Author: shirlstars

I am blessed or cursed (perspective specific) by an ability, no more than that a need to view things from all sides, or as many sides as I possibly am able to. (A quirk or attribute that often drives friends and acquaintances crazy about me).  So most often I usually view and assess things that I might have little agreement with as having some possible value.  Doesn’t mean I like them particularly, but that I allow for the views expressed that seem in great opposition to the views I hold.  I usually can see what someone is getting at or coming from even though I dislike their choice of presentation or the concept all together.

As human beings, we are pretty interesting.  We are so often driven by our emotions and unreasonable expectations of others especially over words, thoughts and deeds that we find offensive personally.  And we are such accomplished beings that we are very well able to and most often do, hide the real reasons behind our responses to things from even ourselves.  We feel justified and righteous in “our” presentation of “our” view of things.  But behind it all is what?

One of the favorite things that humans do and do exceptionally well is hold on to hurts, insults and painful experiences.  Why, we can even hold onto them to our very graves, and with a somewhat triumphant feeling of “we showed them.”  We are great clutchers of such things.  Living our lives with clenched fists!

For a while now it seems plenty of us on blogs have been participating heavily in all manner of confrontation with each other.  We like confrontation, although we say we don’t.  We like it a lot.  First of all it gives us an excuse to blow off steam about all the things in our lives that are less than harmonious.  Even though the discussion at hand has nothing to do with those disharmonys of a personal nature, it still is a wonderful excuse, and we don’t hesitate to use it.  

The next thing is that loud yelling and attacking responses to each other gets the old blood pumping and makes us feel ALIVE!  It is exhilarating!  And we get to righteously pump up our egos in the belief that our views and our ways are the right ones.  Next, we get noticed and you know that old adage of it not mattering if we get noticed for good behavior or bad behavior as long as we get noticed.  Most of us in our daily lives don’t get noticed very often.

The detached view from the stars is this:

Holding on to old hurts, pains and insults, real or imagined, is detrimental only to the person holding on to them.  It destroys your spirit and does damage to your soul, let alone the effects it has on your psychological health. Letting go of those things is an act of forgiveness.  If you feel the need to do something about those old hurts, etc., then find something positive do do about them and then let them go.  You choose to get over it or not.  That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen or that it didn’t cause great pain, suffering and difficulties in your life.  It means that you have grown up, have allowed yourself a bigger and more positive understanding of life.  It means you are willing to move on from it and LIVE your life instead of letting life happen to you.  You are defined by your NOW not your past.  Get out of vitimhood, it really doesn’t serve any of us. Which choose you?

Don’t take anything personally.  Nothing here is personal.  I don’t care if it is the most vile, contemptuous, name calling, finger pointing, nasty, untrue insult you have ever heard.  Don’t take it personally.  Consider the source.  Consider the possible desperate, illogical reasons that may be motivating the source.  Don’t take it personally and don’t take it as having any weight whatsoever in the scheme of things.  It doesn’t.  It only has the amount of power and weight that YOU give to it.

I speak of these things with some measure of authority, because during my long years here I have been just as engaged in such reactionary behavior as anyone else.  I’ve been it, done it, played it, and now have the absolutely worthless T shirt to prove it.

Forgiveness is the answer.  Forgiveness of self and others.  Follwed closely by the law of Allowance.  Allow others to be who it is that they are, regardless of how much you may dislike them or hold them in disgust.  Forgive yourself first and foremost for all the real and imagined actions, reactions, and less than loving deeds you have offered forth.  You are worthy of forgiveness and you are forgiven by all.  You are probably the last one to forgive you.  Forgive everyone else, past, present, future of their less than loving deeds and actions.  That does not mean you are in agreement with them.  That does not mean you condone their ways.  That means that you allow that is just who they are and how far or how little they have progressed through this lifetime.  One reasoned response is enough to state your case.  After that, you are in it for some purpose other than discussion.

For those of you that have thoughts or concerns or ideas to the contrary, I am not speaking of anything here in a religious frame.  This is not the religious or dogmatic version of forgiveness.  It is the mental health version of it.  This is the common sense version of it.

Forgive and Allow

Some of you here are very good at this.  It is hoped that more will follow your example.  Anyone that wishes to live a more empowered and meaningful life can learn.  It is a choice.

The object, in my view, of these discussion places is to read and discuss.  Not to agree with everyone else and not to hurl insults or hurtful invectives at each other.  But we really have to ALLOW others to disagree with us.   Beyond a certain reasoned point continually attempting to change their minds is probably the most senseless waste of time there is.  JMO

I love you all and I wish for more love and allowing in each of your lives.

Hugs
Shirl

Promoted by Steven D, with minor edits.

This one should make you just happy as someone about to face a firing squad.

If we don’t do our best to contact our Senators and congress critters, and any part of this criminal legislation passes, 85 million people will find that they no longer have the health care coverage that they thought their Health Insurance afforded them, and there will be, of course new higher prices for what little coverage you get.

This idiot criminal, a Senator from Wyoming, Enzi, has a bill before the Senate to do away with ALL STATE REGULATIONS that govern health insurance.  And have added the provision that any state, or states Attorney General that makes any law or regulation contravening this new Federal Law, or fail to comply with this law, will be taken to court by the Insurance Co.

Oh it’s a beauty, this one is.

Families USA  Please follow the link to read about this in depth.

S. 1955, the Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act (HIMMA), was introduced by Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) and is slated for a floor vote in the U.S. Senate the week of May 8. This legislation, if enacted, will strip away almost all state-enacted consumer protections for people buying insurance individually or through their employers.

Though the bill’s alleged purpose is to make insurance affordable for small businesses, its reach is far greater than that: States will no longer be able to mandate coverage of benefits, services, or categories of providers for individuals, small groups, or large groups. Premium rating protections, enacted by states to make small group insurance more affordable to older and sicker workers, will be set aside. Insurers will be allowed to sue states that do not comply. The bill sets a ceiling on, but no floor under, what states can do to protect insurance consumers.

Here is some more helpful information:

What You Can Do to Counter Enzi Supporters and Protect Our Health Care

The Enzi bill would jeopardize the health care of 85 million Americans by overriding existing state laws that guarantee coverage of such crucial services as cervical, prostate, and colorectal cancer screenings, mammograms, mental health, well-child care, and many others.
Here’s what you can do:

Call your Senators: We had a wildly successful National Call-In Day on May 3rd, when more than 13,000 Americans called theirs Senators in opposition to the Enzi bill. So we’ve declared a Second National Call-In Day for Monday, May 8th.

Call Your Senators, Toll-Free:
1-800-828-0498  (it’s not to late to call them TODAY!)

If calling isn’t your thing, you can also e-mail your Senators here. We expect a vote will probably happen on Wednesday.

Support your Attorney General. As part of the wide front of opposition forming against this bill, 41 state attorneys general signed a letter opposing it. In this impressive letter, the AGs noted:

    “Consumers rightfully expect their state government to require a minimum of health benefit protections and to protect them from abuse by health care insurers. Elimination of strong health protections in exchange for weak federal oversight fails consumers.”

Now, supporters of the Enzi bill are striking back, attacking the state attorneys general for doing their job–protecting our health care.

The National Federation of Independent Business issued a press release attacking the state attorneys general for opposing the bill, sending an “error-filled letter” and “misleading” legislators. The accompanying letter sent to the AGs goes on to make the same discredited arguments about Enzi we’ve heard before. A thorough debunking of these arguments, courtesy of the National Partnership for Women and Families, can be found here.
Do you live in one of these states?

    Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

If so, your state AG signed this letter, and s/he needs your support! Take a minute to call your AG and thank him/her for opposing the Enzi bill. You can use the Web site of the National Association of Attorneys General to find your AG’s contact info.

There is a 12 page pdf that explains this travesty in detail.  It is worth your time to read it.

Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization Act

Health Care

Sen. Michael Enzi

Consumer Protection

But we did avert a major earthquake along the fault here in SoCal. . .LOL!

Diane looked exactly as she said she looks, only better than her picture.  Trust me, you need to see the whole person to see how beautifully it all fits together.

Even though I have told you all, more than once, I do not look like that overly flattering picture of me that has been floating around the internet, no one wanted to believe me, not even Diane.  So she got the “up for 24 hours” very tired and bedraggled version of me crawling across the floor of the airport baggage area. . .because I could not walk any more million miles than I already had.

So I am older, not a movie star (or even close)in looks, bad damp weather all the way made my hair frizz up, and I was so pale that Diane got out the blushes and bronzers to bring me back to life.  LOL!

Diane can’t quit saying “Oh, that’s how you look when you say that. . .”  about a plethora of comments I apparently make repetitively.

We are having a grand time so far and I know it will only get better and then when we add the MeetUp folks to the mix it will be beyond belief.

This is the best part.  There does not seem to be anything unfamiliar about this meeting with Diane, if anything it is even more easy and just plain like it has been for ever more.

Wow!  What a great meeting this is.  Sort of makes me feel like I’ve finally done it all and have it all. . .I can move on happily anytime now.

Diane is puttering away and not quite walking on the ground. . .a bit floaty. . .but I promised her that.  He he he he!

And yes we are talking about all of you, and we are laughing, laughing, laughing.  She says dinner is ready, so off I go. . .What a treat for me, someone to not only keep company with during dinner but someone to fix it as well!!  Yep, I am spoiled.

In 12 days the Great SoCal MeetUp will be an actuality!

My gosh, can any of you believe it?  It is pretty hard to grab ahold of the idea that it is really happening.

This is double barreled excitement for me and Diane.

Diane and I are worse than teenagers right now.  We are so excited about our actual face to face meeting in EIGHT days!  I am going a few days prior to the VB and BMT meetup so Diane and I can share some time together.  The anticipation is getting pretty hard to bear.  This will be very close to our actual online meeting one year anniversary for Diane and I.  Holy Cow!!  As we have been talking and plotting and planing over the past months, it is almost too much to believe that it really is coming fast to fruition.  It has been always “in the future”, and “when” and “how” and now it is smack dab upon us.  

I think (hope) that she is pretty well through her “getting everything perfectly arranged and beautified” stage and able to just let the next 8 days roll by with more rest and less concern about “impressions.”  I am in the packing the suitcases stage, going through my check list of things I want to take, things we have talked about me bringing, and things I need to take.  As always, I am sure I will pack too much.  

If you could have been privy to some of our phone conversations over the past weeks, I am sure you would be laughing your heads off.  We have discussed our wardrobes endlessly. . .(you mean there is something besides jeans and t-shirts?). . .we have queired about make up (we don’t normally wear), hair cuts and to color or not color betraying strands of gray, and gone back and forth about when we are actually going to Del Mar and how we will get there and back.

As high as our anticipation of finally meeting each other is, add to that the awesomeness of actually meeting some of our favorite blogging friends in person and you can see this is almost TOO MUCH wild anticipation.  It will no doubt be FABULOUS beyond anything we have already imagined and discussed, and we may have to meditate and “transify” ourselves into a state of calmness.

So you can picture a 5 year old Shirl jumping up and down, laughing and giggling, too excited to contain herself!

Can’t wait to see all of you who are able to join with us!!!  And remember, everyone is welcome and it is not too late to decide to join us if you can.

Hugs,
from a very excited Shirlstars

Yesterday in the mail I received a copy of a beautiful book, “Last Living Words: The Ingeborg Bachmann Reader.” The book is from one of our internet/blogger family members with whom I’ve had the great pleasure of sharing a few emails and some phone conversations.

We know her in the blog world as starkravinglunaticradical, many of us call her “stark”.  In the real world she is Dr. Lilian M Friedberg, or Lil. I’ve not ever heard her refer to herself as “Dr”, but it is a title she has earned and is worthy of.  I hope she won’t mind me using it here.
Now, I will admit to my total unfamiliarity with Ingeborg Bachmann’s work, and from what little I have already read of some of the poetry in the book, my education, indeed my life has been quite incomplete by having missed out on it to this point.

From the book cover I will share with you the barest of sketches of Bachmann’s life:

“Born in Klagenfurt, Austria on June 25, 1926, Ingeborg Bachmann studied law and philosophy at the universities of Insbruck, Graz and Vienna.  She received her degree, writing a disertation on Heideger, from the University of Vienna in 1950.  After graduating she became a scriptwriter at Radio Rot-WeiB-Rot in Vienna, and in 1953 won the Gruppe 47 Prize for her first collection of poems, “The Mortgage on Borrowed Time.”  Over the next many years, she produced numerous collections of poetry, fiction and radio plays and the novel ‘Malina’.”

This book, “Last Living Words,” contains many selections of her work.  I have begun at the ending. . .as my intuition suggested, and have loved her from the first words of her poems.

The work that our “stark” or Dr Lil has done is mind boggling.  She has translated these works from German into English so that those of us less linguistically inclined might enjoy the scope and beauty of it.  Anyone that speaks or is familiar with another language will probably be as impressed by her translation work as I am.  Translating anything into English is a very daunting task and to accomplish it in a way that keeps the integrity and meaning of an authors words is really quite stunning.

From the book cover:

“This Ingeborg Bachmann Reader consists of works of poetry and fiction published during the life of the great Austrian writer.  Brilliantly tanslated by Lilian M. Friedberg.  Friedberg’s Bachmann is no longer the frail and tortured writer presented in so many previous translations, but is a writer who stands as a strong woman and major literary figure.”

Those of you who know me a little, and those who are equally as owned by the words we write, will understand why this poem struck me from the first moment:

YOU WORDS

You words, march, follow me!
and even if we’ve gone further,
gone too far, there’s still a long way to go,
even further, there is no end to it.

It’s not getting any lighter.

This word
will only
bring other words in its wake,
sentence for sentence.
That’s how the world
would have its way,
be said and done,
once and for all.
She won’t say.

Words, follow me,
that once and for all never comes
-not to this lust for words
and diction to contradiction!

For a while now
put emotion to rest, let
the heart muscle
move on.

Let it go, I say, let it go.

Not a word in the supreme ear,
nothing, I say, whispered,
let not one word of death in,
let go, and follow me, not gently
nor embittered,
not bursting with consolation,
without consolation,
signifying nothing,
thus not without sign-

Just spare me this:  the image
spun from the fabric of dust, the empty garble
of syllables, last dying words.

Not another word,
you words!

Thank you for this beautiful work, Lil/Stark.  I am feeling very blessed today.  I think many of you will enjoy the words of Bachmann.

Any of you who might wish to read this work or have this book in your collection, you may order it at:  Green Integer, the Publisher’s web site. It is also available at the usual book outlets, but the compensation advantage for Lil is best if ordered from the publisher.

You can visit Lil’s Blog at Historical Footnotes

Hey Froggy guys and gals

Any of you that are interested in a T-shirt or other Meet Up memorabilia here is how you can order what you want.

You don’t have to be going to the meet up in order to purchase an item if you want one. . .We are not making any money on these items, just offering them at cost to any who want them.

COOL MEET UP STUFF

so save the link or go there now, they are available in the Village Blue Store on CafePress.

During this time of the year that portends the best of times. . .a season of Peace, Hope, Love and Good Will, this is my gift to all my Boo Trib Friends and Family

A journey

There Is Nothing But Love
  ~Shirl~

A Very real journey. . .come with me

Standing atop a windswept mountain, I turn slowly to gather in a full circle of unobstructed view. In every direction I can see into eternity and beyond. The clouds sweep softly against the stunning blue cheeks of the sky. The wind kisses my face with a thousand, thousand touches of angel lips. My feet lift gently up off of the mother earth and I stand on the unseen rock of All That Is, mid air, wrapped in light, infused with love.

Original Work :: shirlstars :: Tis The Season

My hair blows back away from my face as the wind becomes the very breath of me. My arms are thrown wide open to encompass all of creation from the endless reservoir that it is. Here above the mountain top, here aloft in the winds of change I stand to gather up all that is good and all that is love from this place called earth.

The wind blows through me as if I am a multi-portaled bit of porous cloth. It begins then as the acts of kindness and love of every moment, of every being everywhere, as they are gently gathered up and brought into the circle of my arms and circulated throughout the vessel that I AM in waves of overwhelming love. Small, tender, untold acts of child to elder, elder to child, stranger to stranger, family to family, friend to friend, and friend to foe. So many unknown actions except to the few, acts that have made all the difference in another’s life, that have lifted the burdens for a brief moment, that have turned whole lives around, that have made one very small ripple in a life troubled by a multitude of pains.

No earthly vessel can hold this love, this magnitude of amazing love, from each human on this planet. It circles through my arms and clear through me and back out into the ethers clearing and marking a path to the stars.

I AM become a piece of everyone in this moment. I Am everyone in this moment. Love disassembles me into a million million molecules that scatter from atop the mountain to every spot within creation and beyond into every space within the stars and planets and galaxies and beyond. . . .indeed, I am become the “dust” of love scattered everywhere. . .beyond. . . and beyond, beyond. In between the molecules you will find me and you will remember the greater purpose and the smaller purposes of why I came. And I will leave with you this love gathered up, infused and dispersed back out into the timeless, immeasurable aeons. And you will know. Beyond any doubts, ever, you will know.

~ All that I AM ~ All That IS ~ is within YOU  ~  Shirl

Art by artist Rassouli at www.rassouli.com

I receive several newsletters by email subscription.  One of them that arrived in my inbox today contained this gem.

It seemed especially pertanent reminder to me and the things that have been stirring up the frog pond the past few days.  I thought I would share it with those who might find some value in the concept and thoughts expressed within it.

“Allow others to be who they are”

Today I would ask you to allow other people to be who they are.  I would ask you to accept them at whatever stage they are in, in their lifetime and spiritual journeys.  I would ask you to stop projecting on to them the person that you would have them be.

There are times when you walk through your life so strongly projecting, that other people have a presence around you only in terms of what they bring to you and your desires.  And yes, of course, they are individual people, with their own histories, their own desires, their own fears and needs.  And they are also much more interesting than you may give them credit for, if you would just stop, back off your own energy for a moment, and be aware of them as they are.

Today would be a wonderful day to listen, to observe, and to allow other people to just be as they are.  As you do this, notice how judgmental and critical your mind is, and ask your mind to quiet down and let it all be.  Tell the editor and the critic to be silent long enough for you to actually observe the people you are with.  You may make an amazing discovery, that when allowed to blossom outside your criticism and judgment, and perhaps even with your positive support toward their own ends, they are really quite marvelous and fascinating.

People will surprise you endlessly, if you will allow it.  People you do not want to spend a minute with, because you have judged them unacceptable in one way or another, may turn out to have a very interesting life story which led them to where they are now.  And their tomorrow may be much less predictable than you think.

Give each person the great gift of allowing him or her to just be, to sparkle with originality, to shine from an inner glow that is not the same as yours.

Here is a little meditation/affirmation for today

Today, I am completely open and receptive to people as they are.  I am observant and deeply present, lavishing my attention upon others as I watch them open up and shine.

Today, I will smile with joy as I watch others glow from within, free of the burden of my assumptions.

I am deeply connected to every person I meet.  I am peaceful and loving.  I am.

Carrie Hart & Quado
www.Quado.com
carriehart@msn.com

All contents of this newsletter are Copyright 2005 by Systematique, Inc.

The uncensored, caution rated, true story of how it all began

There’s a story about Diane and I.  And I want to share at least an important part of MY version of it.

I was a member on dkos for about a year (user # 28972) when BooMan started up the Frog Pond.  I jumped right over here and signed up, with user number 73.  I usually read what was offered at BMT every day. I didn’t comment much and I didn’t post diaries.  Heck, until I started the  Adopted Daughter series on dk, I didn’t post diaries there either.  

When I capriciously decided to cross post the last few installments of that adoption series (and it really was on a whim) on BMT, Diane101 was all over it and asking me questions.  She drug me by the nape of the neck to the Tribune and told me to post diaries on “this” or “That”. . .we emailed, we IM’d, and then we started telephoning over the Internet.  In my thought process this was about a 2 or 3 week process.  Diane tells me it was 4 days.  She is most likely correct, since I have a bit of a problem connecting to time spans of any size. Shirl of the Stars spends quite a bit of time in those Stars. . .

We had an immediate and profound connection that is spiritual in nature, but all encompassing in reality.

We are of the same age group, although she is much younger (and older) at 62.

When we talk we spend a great deal of the time laughing.  Sometimes she even lets me talk too.

My strong points are not her strong points, for the most part.  Her strong points are decidedly not my strong points for sure.

She is details, direct, honest, common sense, practical, organization and a person of immediate action.  I am dreamer, a believer in the magical, mystical and miraculous, very Large concepts, limitless and don’t believe in “can’t.”

No one has ever been able to tell me what to do, even the hints of such cause me to dig my heels in.

Diane tells me what to do all the time and somehow it seems perfectly fine.  An occasional query by me, but generally I comply.

Therefore, Diane is magic.  You can see how that follows, can’t you?  Nobody tells me what to do or how to do it !!

When she came up with the Froggy Bottom Cafe idea at BMT, I knew she was brilliant!  See, an unerring sense of what people will connect with.  Wish I had thought of that.

Diane constantly pushes me. . .and I am a person that sometimes needs a push.

She can say in two short paragraphs what it takes me a full page to relate.  That will not change.

She told me we were going to create HER website Village Blue, and somehow I said sure and we did.

She told me I was going to create my own web site, Matters of Spirit and I said sure and I did.  

She says, about 3 or 4 times a day, “Shirl, why don’t you write a diary about. . . . ? or What do you think about this?”  She gives me a topic, they are always great topics, so I almost always say. . .”Okay.”

I ask her for practical advice on everyday type of things all the time.  She gives me great advice and lots of encouragement.

She asks me for less practical more esoteric advice (see how smart she is) and I share what I have. . .she goes with it.

We have an amazing friendship, a kinship of souls, and a great partnership.  And yes we know how to disagree quite passionately, but somehow it always ends up with both of us laughing and saying on this one thing, we just disagree.  (Diane is a more moderate liberal and I am the ultimate bleeding heart radical socialist liberal. You can see how we might disagree at times. . .[Big Smile])

There are quite a few things I defer to Diane on, because she has such an unerring ability to know what other people will respond to.  I do not always have that insight myself. I almost always at least ask her if she is sure.  She is sure and she is right.  It would be stupid not to pay attention to that.

We are two very strong and opinionated women.  We are both ALWAYS RIGHT!  And we make a perfect team.  We met a few months ago (April, 2005)  and have known each other forever.

Diane would tell you this story a bit differently and certainly in about two sentences.  The longer version I will write for myself, for my own personal enjoyment, and let this bare bones (for me) telling be the official one.  Which she will no doubt comment on and correct anything she sees as not exactly how it is or was.

It is difficult for me to restrain from expressing my love and appreciation for this amazing friend/sister/angel woman that I have been connected to since before time began.  So I hope not to embarass her, and I hope you all will forgive me for not being less “gushy” in my unending admiration and praise for her.

I have a hard time refraining from gushing over each of you as well.  You know how that LOVE thing is.  And it sure is at work here on the Frog Pond, and many other places that we meet.  I appreciate you cutting me some slack, and letting me spread the love all over the place.  Gonna do it any way. . .so nice to have no obstacles for that.

[Ed:  You will note in the painting the shorter of the two women, on the right, would be Diane pointing out to me that there is something I should do with the items in the basket. . .eh hem. . .and you will also note that I am carrying the biggest basket, that certainly is no happenstance either.  LOL]

I would love to hear any of your stories about Diane. . .and lordy, I know there are some out there!!

So give it up and add to the myth and stature of one of our favorite Tribbers.

[ED:  Due to popular demand. . .it continues, and continually continues. . .also liberally stolen word for word from Diane’s previous masterpiece]

Diane Said:
Ok, due to some thoughts and requests on the I Remember When diary, I am puffing up my muscles and dragging this big old Welcome Wagon in here today….Was it missed?

Here’s the deal, whether you just came here a week ago, a month ago or have been here from the beginning, come over here now and tell us all about you, or what you care to share.  Remember, newbies don’t know about you if they just got here, so tell again, if you’ve told before…

Also I am happy to announce that our welcome wagon gift baskets are all lined up and ready to give out, they are filled with all kinds of goodies…

Me, I’m a little old lady in Pasadena, er…..Santa Ana, but nearly the same.  62, semi-retired and about to undergo a move of my own soon, that will be new and different and I feel a great change in my life for the good.  In previous versions of my life I was an antique dealer, a mother of 5, grandmother to many, executive in a Trust Administration Firm, nanny, and oh so many other things…Didn’t identify as a Dem. until Clinton, not an early liberal, wanted to be independent and besides I came from a solid Rep. background..I like to think they would have all turned to if they lived to see the day.

So enough about me, let’s hear about you, and I mean all of you……please!!!!!