oops

Haven't written in a few days. Not a good thing for discipline. Put it down to my lack of nervousness now that President elect Obama is starting to show he is going to be fully in control and wants to actually heal this country instead of divide it.

Anyway, I am also in the midst of trying to decide what to do for Christmas. At this time of year, my thoughts always stray in that direction. I don't know why - it's not as if I had any immediate family, or am asked anywhere, except on Christmas Eve to my cousin's. But I do love the entire season. I love to decorate, make cookies and other treats, get a tree and hopefully this year host a small Christmas party to celebrate the season.

I have been saving TP and paper towel rolls for the past few weeks and am getting quite a collection. I am going to use them to make lavender soap and perhaps my own Christmas Crackers. The soap for sure. I have also been saving half and half containers and as soon as I find a really old and crappy pot, I am going to melt all the old wax candles and create new ones. This will get me in the holiday spirit - and some new guest soaps and candles too!

And the Euphoria continues

I still feel pretty euphoric about Tuesday. I know we have a long road ahead, but there is a prevailing sense of hope - to quote Rev Wright via President Obama, an audacity of hope.
That is a cool phrase. It has such significance.

We've lived too long in fear. Yes we needed a good dose of fear in the days following 9/11. A good dose of fear and a healthy respect that not everyone likes us. I remember living in England in my youth and learning much to my surprise and horror that the United States was not that popular. We had to pretend to be Canadians when we went to France so we would not be harassed - and then had to deal with the whole separatist issue, which was awkward.

I do remember one day though, when my friend and I were in France, there was a terrorist attack at a deli not far from where we were staying in the Rive Gauche. I was reading the newspapers as well as I could to get information but it was still not a pretty situation. We hightailed it to the American Embassy for advice. Two Marine guards were there and I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a Marine in my life. They advised us to get away from Paris as soon as we could. That night, when they were off duty, the escorted us to the Gare Du Nord and put us on a train to Amsterdam. They were cool, calm and totally professional and a great comfort at a scary time.

Unlike our leaders at 9/11. Bush and Cheney couldn't wait to take away our rights and civil liberties. Unlike real Republicans - the ones who existed before Reagan and the religious right hijacked the party - they wanted government interference in every part of our lives and stupidly their cohorts on the Hill gave it to them.

Now change has come and I welcome it with open arms. It's not going to be easy to do - change never is - but with ALL of us supporting our new president, maybe soon we can see a return to prosperity, and dare I say it - the hopeful optimism that is so much a part of our character as a country.

President Obama

Wow. I finally stopped crying. My heart is so full of anticipation and hope. Barack Obama is the President Elect of the United States! I can feel the excitement in the air. First at the polls. Even though many waited for hours, I heard that somewhere here in Cleveland, where the wait was quite long in some places, people were ordering pizzas and having them delivered and sharing them with fellow voters - Democrats and Republicans alike. That gives me such a sense of purpose and happiness to realize that perhaps the days when the rule of division, as it has been with Bush will become one of true unification.

As Tom Friedman in the NY Times said this morning:

Obama will have to reinvent government as an instrument of the common good — to regulate markets, to protect citizens against the risks of unemployment and ill health, to invest in energy independence.” But a new politics of the common good can’t be only about government and markets. “It must also be about a new patriotism — about what it means to be a citizen,” said Sandel. “This is the deepest chord Obama’s campaign evoked. The biggest applause line in his stump speech was the one that said every American will have a chance to go to college provided he or she performs a period of national service — in the military, in the Peace Corps or in the community. Obama’s campaign tapped a dormant civic idealism, a hunger among Americans to serve a cause greater than themselves, a yearning to be citizens again.”

None of this will be easy. But my gut tells me that of all the changes that will be ushered in by an Obama presidency, breaking with our racial past may turn out to be the least of them. There is just so much work to be done. The Civil War is over. Let reconstruction begin.

The real John McCain showed up last night and hopefully will lead his party back to being civilized and part of this great nation. I have great hopes that he will return to the days when he reached across the asile to embrace what is right and good and not stay his course of backward and insular thinking.

I realize that many people in 2004 were as enthusiastic about Bush as we are about Obama and are sad that he failed so miserably. Now is the time to embrace them and make them realize that even if they are evangelical Christians, Orthodox Jews and fundamentalist Muslims, there is a new President who will first and foremost protect the United States. Because if the United States is strong and respected, we can be a force for good in this world and maybe, just maybe cure its ills.

Sarah Palin said that God was going to be the one who decided this election. Well, I guess He did - not the way Sarah wanted - but it was pretty decisive. He answered her prayer that she wake up as VP, and he said NO! to her and YES to the United States of America.

Voting

Well, I voted today. My cousin Paul and I left home at 6:20 am and there was already a huge line at the polls. It took an hour to get inside the door and another 40 minutes to wait, sign in and actually vote, so we got home at 8:00 am. I have to say though that the mood was friendly, almost jovial. There was an air of suppressed excitement, as if everyone was certain of the outcome, but no one wants to say anything out loud in case we jinx it. This was one of the most exciting votes I've done in a long time!

Obama's team passed out snacks, and water to everyone in line - hopefully that will sway McCain voters - who were the only surly ones in the crowd. A young woman and her little boy (he was almost 3) were standing behind us and we had a lovely chat while we were waiting. I felt her optimism.

I encourage everyone to vote for Change. We are in such a bad way that 4 more years of Republican corruption and ignorance would probably spell the end of the United States as we know it. The Republicans are so out of touch, they even selected a "frontier wife" who knows nothing of the world to serve as VP of the greatest country in the world. Her concept of diversity is what to shoot - a caribou or a wolf. And of course, there is the continuation of the Bush-Cheney doctrine of fear, war and hate mongering that is the hallmark of their administration. They hate their own country and its citizens and it shows.

I know the Democrats are not perfect, but I fear them less. They are not as ruthless in negating people's lives and they seem to have a more positive attitude as to where we are as a country. I am tired of the fear mongering, the cheating, the lies and the personal attacks on anyone who is not "republican" right wing and born-again Christian extremist.

Voting is a responsibility. Just as duty to our country is, and we must take part it this or we as America will go the way of the dodo. I don't want that.

Weekend Cooking

I like to cook, but even working from home makes cooking during the week kind of a chore. So on weekends, I like to take some time and make things we can eat during the week.

I made this killer potato-broccoli-corn - and cheese soup yesterday and we have enough for lunch today!

It was so easy, that I thought I'd share it with you

1 onion chopped up and sauteed in 2 tbs of olive oil.
Flour - 2 tbs, added to the softened and heated onions to make a roue.
16-20 ounces chicken stock
16-20 ounces water
4-5 potatoes chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
1 head of broccoli
2 cups corn
1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion in olive oil and then add flour to the translucent onions to make a roue. Add chicken stock and water to the pot and bring to a boil. Chop potatoes and the large broccoli stems, setting the heads aside. Add the potatoes and stems to the boiling stock, reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add cheese and mix until all is melted and smooth. Add corn and rest of the broccoli. Cook five minutes, stirring occasionally to keep cheese from sticking to pot bottom. Serve.

It's really good! Hope you enjoy it!

New Bloggings

I got used to writing blogs for American Greetings for the past five months, so I thought that I would continue to write some stuff on my own. It keeps my hand in with creative writing and let's me share my musings with all of you. Even though that gig is over (although we - that's my cousin Paul and me - are under contract with them for a couple of years, they didn't want us to do any more blogs for them. What a pity.) I was really into writing about Christmas and may just continue on my own.

One good thing about not writing blogs for 6 hours a day is that I can work on my novel. It's been a lot of fun plotting this one out - but usually writing so much made me reluctant to do any more at night. And my friend Carolyn and I can get together for our 2 person book club and I will be on time for a change!

And I think the cats will be happier! We have three cats - Mystery (aka Myst) Graymalkin (Malkie) and Karma. They are all three black cats and pretty large. Myst and Malkie weigh about 21.5 pounds each and Karma the little one is a 12 pound baby. You should see us when we all go to the vet hauling 55 pounds of cats. It's quite a work out.

Speaking of workouts - I went to yoga this morning and it wasn't the same teacher. I used muscles I've never known existed today, and right now I am pooped. So i guess I will go and take relax - see you all tomorrow!