Wednesday, November 19, 2008

The visitor

I looked out my kitchen window just a few minutes ago, and saw a most majestic young animal walking along our back-forty pathway. I grabbed my camera, and snuck around to the front yard.




He saw me, and we watched each other for a moment.



Then he gracefully leapt across the road, away from that human with her camera.


Spike is apparently aware of his breathtaking beauty, and struck this majestic pose for me before strutting off to the shrubbery.

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Ummm .. excuse me, but ..

.. who exactly was footing the bill for this extravagant feast at the G20 Summit?

I understand that it's important to use the good china when entertaining dignitaries, but when the reason for the dinner is the financiapocalypse, it might be a good idea to scale back a little. Something tells me that dishes like fruitwood-smoked quail with quince gastrique, quinoa risotto, thyme-roasted rack of lamb don't come cheap. As my dad would say, "the optics are bad" on that one.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Veteran's Day in the modern era

I was incredibly moved by an article I just read in the New York Times, which discusses service dogs for disabled veterans.

The death rate in our current wars is nowhere near that of the previous ones, thanks to the advances made in personal protective gear. But the injuries sustained by our soldiers - the visible and the invisible wounds - remain unbearably high.

How touching and gratifying it is, then, to know that there are organizations like Canine Companions for Independence, America's Vet Dogs, and Neads Canines for Combat Veterans.

Be sure to check out the slide show attached to the New York Times article.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Cracker Barrel = Liberal Haven???

After I got home from work on Tuesday morning, we drove down to the local fire station, where Steve pulled the lever for Obama. Although I am not an American citizen, I am married to one and I am the mother of one. I felt that it was important for my son to share in the experience of this historic occasion.

Afterwards, we went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast. For my readers who are not familiar with this establishment, it's a very folksy, country style restaurant. It also has a gift shop filled to the rafters with kitchy nostalgic items. It's the last place on earth that I expected to encounter opposition to California's Proposition 8.

Yet .. there it was .. a political statement .. clear as day, in red and red!



These guys are clearly in love, and it's a beautiful thing.

If Cracker Barrel has no problem accepting a same-sex couple feathering their nest together, then I must ask: California, what's your effing problem???

It's a beautiful day

Last night's speech in Chicago was the very definition of Presidential. President-elect Obama - oh, how I love to type that! - was gracious, encouraging, and classy.

Well done, America.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

One word



Hallelujah!