold. Each time I spoke to a different person who added to or corrected the previous information. Way down the line I was told that there were alternate, approved refrigerants that would work in my system. I called the local repair service and they would not do that!! Finally, in total disgust and weariness, I just had the part replaced; BUT, it didn't end there! Rather than buying the part locally and shortening the process, AHS shipped it in from some other place. That was a 4 day wait. Finally, Monday heat was restored. Thank goodness! I was especially concerned for Rosie and Mama Mia. Rosie would let me cover her and would often refuse to get out of bed until she was good and ready. Mama Mia wouldn't stand for that, but I did find a couple of sunny (when it was shining!) places up off the floor for her to sleep, and she would join us on the bed at night. As I look over my calendar, it seems that since the election, my time has been spent with repairs. First was rot around the top of my chimney. Then my car - at one point I had no heat in my house or car, so we couldn't even drive around to stay warm!! Then my fridge started leaking!! So, I hope things will maintain for awhile!!


Speaking of Mama Mia, I think I mentioned some time back that I thought I might have to put her to sleep. I finally broke down and took her to the vet, which I should have done much sooner but had previously vowed I would not put her through that again. She has renal failure, which will no doubt shorten her life, but the vet suggested I try hemp oil. I don't know if I am more surprised at how much it has helped her or the fact that she lets me give it to her. I had no idea I could medicate her. She is doing much better and is snoozing in the sun in the sunroom.

Most of my friends and I have taken a well-earned break from politics, knowing that things will heat up again as we approach 2020. I've actually had the presence of mind to read a few books, including these two. Educated is "a searing, unforgettable memoir in the tradition of The Liar's Club about a young girl who, raised by Mormon survivalists in the mountains of Idaho and forbidden to go to school, defies her family and earns a Ph.D. from Cambridge University". In addition to the author's struggle, it gave an insight into some of the real wingnuts in our country!

Becoming was as refreshing as I'd hoped. The book is in three parts - Becoming Me, Becoming Us, and Becoming More. The first paragraph of Becoming Us gave me goosebumps as she described her reaction to Barack, proving that he has the incredible charisma and charm that we imagine him to have. Overall, it was an insight into their relationship, their political life, their families, and so on. I really enjoyed it and admire them both even more.

At the moment I'm ready Small Fry, by Steve Jobs'  illegitimate daughter with whom he had a dubious relationship. Getting back to it will be my second treat after completing this entry. 

I've also taken on a few projects, such as organizing my recipes. They were is 5 different notebooks, which over time has become unwieldy. So, being motivated by "recycling" a cast-away crate from the dump, I was inspired to put all recipes in one place. I already had lots of folders but they didn't fit the crate well enough not to slide off the track and slump. So, I purchased a dowl, cut it to size (with the handle little saw shown), and problem solved!! For some reason, I take great satisfaction in projects like this that don't amount to a row of pins!! 

As a reward for doing the newsletter for Liberal Ladies of the Lowcountry, I sit on the Steering Committee. I was totally surprised and honored to be asked to be Chair-Elect for the coming year, which means I would be the Chairperson in 2020! This was totally unexpected and I was very flattered, but that just isn't my thing. I love the group and enjoy doing the newsletter, but am not interested in leadership beyond that; so, with appreciation, I declined. Our group now numbers over 500, which requires more direction as we grow. I'm happy to provide support however needed, but I wouldn't want to take anyone else where I might lead!!

Thanksgiving was very pleasant as my friends and neighbors, Lynn and Tom (Bogey's parents) invited Chris and me for dinner. Nothing beats good company and good food. It was a delightful evening.  After that, when we were in a cold house, they invited Rosie and me over for breakfast or coffee one morning to warm up. We walked over, but as soon as Rosie did her business, she would walk not further. So, I picked her up and took her to their road. As soon as I put her down, she ran straight to their house!! Rosie and Bogey love each other and it is so much fun to see them together and off the leash., though I was embarrassed that Rosie ate all of Bogey's prescription food!!  Then, one day this week, I was walking Rosie and we ran into a neighbor who lives at the corner of Lynn's street. Mary turned into the street to go to her house and Rosie turned with her.......and headed straight to Lynn and Tom's! Mary said, "I think she's going to Lynn's" and she was 100% right. They weren't home but Rosie was outside the door whining to get in!

Christmas decorations usually go up the weekend after Thanksgiving but it was delayed this year. Finally, over this last weekend, I managed to get things up over a 3-day period. I could only manage so much each day!! It certainly doesn't seem worth it just of me, but I do enjoy them once they are up. At the rate I'm going, I may not (probably won't) do Christmas cards. Even so, please know that I love and think of you, my friends and family, more often than know and throughout the year. Please think no less of me, for you are always treasured within my heart and I consider myself fortunate to know each and every one of you. I'm wishing you and yours all the peace and joy of the season.

Merry Christmas!

We Survived the Election!!

I had decided that after Ann's visit, which was a wonderful break for me, I was going to devote as much time and energy to the election as I possibly could. My major concern was leaving Rosie alone for much longer than usual. In any case, I was kept very busy:

• Canvassing every weekend. This was my first time doing it and I will definitely do it again. It was not at all as I had imagined and it is nice to talk to people.
• Holding signs by the road a week and a half before election day. We did this primarily because they kept removing our roadside signs. One day the signs would be up for both parties, the next there would be only GOP😡! So, we decided to make larger signs and have people hold them during morning and afternoon rush hours. I worked 4 of the 7 days and got pretty good at it. The first day, I was the only one to show up, but I did it alone for 2 hours!!  After that, we had 5-7 people at our location and each day we got better and more positive responses. Mark both of these activities as WAY outside my comfort zone, but I became more comfortable with both.
• Attending Friday night socials at Democrat Headquarters, attending Meet and Greet with our local candidates, etc. For the first time in decades we had almost a full slate of candidates running against GOP candidates - usually, they are unchallenged! Our candidates were young, enthusiastic and informed, and I think they have started a trend that will continue.
• At the same time, I was involved with the newly formed Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate (LCAH), which held a forum with the 6 Mayoral candidates, one of whom was a Holocaust revisionist. Rather than focusing on their platforms, the theme was leadership qualities and civil discourse. It was well attended and received good coverage in both the local papers and TV channels, even though it was put together on short notice.

• I also got to meet former Sec. of HUD under President Obama, Julian Castro, who is considering running for President in 2020. He was low key, very pleasant and knowledgeable. His and his twin brother Joquin's personal story is inspiring and he is someone who truly knows what can be achieved here when the government works for the people. Shown with him are Ryan Martz, one of our local candidates, Mayra Rivera-Vasquez, Beaufort County Chair, and the owner of the restaurant, who is from Mexico and this was his first time voting in an election!! He was thrilled to meet Sec. Castro and to have us all there. Chris and Reyna were with me and we thought we had our photo taken with our guest of honor, but when I checked my phone, there was nothing there.....pooh!
• Took Reyna to vote early (and her son voted on election day). She has also spoken to friends and relatives about how they vote. She has become active and informed and seems to really enjoy it. One day I got a text from her: 

        Reyna: Bolton?

        Me: John Bolton??

        Reyna: Yes. Don't like him!

That made me laugh out loud.  I told her that in exchange for encouraging her political awakening, she has taken me to all the best homemade Mexican food places. I now know the Tamale Lady on the island who sells loads of tamales from her home. Somehow I think I won on that exchange, though it is not helping my efforts to lose weight!!

The day after the election, I was wrecked and felt terrible. Why I planned so many things for the remainder of the week, I don't know. Rhonda and I were going to see Bohemian Rhapsody on Wednesday and around 3PM  I called and asked if we could do it the following day. I don't think I could have sat through it and stayed awake! We did see it the following night when I was feeling much better. It was very good and I'm glad we waited so that I could enjoy it.

Initially, I was really down about the results but, as time has gone on, I feel much better about it. I think part of it was that Gillum, Abrams, and O'Rourke didn't win, although there are now recounts in two of those races. Here I am with Joe Cunningham the Sunday before the election. He is now our Democrat representative to the US House!! WE FLIPPED MARK SANFORD'S SEAT!!

Secondly, we flipped the US HOUSE bigtime!! There were so many women, people of color, LGBT people, two Muslim women elected - such diversity! My hope is that the tone of politics, especially as it is now, will change with the addition of more women. I am encouraged by all of that.

I don't have a lot of my agenda for the coming weeks as I am longing for some downtime at home - and, Lord knows, there is enough here to keep me busy!! I will have to do the Liberal Ladies' newsletter over the next few days, but that is something I can do here. It will be nice to take a break from politics for a while before we gear up for 2020. No doubt, that will be a challenge, too.

Ann's Visit

I'm not sure where the time goes or what I do with it, as is shown by how long it has taken me to put this post together. I started last week and am just now finishing it. I feel like I'm living my life in 2-hour increments! I work on one project/task for a couple of hours and then have to leave it to work on something else, which is not a very productive way of doing things! I keep telling myself that all of that will change after Nov. 6th; if not, I can't even think about it.

Needless to say, it was great to see Ann and we have a nice visit. We spent two night in St Augustine, which was new to both me and her. October was a perfect time to go as the weather was good and there were not too many tourists. We stayed at a beachside motel and the sea, sand, and surf were fantastic, with huge waves and low-hanging clouds. it really was pretty. 

We took the usual city tour for a nice overview and then walked around for the rest of the day. Old town lends itself to lots of walking. The Lightener Museum in what was formerly the Alcazar Hotel. After a while, you begin to think that Lightner collected everything he saw, and then some!! Even so, I would say that there was something for everyone!

The real attraction was Flagler College, which was the Ponce de Leon Hotel back in the day. The architecture, grounds, and interior were fabulous and it was easy to imagine what it was as a hotel. The electricity was installed by Thomas Edison and the windows and chandeliers by Tiffany!! Electricity was so new that people were afraid to use it and hired "switchers" to turn it on and off. It really was impressive and was built in 18 months....hard to believe. Late in the day, we found a nice table on the balcony of a restaurant looking out over the water. The food was tasty and it was a nice way to end the day.

There is a story behind this photo.
The trip to St. Augustine made the week seem to fly by, though we did have some time for retail therapy. We were browsing through The Loft when we ran into the best saleswomen in the world! She very pleasantly hovered around to be sure I had everything I needed to try on this outfit. The minute I stepped out of the dressing room, there were oohs and aahs all around, and a rush for the camera! I just looked so good that she had to post it on their Instagram page!  Needless to say, I bought the outfit - my first venture into leggings. The vest/wrap is actually a scarf, tied to make this drapey cover. I was actually quite amazed by it. Anyway, we carried on to SteinMart where Ann was looking for golf shirts for Martin. I wandered around a bit and found another trendy outfit that I liked and bought. As we were walking out, I told Ann that I really liked the outfit but was a little disappointed that there were no cameras, Instagram posting, and so forth!! LOL!!

Ann, Rhonda, Me, Reyna, Melodee,
Lynn, Chris, Kieran, and Tippy

I think Ann was hoping to avoid all politics, but no such luck. I invited my fellow political junkies to join us for dinner and everyone was able to attend!! We had Thai food and the company and conversation were lots of fun. I told them that they had all become recurring characters on my blog and they may want to meet one of the readers!  We even managed to cover a few topics other than politics!

We ended the visit with dinner at the Boathouse. It was a nice evening and we thought we were early enough to get a seat outside, but no luck, The hostess did say the tall tables in the bar area were first-come-first-served, so we headed out there, just as someone was leaving a first-row table overlooking the water, giving us a perfect view!

The time had passed much too quickly but it was a good time! It was certainly a nice break for me and revitalized me for the final push to Nov. 6th.

Since Ann's visit, I've been busy with Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate, a rally for James Smith, who is running for governor, a relaxing evening at the beach with Chris and her friend Sue, Melyssa's Progressive lunch group, hospice visits, and the 3rd. annual Vegfest. I also attended the definitive card writing (for Democrat political candidates) party. It was in a beautiful home on the May River, and there must have been 40-50 people there - and they were having a second party that night!! We wrote 1000 cards that will be mailed to people to remind them to vote. The special part of this was that the food was outstanding and the entertainment (yes, entertainment) was Lavon Stevens, a well known and liked local singer/musician. It was lots of fun.

In the midst of all this, my buddy Melodee finalized the sale of her house and moved (as of 10/19) to St. Louis to be near her daughter. We didn't have enough time together at the end, between her moving schedule and my cavorting, and I certainly will miss her. We still had things we wanted to do but just ran out of time. I hope our paths will cross again.

Politically, I've changed gears but am giving it an all-out push between now and Nov. 6th. I've given up on correspondence/communication with legislators. Lindsey Graham has totally gone to the dark side, with a vengeance. Scott and Sanford were always useless so that only left the handful of reasonable sounding republicans (Flake, Corker, Collins, etc.). The Kavanaugh atrocity confirmed that only one, Lisa Murkowski, actually has the strength to do the right thing. So, I am focusing locally. This past weekend I canvassed in Bluffton and plan to do it on Saturday and/or Sunday every weekend until the election. I wasn't sure I could do it, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. At least I will be doing something that might help.

Scanner did not pick up details of the
card. It was much nicer
than it appears
here.

I hope Chris won't mind my sharing this, but it meant so much to we old-timers at Drinking Liberally. She made a lovely memorial card, which she distributed at a recent meeting, along with buying drinks in honor of Larry. We found it very touching and were honored to know that he enjoyed our group so much. Even in his last days in the hospital, he asked Chris "is tonight Drinking Liberally"! This photo was taken at our last meeting before his passing and it was such a good night, with many new members, that we went around the group and introduced ourselves. Larry confessed, in his inimitable way, that he had once been a Republican! We all delighted in his repentance and shared a good laugh. That was Larry! Such a lovable, informed, "curmudgeonly" character will certainly be missed in our group.

Finally, last but not least, I want to apologize to all whom I have neglected in the last few weeks, especially those whose birthdays I didn't acknowledge. I promise that I didn't forget, I was just in a "swivet", as we say in the South, I was planning to send e-cards with a note. All was on schedule with the prep for Ann's visit when my washing machine died and I developed a nasty looking sebaceous cyst on the front of my shoulder. The cyst suddenly got to the point that I have to have an unplanned doctor's appointment....and the washing machine had to be repaired.....so, it was frantic. So, I hope you will forgive me and that you celebrated well. I wish you all the best in the coming year.

With heartfelt appreciation for your friendship, 

a Belated Happy Birthday to 

Carolyn, Laney, and Sandra.

Leave a comment!

Hurricane Florence

I"m very happy and relieved to say that Florence was a week-long, nerve-wracking, non-event! It tore me away from MSNBC and diverted my attention to the Weather Channel, a sad commentary on my life!! Early on it looked like we would be okay and I was relieved to feel that I could stay put. I didn't want to have to sedate Rosie for hours in the car, nor did I want to put Mama Mia through it again. She is just to frail. Then, there was a model that showed it hitting NC and skimming down the coast, at which point I made a reservation in Valdosta, GA. By this time, all of the outside furniture was inside. Water, ice, and food had been stored, but now I packed to leave. The next morning, the situation looked much better, so I cancelled reservations.  I then just waited and watched. It was comforting that most of my neighbors and Bluffton friends were staying, so if I needed help there would be people to ask. As we waited, we had three gorgeous mornings - cooler, breezy and low humidity. Yesterday was 95 degrees again, so the storm didn't take the heat with it. We are all longing for a hint of fall in the air.

Once Florence hit NC, it slowed down and lingered forever. I can't imagine recovering for that much water short of tearing everything down and starting from scratch. Mix in with that all of the dead chickens, hogs and released coal ash, and heat - it will be a toxic situation for a long time. Since being here (1997), until a few years ago I had evacuated only once, years ago. Now it seems we have several serious situations per year. I hope to never go through what the folks in NC are dealing with now.

It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Chris's husband, Larry. Things were pretty much at a standstill over Labor Day as doctors were not available. Chris came down from Charleston and David and I took her out to dinner. She went back up and stayed overnight on Monday, knowing that Tuesday would be a full day with doctors, tests, etc. They have tests they do to determine how much ability he might recover and he failed them all. At that point, the feeding tube and meds were stopped, except morphine to keep him comfortable. He died within hours. Friends were just stunned, and felt helpless, with the severity and speed with which it all happened. On Thursday, once Chris was back in town, I had her and friends over for an impromptu dinner. If nothing else, we (her friends) felt like we could show our support. Both the dining room and kitchen tables were used, but we all wound up sitting around the dining room table, toasting Larry and sharing our favorite recollections. It was a nice moment. It also warmed my heart that Chris asked for the photos (in my last post) of Larry that I'd taken at our last Drinking Liberally meeting. I don't often do that but we had such a good group, it was comfortable enough to dine outside, and we had lots of new people.  I'm just so glad I took them!  DL will certainly miss Larry as he was always so animated in his discussion and always solicited a laugh. No doubt we will have a toast to him at our next meeting.

There isn't a lot else to report, except most of us are trying to reschedule everything that was postponed last week. I was to have my windows washed and that is scheduled for tomorrow. Most of my friends and I are highly involved with Getting Out The Vote (GOTV) between now and November election....and responding to the onslaught of Trumpisms that happen on a daily basis. I do the newsletter for Liberal Ladies, am on the GOTV committee of Indivisible, and act as a substitute host for Drinking Liberally when needed. Just this morning, I've taken on another mission. I was called by the rabbi of Congregation Beth Yom and asked if I would serve on the Steering Committee of Lowcountry Coalition against Hate. The initial meeting took place several weeks ago and I hadn't heard much since then; so, needless to say, this was a surprise. We had a nice, long conversation....and he was very flattering, though he really didn't have to be. I feel this may be "over my head" but I do see the need. They also hope to make this a lasting voice in the community, not just about the Holocaust denier running for mayor. Anyway, tomorrow I am going to the first meeting before committing to anything. We'll see how it goes.

I continue to look forward to Ann's visit and being distracted from my usual, mundane existence. it will be fun to get out and about, beyond my usual haunts.

Since I am without anything to dress up this post, I'll leave you with an angelic photo of Rosie and her new, soft toy from our friend Camile.

Happy Labor Day 2018

It's hard to believe that September and Labor Day are here. Though I'm ready to feel a little fall in the air, we are still in the low 90s. The mornings are getting a bit nicer, so we feel that relieve is near. The summer has flown by at record speed. 

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!

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.

This is Reyna in my kitchen showing me how to make Gallo Pinto, a delicious rice and black bean dish. Next time I will make it and see how close I can come to her version, which was very tasty. This is a perfect dish for a vegetarian. Just add a hearty salad and you have lunch. The second photo was a visit when she fell asleep on the sofa under Rosie's protective eye!

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!!

This is a photo I shared of Facebook after our last Drinking Liberal gathering. The guy in the green shirt, Mark McGinnis, (with Tippy and my neighbor Lynn) is running for County Council and stopped by DL for a chat. We had 15 people RSVP and then 26 showed up, with lots of them being new to the group. Lots of people are feeling the need to be with others of their own persuasion. Liberal Ladies has also shown a surge in membership (449), so Democrats are here. We just have to get them motivated.

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.