Another Batch! And trying to steady the boat....

Photos are at the bottom so this can end on a high and positive note.....

Ever since my epiphany yesterday that John (Known Quantity Old White Guy) McCain may have a good chance to beat out either Hillary (Woman and Bill's wife) Clinton and Barak (Hussein Black Guy....with Hope) Obama.....never mind that McSame promises more of what we've been having the last 7 years, I've really been in the doldrums. I'm trying to get back my optimism, but really, I think it goes back to the whole voting debacle last week. I've come to the conclusion that the most electable Democrat...John (White Southern Guy) Edwards was shoved out of the arena by the media who gave Edwards about one tenth the coverage of Clinton and Obama. I'm hoping this wasn't because the media is in the pocket of the current administration, but rather, it was an attempt at selling sensationalism in the first race ever between a woman and a black man. How cynical is that, hoping that sensationalism wins out! But at any rate, I've come to the conclusion that many people are just plain afraid of something different than what they've always known....someone who looks different or has a different sound. I had so hoped that this country could be put on the right track again with fairness and justice for all and the moral high road and common good being our intent. To have McCain would be more of the same old-same old. I sometimes wonder if I'm too idealisic or just plain naive. Maybe the campaign season just goes on too long and wears us all out. What is it that makes our politics so nasty? What is it that makes nastiness work? Does it all stem from ego? I don't get it!!

OK, I HAVE figured out how to move the photos around so we can end with good stuff after my downer of a thought. It's a much better way...definitely. I needed to look at these photos some more and remember that, really, life is pretty good, never mind the direction things seem to be going politically.

I will say that Kathy has now joined the B & B stage of life, and isn't that Carol just so tricky what with her "thinking" finger held just so against her jaw. I have another photo of Carol with the same finger pose....hmmmm..... Margie and Diane are lookin so good....been at work all day, have to go into work tomorrow early, but still lookin great. And the bottom photo is the very beginning of the Conga Line, before it actually started whirling around the restaurant, before it headed out the door. The photo is like a Tropical Storm brewing up before it gets up to speed and it's full potential HERricane force blasts out.

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Kathy said something just like this.....

Kathy sent this in e-mail the other day.....this is what she said at her party....well, almost. This IS what she meant....

Time passes.

Life happens.

Distance separates.

Children grow up.

Jobs come and go.

Love waxes and wanes.

Men don't do what they're supposed to do.

Hearts break.

Parents die.

Colleagues forget favors.

Careers end.

BUT.........

Sisters are there,

no matter how much time and how

many miles are between you.

A girl friend is never farther away

than needing her can reach.

When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you

have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end.

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters, daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers, Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended family, all bless our life!

The world wouldn't be the same without women, and neither would I.

When we began this adventure called womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or sorrows that lay ahead.

Nor did we know how much we would need each other.

Every day, we need each other still.

More from Kathy's Fabulous Extravaganza of Celebration

I tell ya what! Aren't we cute!!!

Heartsick, Mad and Embarrassed

I have been waiting for months to vote for Barack Obama. I love his message of unity....his ideal that we ALL need to work for progress.....together. I love that he's raised the level of discourse...in debating, in campaigning and in idea. I love that he's been positive rather than stooping to dirty "sound-bite" gotcha items. I love the spirit and message of hope that he's inspired in so many people. It was the very first time I've ever been so engaged in politics that I put out a yard sign. I felt this was such an important election that I also....for the first time....signed up to work for his campaign on election day. I also went to see Obama, not once, but twice, when he came to our area. So when I went to the poll yesterday, yeah, I was really excited to vote, more than I've ever been.

But I couldn't vote. When I got to the poll I found out I was registered as an Independent. How could I NOT know this!! I felt like I'd been hit in the gut with a sledge hammer. I felt like an idiot, but more than that, I couldn't vote when I most wanted to. Talk about SAD. Talk about MAD.....at myself. I'm still reeling from this. This lack of self-knowlege, this lack of getting my peas in a row. How could I have let this happen. I don't know.

I will also say, I don't know my blood-type either. I know I've learned it several times. And I know there is an A, a B or an O in it. But yeah, that's only because that's the only kinds there are. And I know it's a positive thing. Oh well.

So this morning when I woke up to find out that Hillary had gotten her 10%, I feel even sadder...and maybe even somewhat responsible. I have three daughters who didn't vote because they were away and didn't take the time to bother with the absentee ballots. I should've sent those to them with admonitions of no home cooking EVER AGAIN if they didn't vote. And I should've made damn sure that I was registered as a Democrat in order to be able to vote. So yeah, I feel really hearsick.

I will say, I know that many people voted for Hillary because of positives, for real issues that they think are important. It's not just because of the scare tactics (the 3 am phone call) or the negative campaigning that went on. Though, I still think Obama should and will get the nomination, if, in the end, Hillary becomes the candidate, I'll try to keep remembering that she wrote a book which has a title I really love. "It takes a Village". Though I haven't read it, I think the premise is really wonderful....because in the end it does take a village.

So, my self-image and my idealism took really big hits yesterday. Today, I'm trying to recuperate.

Kathy's Fabulous Fiftieth!

Oh Kathy, you were the perfect Birthday Girl! You were so easy to kidnap, you were so joyous in your celebration. And the SPEECH, it was wonderful. I looked (briefly) for a poem....or a little Sisterhood Story that matched the wonderful occasion, but there is some really (ewww) saccharine stuff out there....and really ladies, the Wags, we just don't do super SWEET. Whatever Kathy said....though I can't remember specifically what that was.....it was perfect. It was about doing stuff together and enjoying life together and helping each other out (I think....).....at any rate, we know we do that stuff. And laughing together and commiserating together and dancing the conga line out the Cafe onto Main St. It's about celebrating who we all are. Well, Kathy, I'm not really sure at all what you said exactly, but I'm sure I know the gest of it because as I remember it, I was nodding and thinking at the time that, yeah, that all of it was true.

Imagine, Whirled Peace, at Giant, on Sale!!

OK, here it is in my hand, Ben and Jerry's, Imagine Whirled Peace Ice cream........I'm taking the lid off now.....wait, I need to get the scissor to cut the plastic........ok, the plastics off.......mmm, nice and rich caramelly color, I can't wait, where's my spoon...., ok I got it. Here we go....I'm going right for the fudge peace sign and....oh THAT IS GOOD!!! Now, I'm an ice cream lover from..... ooo, wait, let me try this toffee cookie piece...JEEZZZ Frank, Peace give me some room here!.....Oh if world peace had a taste, mmmm, this would be it for sure! WHAT do you think Frank?(I guess I should share, it is his birthday)

Chunky Monkey move over, this is going to be one heck of a job, eating our way to world peace, but someone has to do it, right? All right now Robin wants to get in on this world peace thing too so I better go and get my spoon in there before it's all gone. PEACE!

PRETTY Soup

OK, I couldn't remember the name of the WINNING soup from the Contest....but now I have it! And the recipe..... Actually, ALL the soups look really good! But the winner, the
PRETTY SOUP is the one on the back left......

Sweet Potato Minestrone with Turkey Sausage

½ lb smoked turkey sausage,

Cut into ¼ inch slices1 cup diced onion1 cup diced carrot¾ cup thinly sliced celery3 cups water2 cups peeled, diced sweet potato (about 9 ounces)1 tsp. dried oregano½ tsp. coarsely ground pepper¼ teaspoon salt2 (14 ½-ounce) cans no salt whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped1 (15- ounce can) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained8 cups coarsely chopped spinachCombine first 4 ingredients in a Dutch oven; sauté over medium-high heat 7 minutes or until sausage is browned.Add water and net 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until veggies are tender. Stir in spinach; cook and additional 2 minutes. Yield 7 servings (about 1 ½ cups)Notes: I used almost double the amount of meat and it was hot turkey sausage, crumbled I also used yams instead of sweet potatoes, only because for the longest time, I really didn't know the difference Of course, who uses whole tomatoes when you can buy them already chopped up.By the way, this is probably one of the easiest soups to make!!! The Broth is usually not quite as thick as it was this time. Who knows why. It is good either way.



OK, Marcy, that's quite a lot of coverage for the Soup Contest! But it is a GREAT event and I can tell you from experience that it's a wonderful feeling to be the CHAMP. Right now, I feel like a has-been....I AM as has-been! and so I'm working on next year's entry.

At the moment I'm furiously working on getting stuff ready for a show in Richmond the first weekend of May. So coverage of the FABULOUS Kathy Ross 50th Birthday Kidnapping and Extravaganza has been slow to show up. Soon......to a blog near you....no, actually right here. You don't have to go anywhere. Soon, it'll be here. Hang on.