ICING ON MY CAKE

I’m now officially one year away from "over the hill"…My birthday celebration with sis Tina(thank you for the delish cake, lovely presents, and all the hospitality, guys!!), her hubby Tom, my lovely niece Breaz, and my Dad-John R., and my long-time fiancee, Hansoo, was spectacular!
I loved getting to feel salt-water on my face(Thank you, Lantana Beach!!)
I loved getting to see my niece, now almost a full-fledged adult(!) cheer at her final "home" football game.
It felt like I was watching my little sister, all over again. And of course, that’s at least part of it.
It took me back to a time when I twirled and did routines on a football field. A time when the world was as innocent as we---my sister and I--- indeed, our whole generation--- once were…

Our world, our country, is not an innocent. Perhaps it never has been.
Georgia, the state I live in, has a history of shame and sadness. And it still has much to be sad over---one of the few states that, last Tuesday, actually PUT MORE REPUBLICANS INTO OFFICE(!)……
But I’m excited about the national "recovery" which was dramatized last Tuesday, as Democrats won the House AND the Senate. I’m not USUALLY terribly Partisan, but I would appreciate a bit of BALANCE.
Balance is something none of us have seen, as the Republicans have owned The White House, The House, The Senate, and most of the Supreme Court, for years!!

And Nancy Pelosi---a strong lady, and our new SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE--- one I hope will keep her promise to hold this Administration ACCOUNTABLE for the many messes they have created--- she’s a foundation we(the sane people) can build on…
Sunday, November 5th, my beautiful Mom, Demetra, surprised me(with my Unc Bud) with a painting I’d longed for:
in the foreground--a pig, nuzzling tulips in a green, breeze-swept scene, one with trees of red-cubed-leaves swaying in the background. It’s an uplifting, spiritual view of life. The artist, Timothy Michael, calls it "Breathe".
I’m going to name her(the lovely, sweetly smiling, gentle pig) Pelosi.
I hope Madam Speaker does not mind. I mean it as an homage to her. I feel like we can all breathe again…

And Rummy? In the words of Bill Maher, it was a great move, but done stupidly. If George W. had moved Donald Rumsfeld out just a few days earlier, it might’ve helped the Republicans out.
We all know Rummy should’ve been out the door years ago…
But like everything else George W. has decided to do, it’s been poorly done…

Hey! Us sane, progressive people at least have a chance. We have a chance, of taking our country back. By taking it forward…..

Sister Helen Prejean("Dead Man Walking" author) is speaking at Oglethorpe University this week. On the Death Penalty. And on her life, her writing. We are blessed to have her her on this earth.
I’ll be listening to her, trying to learn…