Glitter Graphics
Friday, October 31, 2008
Flotsam and Jetsam
Has it been that long since I last posted? Wow. Between working, worrying and being obsessive about the upcoming election and enjoying this wonderful cool, windy weather, I’ve just kind of bowed out of the blogging world for a while. I guess that’s why I have my little “Blogging Without Obligation” (BWO) logo on my website.
Speaking of work, this time of year is when everyone goes crazy at my office in preparation for our large annual conference that we sponsor. It starts next week and will be in Dallas, Texas. Let me just say right from the start that I’ve always dreaded going to our conference. I’m a real reserved and introverted kind of gal and being around 20-25,000 people for a week stresses the heck out of me. Plus, since our association is the host, all us staffers have to be all smiles and “How can I help you” Bleh! So, this year I took a chance and asked my boss about a month ago if I could stay here and not travel to the conference. He actually said he had no problem with it, and it has been like a great weight has been taken off of me. I think I must have told him once a week how much this means to me to NOT have to go. Such a relief, you will never know.
So, what else has been happening in my little world. Well, about three weeks ago my sister and niece came over to go to my little town’s Takoma Street Festival. We had a good day and came back to my house to chat for a while. Sweet Pea was craving attention and my niece kept laughing at him because his tongue kept sticking out of his mouth. All you cat owners have seen it. A cat is cleaning himself and stops and the tongue is still sticking out a bit. Well, Sweet Pea’s tongue never went back in his mouth. As cute as it was it, it was out of the ordinary and it made me take note to watch him closely over the next week. He was still acting very normal, happily racing around the house, trilling and meowing. He was eating and drinking regularly. Then, on Columbus Day I was throwing treats to all the cats and when Sweet Pea looked up I noticed something dripping from his mouth. It was blood. It was so shocking but Sweet Pea, again, was not acting like anything was wrong. I tried to see my vet that day but he was all booked until the next morning. When I brought him in the vet found a decaying, rotten tooth that needed to come out. Luckily, I thought that might be the case and fasted him overnight so they could take him in that day. I got a call from the vet around 4:00 that afternoon to say that they actually had to take out FOUR teeth! Oh, poor Sweet Pea!! He had to stay overnight and I picked him up the following afternoon. He was on pain medication and antibiotics and needed to eat only soft foods for a few days. Boy, did I feel guilty. I talked to my vet and, I guess to make excuses for myself, stated over and over that he showed absolutely no symptoms of being in any pain. I also told him that since all my cats have been rescued as adults, I’ve never been able to look in their mouths, much less brush their teeth. The vet reassured me that some cats just won’t show the usual symptoms and the owners never find out until something catastrophic happens (like bleeding from the mouth).
Speaking of work, this time of year is when everyone goes crazy at my office in preparation for our large annual conference that we sponsor. It starts next week and will be in Dallas, Texas. Let me just say right from the start that I’ve always dreaded going to our conference. I’m a real reserved and introverted kind of gal and being around 20-25,000 people for a week stresses the heck out of me. Plus, since our association is the host, all us staffers have to be all smiles and “How can I help you” Bleh! So, this year I took a chance and asked my boss about a month ago if I could stay here and not travel to the conference. He actually said he had no problem with it, and it has been like a great weight has been taken off of me. I think I must have told him once a week how much this means to me to NOT have to go. Such a relief, you will never know.
So, what else has been happening in my little world. Well, about three weeks ago my sister and niece came over to go to my little town’s Takoma Street Festival. We had a good day and came back to my house to chat for a while. Sweet Pea was craving attention and my niece kept laughing at him because his tongue kept sticking out of his mouth. All you cat owners have seen it. A cat is cleaning himself and stops and the tongue is still sticking out a bit. Well, Sweet Pea’s tongue never went back in his mouth. As cute as it was it, it was out of the ordinary and it made me take note to watch him closely over the next week. He was still acting very normal, happily racing around the house, trilling and meowing. He was eating and drinking regularly. Then, on Columbus Day I was throwing treats to all the cats and when Sweet Pea looked up I noticed something dripping from his mouth. It was blood. It was so shocking but Sweet Pea, again, was not acting like anything was wrong. I tried to see my vet that day but he was all booked until the next morning. When I brought him in the vet found a decaying, rotten tooth that needed to come out. Luckily, I thought that might be the case and fasted him overnight so they could take him in that day. I got a call from the vet around 4:00 that afternoon to say that they actually had to take out FOUR teeth! Oh, poor Sweet Pea!! He had to stay overnight and I picked him up the following afternoon. He was on pain medication and antibiotics and needed to eat only soft foods for a few days. Boy, did I feel guilty. I talked to my vet and, I guess to make excuses for myself, stated over and over that he showed absolutely no symptoms of being in any pain. I also told him that since all my cats have been rescued as adults, I’ve never been able to look in their mouths, much less brush their teeth. The vet reassured me that some cats just won’t show the usual symptoms and the owners never find out until something catastrophic happens (like bleeding from the mouth).
Here is Sweet Pea just a few minutes after I let him out of his carrier when we returned from the vet. He ran straight for his catnip body pillow and rabbit-kicked the heck out of it! I think he needed to let off a little steam.Anyway, Sweet Pea is back to acting crazy silly again, maybe even a little more lively. I’m sure his mouth must feel a whole lot better. Poor guy must have been in pain for quite some time.
A few nights ago when we were getting a cold front moving through, it was incredibly windy and cold (my kind of weather). I opened the storm door at some point and Woody got out. For someone not that bright (I can’t even call him a pea brain—Woody is a lentil brain), he sure knows how to sneak his way behind me and scoot out the door. Since Woody was a stray, he certainly knows his way around my yard so I just sighed and let him run, chase leaves and climb trees for a while. After about a half hour I went out on the front porch to call him. C’mon Woody…..come, come, come, come….W O O D Y…. He came barreling up the front porch and into the house. At the same time, I heard this galloping across my roof. Now, who is that?
Oh, look, its Trouble the raccoon!
He heard me calling and was hoping for a handout. Sorry, buddy. I'm all out of grapes.
Then there is this election coming up. A friend of mine sent me the cutest button so I tried to show it off as best as I could
Hmm, a little blurred
Sweet Pea: "I do not like to be used for your political propaganda!"
And finally.....
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Here Comes Trouble
A very quick post with a very short video! I wrote about Trouble in the comment section of Nina's beautiful and sad post this week about a young raccoon that was killed by a car.
I usually have lots of raccoons and possums coming by nightly for food. Lately it seems like the raccoons have moved on...all except for Trouble. Trouble is a small, young raccoon that still comes by nightly for a snack and, I really believe, some companionship. When he hears my voice he comes running to the door where I will toss out a few grapes for him. He tries to engage the cats in play, but a quick hiss from them keeps Trouble at bay. About a month ago when the storm Hanna was threatening, I took down my glass windchimes and put them securely in a cat bed on the front porch. Later that evening, I was watching TV and heard the familiar tinkling of my windchimes. It took me a while to remember that I had indeed taken them down! I walked to the front door and sure enough, there was Trouble, sitting on the porch gleefully tangling up my windchimes while clinking them together.
Here is a quick 5 second video of Trouble who was at the front door wondering when his grapes would be forthcoming. Sorry it is so dark.
I usually have lots of raccoons and possums coming by nightly for food. Lately it seems like the raccoons have moved on...all except for Trouble. Trouble is a small, young raccoon that still comes by nightly for a snack and, I really believe, some companionship. When he hears my voice he comes running to the door where I will toss out a few grapes for him. He tries to engage the cats in play, but a quick hiss from them keeps Trouble at bay. About a month ago when the storm Hanna was threatening, I took down my glass windchimes and put them securely in a cat bed on the front porch. Later that evening, I was watching TV and heard the familiar tinkling of my windchimes. It took me a while to remember that I had indeed taken them down! I walked to the front door and sure enough, there was Trouble, sitting on the porch gleefully tangling up my windchimes while clinking them together.
Here is a quick 5 second video of Trouble who was at the front door wondering when his grapes would be forthcoming. Sorry it is so dark.
Just a few days ago I saw another raccoon on the front porch with Trouble. Same size but much more skittish around me, which is a good thing. I've since heard the two of them on my back porch roof wrestling. Trouble has a playmate!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Animals and Religion: Caring for All of God's Creatures
Living in a large metropolitan area has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of living in the Washington, DC area is being able to take advantage of so many free lectures/talks about virtually anything you can imagine.
I've written about the Washington National Cathedral before and how it truly is a magnificent piece of architecture, along with all the enlightening programs they sponsor. Every week they hold a "Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith", a series of honest, intellectually probing, and generous-spirited conversations about the intersection of faith and public life.
I've written about the Washington National Cathedral before and how it truly is a magnificent piece of architecture, along with all the enlightening programs they sponsor. Every week they hold a "Sunday Forum: Critical Issues in the Light of Faith", a series of honest, intellectually probing, and generous-spirited conversations about the intersection of faith and public life.
Yesterday, the Sunday Forum's guest speaker was Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). He was there to kick off HSUS' latest campaign, "All Creatures Great and Small" It was an inspiring talk followed by a service dedicated to all living creatures. The All Creatures Great and Small initiative asks people in faith communities to educate themselves about the humane treatment of farm animals and provides educational materials about various faith traditions' teachings on animal welfare.
Here is what the Humane Society's website writes about the campaign:
**********************************
Eating is an activity with moral implications, even the simplest decisions we make in the marketplace can make a substantial difference in the lives of animals. It is only with collective action, in terms of personal food choices and policy reforms, that we can develop a more humane farming system in this country. The current system of factory farming causes serious problems in animal welfare, environmental protection, and food safety.
Few people know about the lives of approximately 10 billion animals who are raised on U.S. factory farms every year before appearing on our dinner plates.
On factory farms, chickens, pigs and cows are warehoused in enclosures so small the animals cannot even turn around. Read more about how egg-laying hens, veal calves and pigs live on factory farms. Surely there is time and space in our day to choose compassion, by reducing our consumption of animal products and/or selecting products from animals who are raised in more natural, less inhumane environments.
At present, there are more than 300 million religious people in North America. The author and essayist, Garret Keizer asks, "What if even half of them refused to purchase factory-produced chicken because that kind of food production is unjust to family farmers, unhealthy for poultry workers and certainly unpleasant for chickens? With a single stroke they could change the way farmers farm, the way chickens live—the way Christians witness."(1)
Sign the Pledge
You can make a difference by making a simple pledge to make more humane food choices for the month of October.
Battery-cage eggs are produced by hens who are confined in tiny "battery cages"—enclosures so small the animals can't even spread their wings. Nearly 280 million egg-laying hens in the U.S. are raised this way.
*********************************
So, every month I will let you know what that month's pledge will be. I hope you will read it, think about it and sign it. This month is very easy for me. I'm not much of an egg eater, a dozen eggs can last me a few months! Even so, I always purchase eggs from my local co-op. They sell eggs that come from local Montgomery County farms and also from Amish farms in Pennsylvania that are certified organic and humanely raised. That means that the eggs come from free roaming hens that have access to the outdoors, all organic feed, no antibiotics, and are not de-beaked.
Saint Basil's Prayer
The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
Dear God, enlarge in us our sense of fellowship with the animals.
to whom Thou gave the earth to be a common home before us
and who share with us the toils, trials, and joys of life.
We remember with sorrow that, in the past,
we have often exercised the high dominion of our kind
with ruthless cruelty
so that the voice of the earth
which should have gone up to Thee in song
has so often risen instead as a groan of travail.
May we realize that they live not for us alone
but for themselves and for Thee
and that they, too, love the sweetness of life.
Amen.
Peace of the Lord
P.S. I've been doing the exercises my physical therapist gave me when I stopped going to physical therapy over a year ago. I had hoped they would help but I can't see any improvement. Sooo I guess I will have to buck up and call the acupuncturist this week. I've noticed a definite difference from weekday to weekend. It really makes a difference how much time I spend on the computer! So, again, I apologize for not commenting and even not reading many of your blogs of late. When I get a chance, I try to sneak-read some of your posts during work so I don't have to turn on my computer at home.
I have to say, I have a lot of respect for those who are chronic pain sufferers! This pain tends to sap all my energy and puts me in quite a depressive mood. Nothing seems to help---hot compresses, cold compresses, any type of OTC pain reliever--nothing. Yesterday, for some reason, I had a good look at my kitchen floor and YUK, it really needs to be cleaned. Not just Swiffer Wet Jet clean either. It needs a good get on my elbows and knees scrubbing. I filled up a bucket with warm sudsy water and got on my knees, bent over and the pain in my arm was excruciating! How dumb was that?
Here is what the Humane Society's website writes about the campaign:
**********************************
Eating is an activity with moral implications, even the simplest decisions we make in the marketplace can make a substantial difference in the lives of animals. It is only with collective action, in terms of personal food choices and policy reforms, that we can develop a more humane farming system in this country. The current system of factory farming causes serious problems in animal welfare, environmental protection, and food safety.
Few people know about the lives of approximately 10 billion animals who are raised on U.S. factory farms every year before appearing on our dinner plates.
On factory farms, chickens, pigs and cows are warehoused in enclosures so small the animals cannot even turn around. Read more about how egg-laying hens, veal calves and pigs live on factory farms. Surely there is time and space in our day to choose compassion, by reducing our consumption of animal products and/or selecting products from animals who are raised in more natural, less inhumane environments.
At present, there are more than 300 million religious people in North America. The author and essayist, Garret Keizer asks, "What if even half of them refused to purchase factory-produced chicken because that kind of food production is unjust to family farmers, unhealthy for poultry workers and certainly unpleasant for chickens? With a single stroke they could change the way farmers farm, the way chickens live—the way Christians witness."(1)
Sign the Pledge
You can make a difference by making a simple pledge to make more humane food choices for the month of October.
Battery-cage eggs are produced by hens who are confined in tiny "battery cages"—enclosures so small the animals can't even spread their wings. Nearly 280 million egg-laying hens in the U.S. are raised this way.
*********************************
So, every month I will let you know what that month's pledge will be. I hope you will read it, think about it and sign it. This month is very easy for me. I'm not much of an egg eater, a dozen eggs can last me a few months! Even so, I always purchase eggs from my local co-op. They sell eggs that come from local Montgomery County farms and also from Amish farms in Pennsylvania that are certified organic and humanely raised. That means that the eggs come from free roaming hens that have access to the outdoors, all organic feed, no antibiotics, and are not de-beaked.
Saint Basil's Prayer
The Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof
Dear God, enlarge in us our sense of fellowship with the animals.
to whom Thou gave the earth to be a common home before us
and who share with us the toils, trials, and joys of life.
We remember with sorrow that, in the past,
we have often exercised the high dominion of our kind
with ruthless cruelty
so that the voice of the earth
which should have gone up to Thee in song
has so often risen instead as a groan of travail.
May we realize that they live not for us alone
but for themselves and for Thee
and that they, too, love the sweetness of life.
Amen.
Peace of the Lord
P.S. I've been doing the exercises my physical therapist gave me when I stopped going to physical therapy over a year ago. I had hoped they would help but I can't see any improvement. Sooo I guess I will have to buck up and call the acupuncturist this week. I've noticed a definite difference from weekday to weekend. It really makes a difference how much time I spend on the computer! So, again, I apologize for not commenting and even not reading many of your blogs of late. When I get a chance, I try to sneak-read some of your posts during work so I don't have to turn on my computer at home.
I have to say, I have a lot of respect for those who are chronic pain sufferers! This pain tends to sap all my energy and puts me in quite a depressive mood. Nothing seems to help---hot compresses, cold compresses, any type of OTC pain reliever--nothing. Yesterday, for some reason, I had a good look at my kitchen floor and YUK, it really needs to be cleaned. Not just Swiffer Wet Jet clean either. It needs a good get on my elbows and knees scrubbing. I filled up a bucket with warm sudsy water and got on my knees, bent over and the pain in my arm was excruciating! How dumb was that?
Saturday, September 27, 2008
In Need of Some Sweet Comfort
Oh, what a sad day. The man for whom I had my first big crush has died. It was just released that Paul Newman died yesterday at his home in Connecticut. He was 83.
I developed my crush in grade school watching old Paul Newman movies on TV. Then when I was a freshman in high school, (for reasons I still can't understand) my Catholic high school took us on a field trip to see the movie The Sting. On the bus ride back to school all the girls were almost swooning while they squealed about Robert Redford. I stayed pretty quiet until someone asked me if I didn't think Robert Redford was to die for. I stated, you can all HAVE Robert Redford, I'll take Paul Newman ANY day. PAUL NEWMAN?!! they laughed, he's too old! I started getting a little defensive. "I'll admit that Robert Redford is good looking but Paul Newman has class!!" That quieted them all down and we just agreed that I could have Paul Newman, and they would all have to fight over Robert Redford.
If you haven't seen the movie Road to Perdition, see it! It was Paul Newman's last theatrically-released movie that came out in 2002. I wasn't that keen to see the movie when it came out. But, since Paul Newman was in it, I felt I had to. I'm so glad I did. Yes, the movie is very dark and sad and Paul Newman's role was not very big, but it really took me into another world and I found myself thinking about the movie for days after.
On days when I need some comfort, I make fudge. Making fudge brings me back to childhood and my mom. She would make a little fudge once or twice a week. Always without warning, usually at night. We'd hear the saucepan being put on the stove and come running. In fact, making fudge was so associated with my mom that we put it in her eulogy.
When I was talking to her a few years ago on the phone, I asked for the recipe. "Oh, Chrissy, it's so easy. Just remember that everything is in quarters......well, except for the sugar." I don't know why, but I always laugh thinking about that.
Here is the recipe:
In a small saucepan mix together,
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
Bring it to a slow boil over medium heat. When it starts boiling, time it for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Then, take it off the heat and immerse it in cold water (about an inch in the sink) and start stirring. The stirring cools and thickens it. Stir it for--oh, I don't know--about 30 seconds to a minute. Then, pour it onto a buttered plate. Usually a small salad plate is big enough. Then let it cool. This doesn't make a large amount. Just enough for me for two days worth of snacking.
I'll post photos of the fudge making after I make my batch tonight. Somehow it just doesn't feel right making it unless it is dark outside!
I developed my crush in grade school watching old Paul Newman movies on TV. Then when I was a freshman in high school, (for reasons I still can't understand) my Catholic high school took us on a field trip to see the movie The Sting. On the bus ride back to school all the girls were almost swooning while they squealed about Robert Redford. I stayed pretty quiet until someone asked me if I didn't think Robert Redford was to die for. I stated, you can all HAVE Robert Redford, I'll take Paul Newman ANY day. PAUL NEWMAN?!! they laughed, he's too old! I started getting a little defensive. "I'll admit that Robert Redford is good looking but Paul Newman has class!!" That quieted them all down and we just agreed that I could have Paul Newman, and they would all have to fight over Robert Redford.
If you haven't seen the movie Road to Perdition, see it! It was Paul Newman's last theatrically-released movie that came out in 2002. I wasn't that keen to see the movie when it came out. But, since Paul Newman was in it, I felt I had to. I'm so glad I did. Yes, the movie is very dark and sad and Paul Newman's role was not very big, but it really took me into another world and I found myself thinking about the movie for days after.
On days when I need some comfort, I make fudge. Making fudge brings me back to childhood and my mom. She would make a little fudge once or twice a week. Always without warning, usually at night. We'd hear the saucepan being put on the stove and come running. In fact, making fudge was so associated with my mom that we put it in her eulogy.
When I was talking to her a few years ago on the phone, I asked for the recipe. "Oh, Chrissy, it's so easy. Just remember that everything is in quarters......well, except for the sugar." I don't know why, but I always laugh thinking about that.
Here is the recipe:
In a small saucepan mix together,
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
Bring it to a slow boil over medium heat. When it starts boiling, time it for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Then, take it off the heat and immerse it in cold water (about an inch in the sink) and start stirring. The stirring cools and thickens it. Stir it for--oh, I don't know--about 30 seconds to a minute. Then, pour it onto a buttered plate. Usually a small salad plate is big enough. Then let it cool. This doesn't make a large amount. Just enough for me for two days worth of snacking.
I'll post photos of the fudge making after I make my batch tonight. Somehow it just doesn't feel right making it unless it is dark outside!
Goodbye Paul and Rest in Peace. This fudge's for you.
Monday, September 15, 2008
A Glimmer of Hope
Okay, I'm putting myself out on a limb here, but I can't help it. This upcoming election is scaring the bejeebus out of me. I have literally lost sleep worrying what would happen to our country if McCain/Palin got elected. I'm a Democrat. I don't hate Republicans. I have friends and family members who are Republicans. We are all good people. We basically want to see the same end results, just disagree on how to get there. But, really, McCain frightens me. He is not the same John McCain from 2000. Sarah Palin...I don't know even where to begin. Her inexperience notwithstanding... her suing the federal government to take the polar bear off the endangered species list...her allowing the aerial shooting of wolves (so there would be more moose for hunters), her inquiries into banning books, etc.
So I had a little glimmer of hope today when I came across the blog Mudflats, written by a woman who has lived over 17 years in Alaska. I'm copying her latest blog entry verbatim. You can check out her blog at mudflats.wordpress.com.
**************************************************
I attended the Welcome Home rally for Sarah Palin this morning. Hooo. It was an experience. About a thousand (maybe) hard-core Palin supporters showed up to hear her speak at the new Dena’ina Convention Center in downtown Anchorage.
After shaking it off with a good double shot of espresso, and a brisk walk back to my car, it was time to head to the Alaska Women Reject Palin rally. It was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.
The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It’s probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally “a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots”, and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received many nasty, harassing and threatening messages.
So, as I jettisoned myself from the jaws of the ‘Drill Baby Drill’ crowd and toward the mystery rally at the library, I felt a bit apprehensive. I’d been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it’s a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren’t sent by Eddie Burke, we’ll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing “socialist baby-killing maggot” haters.
It’s a good thing I wasn’t tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody’s trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.
Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here.
Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn’t be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.
So, if you’ve been doing the math… Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin’s rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around (links are appreciated) to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska, who know her best, have things to say.
So I had a little glimmer of hope today when I came across the blog Mudflats, written by a woman who has lived over 17 years in Alaska. I'm copying her latest blog entry verbatim. You can check out her blog at mudflats.wordpress.com.
**************************************************
I attended the Welcome Home rally for Sarah Palin this morning. Hooo. It was an experience. About a thousand (maybe) hard-core Palin supporters showed up to hear her speak at the new Dena’ina Convention Center in downtown Anchorage.
After shaking it off with a good double shot of espresso, and a brisk walk back to my car, it was time to head to the Alaska Women Reject Palin rally. It was to be held outside on the lawn in front of the Loussac Library in midtown Anchorage. Home made signs were encouraged, and the idea was to make a statement that Sarah Palin does not speak for all Alaska women, or men. I had no idea what to expect.
The rally was organized by a small group of women, talking over coffee. It made me wonder what other things have started with small groups of women talking over coffee. It’s probably an impressive list. These women hatched the plan, printed up flyers, posted them around town, and sent notices to local media outlets. One of those media outlets was KBYR radio, home of Eddie Burke, a long-time uber-conservative Anchorage talk show host. Turns out that Eddie Burke not only announced the rally, but called the people who planned to attend the rally “a bunch of socialist baby-killing maggots”, and read the home phone numbers of the organizers aloud over the air, urging listeners to call and tell them what they thought. The women, of course, received many nasty, harassing and threatening messages.
So, as I jettisoned myself from the jaws of the ‘Drill Baby Drill’ crowd and toward the mystery rally at the library, I felt a bit apprehensive. I’d been disappointed before by the turnout at other rallies. Basically, in Anchorage, if you can get 25 people to show up at an event, it’s a success. So, I thought to myself, if we can actually get 100 people there that aren’t sent by Eddie Burke, we’ll be doing good. A real statement will have been made. I confess, I still had a mental image of 15 demonstrators surrounded by hundreds of menacing “socialist baby-killing maggot” haters.
It’s a good thing I wasn’t tailgating when I saw the crowd in front of the library or I would have ended up in somebody’s trunk. When I got there, about 20 minutes early, the line of sign wavers stretched the full length of the library grounds, along the edge of the road, 6 or 7 people deep! I could hardly find a place to park. I nabbed one of the last spots in the library lot, and as I got out of the car and started walking, people seemed to join in from every direction, carrying signs.
Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage. The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators). This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state. I was absolutely stunned. The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by. And even those that didn’t honk looked wide-eyed and awe-struck at the huge crowd that was growing by the minute. This just doesn’t happen here.
Then, the infamous Eddie Burke showed up. He tried to talk to the media, and was instantly surrounded by a group of 20 people who started shouting O-BA-MA so loud he couldn’t be heard. Then passing cars started honking in a rhythmic pattern of 3, like the Obama chant, while the crowd cheered, hooted and waved their signs high.
So, if you’ve been doing the math… Yes. The Alaska Women Reject Palin rally was significantly bigger than Palin’s rally that got all the national media coverage! So take heart, sit back, and enjoy the photo gallery. Feel free to spread the pictures around (links are appreciated) to anyone who needs to know that Sarah Palin most definitely does not speak for all Alaskans. The citizens of Alaska, who know her best, have things to say.
Sorry the photos are so blurry. They are enlarged from little thumbnail photos. This one says, Polar Bear Moms say No to Palin.
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Yes, I little glimmer of hope. Now, back to my regular blogs on cats, elephants, recipes and other non-divisive things.
P.S. I don't know when my next post will be (watch, it'll be tomorrow), as the pain from my pinched nerve in my neck has gotten quite bad. It started getting really bad a few days after cleaning my gutters when my right arm and shoulder were at a weird angle for two straight days. Having to work all day on the computer really seems to make the pain worse. I have to figure out what to do next. Do I go back to the doctor when this surfaced over a year and a half ago, who will then prescribe six more weeks of physical therapy at 3x a week? Even though insurance covers the bulk of the therapy costs, it still is about $45.00 a week for six weeks. Not a small amount for Possumlady. Then, some folks are telling me to try out acupuncture. I'm really leaning towards that, though I know it is not cheap either. I need to check because I think my insurance company actually covers acupuncture. Well, the arm pain is telling me to stop. So, hopefully, I'll be back soon.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Pasta with Asparagus
Ahh, the first real cool front of the season has passed through. Highs today will only be in the low 70s with lows in the upper 50s!! Oh sure, we can still get some hot days in September and even into the first part of October, but they are now few and far between. Thank Heaven for that!!
Time to start cooking again. One of my current favorite quick pasta dishes is Pasta with Asparagus. I found this recipe online and it is quick, delicious and really (I don't think) not that bad as far as fat and/or calories go.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of pasta of your choice
asparagus (don't have a measure for this, I just chop up as much as I want. Also, I've used both fresh and frozen and while fresh is better for the texture, frozen is just as good)
1 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic (I just put it through a garlic press)
1/2 cup of 1% milk
1 egg
3 tbls of parmesan cheese (I substitute parrano cheese, a wonderful nutty and buttery cheese from Holland that is a cross between parmesan and gouda--melts beautifully)
Directions:
Time to start cooking again. One of my current favorite quick pasta dishes is Pasta with Asparagus. I found this recipe online and it is quick, delicious and really (I don't think) not that bad as far as fat and/or calories go.
Ingredients:
1/2 pound of pasta of your choice
asparagus (don't have a measure for this, I just chop up as much as I want. Also, I've used both fresh and frozen and while fresh is better for the texture, frozen is just as good)
1 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of minced garlic (I just put it through a garlic press)
1/2 cup of 1% milk
1 egg
3 tbls of parmesan cheese (I substitute parrano cheese, a wonderful nutty and buttery cheese from Holland that is a cross between parmesan and gouda--melts beautifully)
Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions on package. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Throw in the chopped asparagus and garlic into the skillet. (Most recipes call for adding the garlic first. I've found through my years of cooking that garlic cooks VERY quickly and I hate to burn it. So I always throw it in together with other things that need to be sauteed.) While the asparagus and garlic are sauteeing for a few minutes, add the milk and egg together in a small bowl and whisk with a fork to break up the egg. Then add the cheese. Add all of this to the skillet and let it come up to a low boil for a few minutes (3-4) while stirring occasionally.
Here is what it looks like just after adding the milk, egg, and cheese to the asparagus and garlic
Here it is after it has been thickening up for a few minutes, bubbling and ready for the pasta
When the pasta is done cooking, drain and add directly into the skillet and toss with the egg/cheese/asparagus mixture. Voila! You are done. This tastes and feels SO rich with the addition of the egg. It really does taste like you've used heavy cream and a lot of cheese. It serves two good sized portions for a dinner with salad. The recipe can be easily doubled.
For extra comfort, I decided to use extra wide egg noodles. Yummy!
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