Happy Halloween

"Rambling Rogue"
Gone . . .
But not forgotten!!

* * *
Trick or Treat,
You betcha!!

The Magic of Home

As I observed on Twitter:

Who says you can't go home again? Weekend in Scranton. Yummy lunch @ Pappas Pizza & dinner @ Savory Maza. My Italian/Lebanese sides happy.

We spent a long week-end in Scranton, where we had a 50th anniversary party for my husband's parents. My parents are also home from Florida for the summer, so I got to visit with them as well. A family-filled week-end (and, as always, some good eats).

A perfectly timed Week-end Journal piece in last week's Philadelphia Inquirer selected Scranton as a destination point, The magic of Scranton, which provided a chuckle for the family and friends from the area.

Calling downtown compact -- about 6 square blocks, in the article may be accurate, but doesn't truly reflect what that downtown was like when I was growing up. Back in the "good old days" (or at least my memories of them), downtown was a vibrant place to be. My high school was on the edge of town, so we went downtown every day after school. To the Charlamont Restaurant at the Globe Store, for brownie a la mode, to Coney Island (mentioned in the piece) for hot dogs, shopping at the Globe and the Scranton Dry Goods Store -- as well as the Army/Navy Store -- believe it or not -- in my hippie days. Those were the days, my friend.

Because the party was held at the Scranton Hilton, I drove my daughter around center city, pointing out various points of interest from my youth. She insisted that it was the first time that she had been downtown (which I find hard to believe), and observed that it was nicer than she expected. I also have to admit that I was amazed at the revival of the downtown in the past few years. My old high school, Central, is now home to a college. The train station and courthouse have been renovated and look fabulous.


As the Inky notes of Scranton:

Mary Ann Moran Savakinus, director of the Lackawanna Historical Society, gives us the city's history in a nutshell:

"The industrial boom was fueled by the holy trinity of iron, rail, and coal." In 1847, brothers Selden T. and George W. Scranton were the first to mass-produce iron rails in America. Their iron-manufacturing business was short-lived, but coal stayed hot. With local fields containing 85 percent of the world's anthracite coal, the family shifted to railroading to transport those "black diamonds" around the country.

By 1900, Scranton had grown into the 38th-largest city in the country, with a population of more than 100,000, and families such as the Scrantons had joined the so-called robber barons of the era.

But the city's story is not just about the wealthy. Industrial growth required labor, and immigrants poured into the city to fill the jobs. The Irish and the Welsh were among the earliest arrivals, followed by Eastern Europeans and Italians.

"Having mined anthracite coal in their native country, the Welsh were a perfect match for the Pennsylvania mines," Moran Savakinus says. "Back then, Scranton had the largest Welsh population outside of Wales itself."

After World War II, coal was displaced by cheaper fuels - oil and natural gas - and the city's fortunes faded.

Its fortunes faded and many of its inhabitants migrated elsewhere (Philly has lots of them). However, like the "hardscrabble" people of Scranton, the city manages to survive, and thrive in its own way.

And, it's nice to know that you can go home again. At least once in a while, for a visit.

(Photos via Scranton Design)

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

So, my hectic social life continues unabated. I'm normally a homebody, with an occasional night out, but lately I've been out almost every night, either for a client meeting or a social event.

In fact, I've been out to dinner so much in the last week or so that I could write a food blog. In the last week alone, I've been to Cooper's in Manayunk, Bocia in Mount Airy, a new restaurant in Roxborough twice, Sole 2 Soul, and had dinner at the Germantown Cricket Club.

Except for the Cricket Club, all of the restaurants are relatively new and are BYOB. Our favorite (thus, the second excursion) is Sole 2 Soul. It's just the kind of place that Ridge Avenue in Roxborough needs -- good food, nice setting. My daughter (who works nearby) is actually the one who discovered the place and we all went there last Friday. My husband & I returned last week again on our own, since we enjoyed the meal so much. The menu features a lot of seafood (which I don't eat), so my husband can get his fill. My blackened chicken breast was very tasty as well.

Cooper's Brick Oven Wine Bar is the sister restaurant to Jake's. We all had gourmet pizza and salad, which was good, but not anything special. Unlike Craig LaBan, I'm not a fan of the crackery flatbread pizza. I prefer stretchy pizza dough, even if it's pulled thin for margarita pizza. Our friends liked it more than we did.

Thursday was our anniversary (21 years of marriage/38 years togetherness), so we dined at Bacio. Again, my husband had seafood, Filet of Talapia, which he loved and I had a delicious chicken parmigiana. The service was so slow that the chef sent out a beef salad gratis while we waited. We were in no hurry, so it was no big deal for us. We'd definitely go back.

On the 4th, we opted for a restful day -- a day relaxing at the pool, followed by a BBQ in our yard, with a late night dip in our hottub, sipping wine. We could hear the fireworks in the background, so it was a fab 4th.

Tomorrow we're off for our family vacation. This year we're going to a place that topped my list of vacation spots I don't want to see -- Las Vegas. We don't gamble, but everyone says it's still a fun place to go. My in-laws are renewing their vows on their 50th Anniversary and we're doing it up in Las Vegas. I'll see if I can find some hidden treasure at Treasure Island Hotel and Casino.

Sailing Away

I'm back from a long week-end in Scranton for my nephew's Graduation Party. Another trip back in time as I wander the halls of the Tripp House. As I mentioned 2 years ago when my other nephew graduated, Ain't No Party Like a Scranton Party:

The trip to Scranton was a real trip down memory lane for me. The Graduation Party was held at The Tripp House, which is Scranton's oldest home. Even more, years before it was taken over by the Junior League and restored as an event venue, my grandmother lived there. My brothers and I went to the house early to help set up for the party, so I got to wander around the house and remember spending time there with Noni. Great memories.

The rest of the week-end was also filled with family-related activities. On Saturday, we attended a Church picnic at McDade Park and another graduation party that evening.
Scranton has some of the best state parks around. After the bucolic setting of McDade Park, on Sunday the family spent the day at Lackawanna State Park, where we went kayaking and canoeing. After the rest of the gang headed out on the lake, my brother & I sat with my parents for a while, before we decided to hop into our own canoe.

Of course, anyone who knows me knows that me in a canoe isnn't exactly a picture that easily comes to mind. I probably haven't been in a canoe since the days when we had our vacation house in the Poconos. In fact, after the shock wore of the faces of my niece and nephews when we caught up with them, I had to take pictures to prove to doubters that I really was sailing the lake in my canoe.

She's a Doll

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows about the Palin Be Gone Wager that I had with one of the LLWL members. Our bet was whether Sarah Palin would continue her celebrity status in the aftermath of the election. As I described it before:

Although I'm normally not a gambler, I even agreed to a wager. My bet was that Sarah would slink off sooner rather than later, while my colleague said Sarah's staying. The loser has to buy pizza for the office from Old Forge, located nearby my hometown of Scranton (which I have bragged for years has the best pizza ever). After much back & forth on the matter, we decided that the Ides of March would be the date of determination. At that point in time, would Sarah Palin still be in the news?

Admittedly, Palin certainly continued full blast in the early post-election days, but then began to pale as time went on. I chronicled her decline in Out of the Spotlight and Off The Radar.

And yes, although the drop dead date for the bet was March 15th, we've yet to declare a winner. I've acknowledged that Palin has had a resurgence of sorts since the Ides of March, The Wasilla Snowbillies, but that doesn't help my erstwhile colleague. Of course, as I've mentioned before, she's willing to call it a tie, but lord knows I can never concede defeat. So our Old Forge Pizza fest is on hold, to the consternation of the rest of the office.

Along with our Palin Patter, I received an official Sarah Palin calendar as a surprise holiday present from my gambling pal. See The Year of Living Palin. It's prominently displayed on the wall facing my credenza, much to the shock & surprise of clients & friends who happen by the office. Of course, I rarely discuss politics with clients, but a few who know me well at least suspect my liberal leanings, even if they do not share them. So the expression on their face as they gaze at Sarah's face is priceless, with a look of bewilderment and confusion.

When I received my Christmas present, I was told that there was yet another present coming, but that it had been delayed. Well, it finally arrived yesterday.

My very own Sarah Palin doll!

Sexy, Sassy Sarah.

This treasured collectors item has arrived just in time too, since Sarah's been named to The 2009 TIME 100, with her praises sung by no less a luminary than Ann Coulter, who says of Palin:

Sarah Palin was arguably the most influential person in 2008, but no one notices because she wasn't influential enough to overcome the deficits of her running mate and win the election.

* * * *

John McCain was so preposterous a candidate (at least on a Republican ticket) that Palin was responsible for far more votes than the usual vice-presidential candidate. The biggest red flag proving her popularity with normal Americans is that liberals won't shut up about her. Palin is a threat to liberals because she believes in God and country and family — all values liberals pretend to believe in but secretly detest. There's a reason there's no "Stop Olympia Snowe before it's too late!" movement.

On the other hand, it all depends on your perspective. I'm not sure that Coulter gets the last word. Mitt Romney may have called it, when he remarked:

In the latest instance of a high-profile GOP member taking a passing swipe at the party's 2008 vice presidential candidate, former Massachusetts governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney jokingly dismissed Sarah Palin’s inclusion on Time’s list of influential people in an interview broadcast Sunday.

He asked, was “the issue on the most beautiful people or the most influential people?”

And finally, after playing the tease for a while, Sarah Palin to be part of the National Council for a New America, the latest rebranding effort by the GOP.

So, my Palin doll will be a conversation piece for a while.

Home Alone

My husband flew down to Miami Thursday morning to load up & drive back all of the stuff that's in our daughter's dorm room. Lucky for us, we have family in the South Florida area, so we were able to store most of the big items (refridge, microwave, TV, etc) in my parents garage. Her first year college experience had its tribulations, but the semester is coming to an end.

We gave her a car for Christmas (my brother's old Mustang GT), so my husband is enjoying the drive home in the "muscle car." After spending the night at my brother's house in Delray, he drove to Atlanta on Friday to visit his brother. Then it's on the road again, Philly bound. He's reliving his youth, recalling the time he drove to Florida & back during Spring Break with one of his best buddies in his corvette.

This also means I have a few days of hanging out, with no responsibilities (except the job & the pets, of course). Also on the agenda was a girls' night out, and cruising around on a nice sunny day with the top down, doing some browsing at my favorite consignment shops & antique jewelry stores.

When I talked to my husband on his drive to Atlanta on Friday, he mentioned that he couldn't believe the array of Confederate flags dotting the landscape. I thought perhaps that he had passed the world's largest Confederate Flag near Tampa that was raised last summer.

And, the timing is apparently perfect to be immersed in the Rebel flag, since April has been deemed as Confederacy month by the powers that be, including Georgia's governor, Sonny Perdue, as I discovered from Philly's own field negro.

Maybe there was a sign up to greet him as he entered Georgia, declaring Happy Confederacy History and Heritage Month.

(*edited)

The Wasilla Snowbillies

If my Palin-Be-Gone Wager hadn't had an expiration date of March 15th, I would have surely been whooped. I would have been the Big Loser, Big Time!!

Ever since our Ides of March wager deadline passed, Sarah Palin has been in the news almost non-stop. See Somebody Up There Likes Me. One of my blogger buddies emailed me to say that Palin has her own news category on AOL News and wondered what impact that would have on my bet. Luckily for me, it's too late to help my LLWL colleague -- even though she has yet to declare me the winner. She's willing to call it a tie, but lord knows I can never concede defeat. So our Old Forge Pizza fest is on hold, to the consternation of the rest of the office.

But even better than winning is the fact that all of the press that's been generated of late has been bad news for Sarah the P.

As Steven Reynolds of All Spin Zone put it, Palin Celebrityhood? Montel, Springer, Tyra Don’t Help Ambitions:

The fun part is that the Palin family is being revealed for the trailer trash sensibilities that are its foundation. Sure, Palin can’t control Levi Johnston going on the Tyra Banks Show, showing off his “Bristol” tattoo, and admitting to wardrobe malfunctions, er, ah, sometimes forgetting to use a condom when screwing making love with Bristol. Heck, she can’t control the video of that appearance, due out Monday but with a sneak peek here. But Sarah Palin can control the reactions of her staff.

Sarah Palin, if she had class at all, would react to this little episode with resounding silence. But, no. Class doesn’t enter into it. Here’s the scoop on the Sarah Palin reaction from that celebrity gossip magazine People:

“Bristol did not even know Levi was going on the show. We’re disappointed that Levi and his family, in a quest for fame, attention, and fortune, are engaging in flat-out lies, gross exaggeration, and even distortion of their relationship,” says the statement from the Palin family rep.

“Bristol’s focus will remain on raising Tripp, completing her education, and advocating abstinence,” the statement continues. “It is unfortunate that Levi finds it more appealing to exploit his previous relationship with Bristol than to contribute to the well being of the child.”

The statement ends, saying, “Bristol realizes now that she made a mistake in her relationship and is the one taking responsibility for their actions.”

After I finished chuckling when I heard this, my next thought was that it had the delicious sounds of a Hatfield/McCoy feud in the making. And, if that wasn't enough, to follow up on that was the news of the arrest of Palin's sister-in-law. As noted by Mudflats, Palin Family Drama… It Never Ends:

Remember when Mercede Johnston was lamenting that the Palins thought of her and her family as “white trash” and thought they weren’t good enough for the Palins after the arrest of their mother Sherry Johnston for dealing oxy-contin in the parking lot of the Wasilla Target store?

Well… This just in.

[Todd Palin's half-sister] Diana Palin is charged with two counts of felony burglary and misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass and theft in connection with the break-ins this week at a home in Wasilla, the governor’s hometown.

Deputy Wasilla Police Chief Greg Wood says the 35-year-old woman was confronted by the homeowner, who hid in the home to see if he could catch the burglar who stole $400 Tuesday night.

I don’t watch reality TV, nor do I watch soap operas. Nor do I need to.

I normally don't post the entire entry of another blogger, but I just can't resist with this one. It just says it all. From Mamadance, comes Having a Rough Week, Sarah? :

It sure was hard to be Sarah Palin this week. Let’s do a quick run-down of this week’s highlights:

Saturday-Sunday: Mount Redoubt covers Anchorage with ash, airport closed off and on all weekend. Thousands stranded. Six million gallons of oil at the Drift River Terminal sit in harm’s way at the base of the volcano. Palin’s response? None.

Sunday: John McCain says he’d like to “see who else is running” before endorsing Sarah for President in 2012.

Monday: Palin’s approval index plummets to 14 points.

Tuesday: Sarah is dumped for Newt Gingrich.

Wednesday: Native groups oppose the selection of Wayne Anthony Ross to AG. Also, Todd Palin decides it’s his turn in the spotlight, and it doesn’t look good for Sarah.

Thursday: Democrats reject Palin’s pick for Senate seat.

Friday: Levi tells Tyra that Sarah knew that he and Bristol were sexually active and even let him sleep over.

Oh, and let’s not forget: Don Young suggests that Ted Stevens should run against Palin for Governor in 2010.

Palin’s response? “I’m having a great week! I would never get anything done if I always tried to please my critics.” Uh, yeah…right.

UPDATE, 2:11 pm, Friday: Todd Palin’s Half Sister Arrested for Burglary

Even if I end up having to buy (or split) the pizza, it makes it all worthwhile.

(Poster via The Mudflats)

Somebody Up There Likes Me

The Ides of March marked the end of the Palin-Be-Gone Wager with my LLWL colleague.

As I noted recently, Sarah Palin had dropped off the scene, leaving the gossip-mongers free to concentrate their efforts on her daughter Bristol and ex, Levi. See Out of the Spotlight.

Now that the deadline has passed (without declaration of a clear winner), Sarah has ascended to front stage yet again.

First off, she is the cover girl & subject of a (not very flattering) piece in next month's Portfolio (pictured above). As The Huffington Post reports:

Joe McGinniss' cover story, 'Pipe Dreams,' focuses on Palin's failure to build a gas pipeline in Alaska. The subhed reads:

Forget 'Drill, baby, drill.' Sarah Palin says she's building a $40 billion gas pipeline, which even President Obama wants. The only problem: It isn't there. And it's her fault.

And then, there's the news that Sarah has made it after all -- in the comics, at least. CNN reports the news, Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin enter the world of comic books:


Move over Wonder Woman and Lois Lane - Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin are breaking into the world of comic books.

Washington-based publisher Bluewater Productions released a series of comic books featuring Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on March 11. The company says it has already sold 7,500 copies of each to distributors.

* * * *

Then they decided that Hillary Clinton's story needed to be told.

"She was the first [major] female presidential candidate, so we just started with [her], and there was so much interest in it," said Jason Schultz, executive vice president of Bluewater Productions.

The first two issues in Female Force, already released, feature Clinton and Palin. The next two will feature Caroline Kennedy and First Lady Michelle Obama.

The Michelle Obama comic is expected to be released in April, and has pre-sold 28,000 copies.

Then comes word that she's the featured speaker at a June dinner sponsored by the House and Senate Republican campaign committees. Sarah Palin, star of GOP dinner.

Or not. As noted in The Protecters of the Palin Brand:

There is no brand in Republican politics as powerful -- or as tenuous -- as that of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

She is simultaneously the hottest commodity on the Republican fundraising circuit and a figure of ridicule among Democrats (and even many Independents) who believe that her status as a national figure is entirely undeserved.

Even Palin and her political team seem to be struggling somewhat with how much or little to expose her at the national level.

Witness the odd back and forth over the past 24 hours regarding her involvement in the annual Republican House-Senate fundraising dinner in June.

Yesterday afternoon the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a joint press release touting Palin as the keynote speaker at their fundraising dinner on June 8 in Washington. Then the governor's spokesman told the Anchorage Daily News that the NRSC and NRCC were mistaken in announcing Palin as the keynoter, insisting that she had agreed to no such thing.

Finally, back on the home front, things aren't looking so good for the Sarah. Her approval ratings have dropped from 55% in August of 2007 to 20% as of March 13, 2009. Palin’s Approval Index Continues to Erode in Her Home State. No wonder she's trying to make a comeback back in the lower 48. I'm just thankful that her timing was to do it right after the wager deadline passed.

Sarah-Be-Gone

Note: Newer posts are below.

I'm soliciting votes on the future (past) of Sarah Palin. The Question is: Is it time for Sarah-Be-Gone? If you answered, Who is Sarah Palin, you are just the person for me.

Please read my post, Out of the Spotlight, regarding the Palin Voting Gadget (on left) to see what the contest is all about. Oh, and vote (especially is the answer is she's history).

(Image via Superstar Morons)

The Ides of March

Today is the day. March 15th. The Ides of March.

The Ides of March is the first day of the Roman New Year.It also marks the first day of spring in the Roman calendar.

On this day in history, Julius Caesar was warned by soothsayers to "beware of the Ides of March". Apparently, he did not heed the warning strongly enough as he was stabbed by Marcus Brutus on the Ides of March in 44 BC.

It is definitely not a lucky day for some.

As the Chicago Trib notes, Beware the Ides of March, when superstition reigns:

A word of warning to those who believe in lucky numbers, auspicious colors and star-crossed dates: beware. The Ides of March are upon us.

Only those familiar with history or William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” readily may recognize the reference to March 15, the day of JuliusCaesar’s assassination in 44 B.C. The Roman calendar designated monthly Ides, or midpoint, days that fell either on the 13th or 15th day, depending on the month.

After Caesar’s untimely exit, superstitious Romans well may have avoided launching a business, marriage or other important venture on a date so cloaked in doom it eventually entered the lexicon as a metaphor for impending catastrophe.

More importantly for me, it's also the last day for determining the winner of the LLSL wager: wither Sarah.

Perhaps the answer is best found in Sarah Palin's day. As People Magazine reports, she spent the day selling Girl Scout cookies at a supermarket in Juneau. Sarah Palin Says Daughter Bristol 'Doing Just Great'.

I'd say that's hardly the kind of celebrity that was predicted by my wager buddy. She should have heeded the advice: Beware the Ides of March!

Of course, rather than face her likely loss, my colleague left town for a week, supposedly to go on vacation. I think she needs to make a detour through Scranton on her way home to pick up the pizza.

3rd Time's a Charm

Third time may be a charm, but being tied for third place -- not so much.

Unfortunately for Sarah Palin, that's were she ended up in the beauty queen contest for the affection of the conservatives in the Republican Party. As noted by CQ Politics, Conservative Activists Still Favor Romney:

If the Republican Party’s conservative wing had the power to choose presidential nominees, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would be the hands-down choice.

* * * *

Of 1,757 registered attendees who chose to take this year’s survey, 20 percent said they would vote for Romney as president in 2012.

* * * *

A relative newcomer who has been much in the news came in second: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was favored by 14 percent of the conservatives at the annual Washington gathering.

Third place was a tie between Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin , who was the party’s vice presidential nominee in 2008 and former presidential candidate Ron Paul . Each was preferred by 13 percent of conference goers.

* * * *

Little weight is given to any survey this far out from the election, but the straw poll is an indicator of the current thinking in the GOP’s conservative wing.

I think Mudflats expresses the import of this vote best, CPAC Speaks.:

Sarah Palin…the conservative sweetheart, the down home girl who grew up in a small town in Alaska, whose meteoric rise to mayor, governor, VP candidate, and Presidential contender in 2012 can only be described as a phenomenon. She has fired up the passions of conservatives, inspired tens of thousands to join her fan club site “Team Sarah” and has been able to assemble crowds of cheering supporters, the size of which John McCain only dreamed about. She’s been wined and dined by GOP fundraising operatives, invited to speak at events all over the nation, has an 11 million dollar book deal in the works. The world appears to be her political oyster, and she’s reaching for the cocktail sauce.

At the conservative Mecca, (also known as the CPAC conference) this weekend a straw poll was taken. Who do conservatives want to see run for the presidency in 2012? Well, who d’ya think? Get ready to start chanting! Sa-RAH! Sa-RAH! Sa-RAH! Sa-…… Mitt?

* * * *

That’s right, Mitt Romney is the conservative’s choice. And Sarah Palin is tied for {third} place with Ron Paul. Wow. That’s as good as… Undecided and Mark Sanford combined. Is there a Hallmark card for that?

In other words, as Sam Stein of the Huffington Post said, Romney Wins CPAC Poll, Palin Tied For Third:

For the Alaska Governor, the belle of the conservative movement in the '08 election, the results aren't the best of news.

I might say the same for my LLWL colleague who wagered against me in the Palin Be-Gone contest. See Out of the Spotlight.

Out of the Spotlight

I figure this is the perfect piece to use to mention the Palin Wager Gadget that I've added to my blog.

The Hill reports that Sarah Palin won't be attending the Governor's Conference in DC and she bowed out of speaking at the CPAC meeting as well, Palin shuns spotlight to pick up the pieces:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is uncharacteristically shunning the spotlight this week in an apparent effort to repair damage to her political stature back home.

Even though just about every big-name governor and leading conservative will be in Washington this week, the former vice presidential candidate skipped this weekend's National Governors Association meeting and will be absent from the Conservative Political Action Conference later this week."

After suffering through a rocky month back home she spent Friday in rural Alaska, providing state aid to rural communities hit hard by food and fuel shortages.

"To a certain extent, she's doing damage control in western Alaska," said Anchorage-based pollster Ivan Moore.

So Sarah plans to keep a low profile in the days (and months?) ahead? Just the news I wanted to hear. The perfect way to start the week.

Why do I care? My dozen or so regular readers probably know about my office wager with one of the LLWL members. Shortly after the election, our lunch group got into a discussion about Palin's future (in politics or otherwise). Clearly she's a publicity hound, but the question was whether the media and public would move on to newer celebrities and politicos, leaving Palin behind.

Although I'm normally not a gambler, I even agreed to a wager. My bet was that Sarah would slink off sooner rather than later, while my colleague said Sarah's staying. The loser has to buy pizza for the office from Old Forge, located nearby my hometown of Scranton (which I have bragged for years has the best pizza ever). After much back & forth on the matter, we decided that the Ides of March would be the date of determination. At that point in time, would Sarah Palin still be in the news?

We're now in the process of arguing over how we decide who won which, in & of itself, will no doubt take up much time in lively discussions. I thought I'd also put up a voter gadget, allowing readers a say. So, in the upper left corner, I've added a Question button, What's the Story with Sarah? with various options available.

Please vote -- especially if your view is of the Sarah Be Gone variety.

On the Palin front, you can also check out a few blogs I've recently discovered (along with a few I already read). For regular news updates on Sarah, check out:

Palingates

The Immoral Minority

Sanity Rant - Stop Sarah Palin

The Mudflats

A Day to Remember

It was most fitting that I watched the inauguration with the LLWL Gang, after all of our political discussions throughout the election season. We gathered at the home of one of our members, watched the swearing in, and we then enjoyed a lunch (natch) of ham, along with honey, cheese and fruit. We are the Lady Lawyers Who Lunch, after all. We ended the lovely day with a birthday cake for one of the gang, who shares a birthday with Michelle Obama.

Yes, We All Can

Getting ready for the inauguration.


We are all going to need a lot of this, considering what we are faced with as of January 20, 2009, thanks to George W. Bush (the real "that one").

And for the next generation, what I hope we leave them with.

You too can express yourself at Obamicon.Me.

(via The Quaker Agitator)

Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

As I was doing my holiday shopping this year, I stopped in my favorite antique jewelry store in Narberth, looking for a Birthday/Holiday present for a close friend. Of course, I knew that it was a dangerous endeavor and, as I feared, I saw something I fell in love with for myself. I may have mentioned a few times before how much I love jewelry. Seeing how conflicted I was, the owner entrusted the bracelet to me, to take home and think about (can you guess that I'm a very good customer). Just what I needed. Having it in my possession for a week or two, to have & to hold. Oh, and I did manage to find a gift for my friend.

Last Saturday morning, as I was getting ready to do some last minute shopping, I decided to return the bracelet. After all, I had others to think of, PhillyAngel's tuition for next semester coming due and the bad economy all conspired against keeping it. Before I left, over coffee my husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I voiced the usual -- I don't need anything, I own everything I want (& more) -- all true. Then, as I got ready to leave, I had a thought.

I told him about the bracelet and said it was the only thing I really wanted. Would he just contribute whatever amount he would otherwise spend towards purchasing it? He offered to pay for it, but I said that it was way more than we usually spend on presents. It was definitely a "Don't ask, I won't tell" item. I then showed him the bracelet, which he liked, so we had a deal. His mother also had me in family pollyanna and she had called me to say that, during my craft show wanderings, I should pick something out from her. I figured I could add that to the bracelet. My parents also give me money for Christmas, so I could contribute that as well. It could be a "family gift," which would make it more memorable.

Last week, during my trip to Scranton for the funeral of my aunt, I stopped in my brother's office when I arrived in town. He left his cell phone on the table and was in the other room when it rang, so i picked it up. It was a physician friend of his that I had done some legal work for last year. He mentioned that I never billed him for the services and I said to forget about it. He then said that he wanted to give me something, but I said that I was heading right back to Philly. I figured that he wanted to send me a gift basket or something. Then, on Monday, I received a Christmas card with a check from him for the holidays. I said, "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus"! Obviously I was meant to have this bracelet (or so I justified it to myself). I can't tell you how excited I was. This unexpected gift would be yet anther contribution towards the now friend & family gift.

Along with all of my other jewels, I have a moonstone collection. And my favorite jewelry is from the art deco period. So this platinum bracelet, with carved moonstones, surrounded by small diamonds and sapphhires, was just perfect addition to my collection.

Me on Christmas morning, sporting my new gems:

Traditions of the Eve

Christmas Eve, with all of its traditions. The holiday music playing, the fireplace blazing, the presents all wrapped under the tree. And, wonder of wonders, I actually finished -- rather than started -- the wrapping at 2:30 a.m.

I've mentioned before that in my family, Christmas Eve was the start of the Christmas Holiday. Twas the Night Before Christmas. For us, it rivaled Christmas itself in importance. My Italian grandmother always had the Feast of the Seven Fishes, La Vigilia. A feast for all -- except me. Didn't like seafood, still don't. However, I did -- and do -- like the tradition of gathering together friends and family.

Of course, as special as it was, it still didn't mean that we were allowed to open presents before Christmas morning. After all, traditions are traditions.

And this year, there's a very special present under the tree for me -- and a special surprise for our daughter, PhillyAngel as well.




In honor of the holiday season, we also lit the Menorah that I received from my in-laws. See Oy, Humbug.

And finally, as we celebrated Christmas eve, we lit the Baberry Candles, a Christmas Eve tradition from my husband, DavePhilly's family.







Here's the Bayberry Candle Poem:


This bayberry candle comes from a friend
so on Christmas eve burn it down to the end.
For a bayberry candle burned to the socket,
will bring joy to the heart and gold to the pocket.

The Year of Living Palin

Last Friday, the LLWL Gang had our Holiday Lunch and, as part of our luncheon tradition, we had our Secret Santa exchange. I suppose it should come as no surprise that my gift was delivered by Santa in a Hanukkah gift bag. That was not the end of it though.

Yesterday I received another gift from one of the LLWL Gang -- a special surprise. A 2009 Sarah Palin Calendar (pictured) -- from the member who bet that, like the energizer bunny, Palin will still be ticking next year. Despite appearances, the calendar is not a Palin Parody, which makes it even better. I now have the Ides of March (the day our wager comes due) highlighted on the calendar, which is the day we determine the winner of whither Sarah contest. As I've mentioned before, our contest is whether Palin is a lasting phenomenon or a short, spurt of tough fluff. My wager is that she's a goner, sooner rather than later. The loser has to buy the LLWL gang pizza from Old Forge (which I have insisted, for years, is the best ever). See Dough rising in Pizza Capital of the World.

For a while there, things were looking good for me. Palin had paled. However, with the arrest of the mother of Levi, the father of the yet unborn child of her daughter Bristol, Sarah has managed staying power.

And now, to compliment the calendar, via Steven Reynolds of All Spin Zone, I learn that Palin has been named, by Human Events, the Conservative of the Year: Sarah Palin. As Reynolds said:

But maybe the decision to name Sarah Palin “Comservative of the Year” is a bit appropriate. After all, this is the year conservatives lost the White house, lost seats in both the house and the Senate, and also the year conservative policies came home to roost with the biggest economic crisis since the great depression. Conservatives have tasted disaster this year, and now they’ve got a nitwit for “Conservative of the Year.”

No less luminary than that wacky transvestite* Ann Colter has penned the tribute to Sarah. And the main criteria for bestowing the award to Sarah? Colter explains:

Sarah Palin wins HUMAN EVENTS’ prestigious “Conservative of the Year” Award for 2008 for her genius at annoying all the right people. The last woman to get liberals this hot under the collar would have been … let's see now … oh, yeah: Me!

At least, if Sarah must be with us for a bit longer, she still provides lots of laughs. But, as I've said before, I still think I'm gonna win this one.
______________
* I'm sorry, but there is absolutely, positively, just no way that she's not.

What's In & Out

Matthew Yglesias observes, in No Jews:

It seems Barack Obama is giving us a cabinet with no Jewish members. Plenty of Jews in non-cabinet top spots (Axelrod, Summers, Orszag) so I guess we’ll have to just run things from behind the scenes.

* * * *

And of course you can add Rahm to the list of influential, but not in the cabinet, Jews. Basically, it’s a chock full ‘o Jews White House staff and a non-Jewish cabinet.

But who does rate a Cabinet post? Ray LaHood, who is Lebanese. See Obama chooses Illinois Republican as Transportation secretary. As the Chicago Tribune notes, Barack Obama reportedly picking Ray LaHood for transportation chief:

A product of Peoria's large Lebanese-American community, LaHood is Catholic and one of the few Arab-American members of Congress. He is the first Arab-American to be chosen for Obama's Cabinet.

Happy Hanukkah!

Winter Solstice

Philly greeted the Winter Solstice with an overnight ice storm. My bamboo trees felt the same way I did about the longest night of the year and the winter frost. Cold, sad & droopy. Winter has arrived.

At the Huffington Post, Dr. Judith Rich offers a few thoughts on Winter Solstice: A Paean To The Pregnant Darkness.

And, in keeping with the 6 word story, my thoughts:

Winter Solstice's here.
Christmas is near.


As always, for Mandy

The Santa Garcia

Based upon the dire economic conditions we're in this year, I figure it's a Garcia Santa kinda year for the annual seasonal fridge art.

(Updated photo)