Ode to Hilary

Ode to Hilary

A man of color maybe a fine choice,

But the women of America have been waiting for their voice.

Some say you remind them of their mothers, and that may be true,

But when I look very closely you are the female face in every hue.

It has been a long run and you are almost there,

So don’t let the male media paint you as a picture of despair.

Hilary, take it to the convention and let America choose,

Don’t let us believe that super delegates decide “sorry you loose.”

We fought for the right to vote when men said we weren’t worthy to play,

How do those men think they got here anyway?

I support your fight as your name sits on my lawn,

Don’t let them use you as some political pawn.

I think Gloria Steinham was right to say,

Men have had their chance now get out of the way.

It’s been 225 plus years for them to get it right,

And all Bush has done is turn it into a war and a fight.

It’s not about money, oil or war,

It’s about compassion, promise and chance to soar.

Don’t let them get you down don’t let them make you quit,

You decide for all of us, show them you can take the hits.

Women are counting on you everywhere; this is our time to shine

Come November 2008 it will have been worth the long climb!

Go get ‘em Hilary!!!

One of my oldest and dearest friends wrote this. She isn't generally a writer. I still don't know who I want to win the nomination, but I liked this. She gave me permission to post. So Morello, this is for you.

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California Says Yes!

Whoopee!


California says lesbians and gays can get married...again.

Unfortunately, it has no effect on our marriage of four years ago, which was annulled.

Unmarried parents of eight children, preparing to celebrate our 20th (holy shit, our 20th) anniversary in October.

Perhaps we should do it again- get married that is- and make our family legal, again.

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Christmas in May?

Damn, it's been like Christmas around here, I swear. It seems like we've been extremely busy for weeks.

One.thing.after.the.other. In between bouts of sickness, of course. Please, please, please let's be done with all that.

I don't remember the end of the school year being so hectic before. Yeah, but I don't remember much...It's all a blur. Perhaps the gin and limeade adds to that, hmmmm...

Relay. It was so long ago now. I can't seem to get it out of my head. A good event for a good cause. I had a difficult time sitting still. In between rounds of walking, we'd hang out and gab about whatever. Nice, relaxing, much laughing and chatter. Good.

There was so much energy there. It felt like a constant low rush of incoming traffic energy. I liken it to a concert, but without the excitement, rush, factor. I had a hard time shutting it off and letting go. During the day I was bit edgy, trying to figure out what to do with myself, when I wasn't walking. Amazingly I wasn't that hungry, so couldn't even occupy myself with eating. At night, the track lights were on full blast, after the luminary ceremony was over. Odd, that.

I was allotted the 3-4 am slot with some fellow team members and knew I should try to get some sleep, and around ten, felt that pull. I just couldn't seem to make my way until 12:30 when I forced myself. I tossed and turned for a while, and eventually fell asleep for a bit, waking for good at 2:15. I finally got up around 2:30 and joined a teammate who had been walking since midnight. (she had signed up for the 12-2 shift and ended up walking until 6!- she just couldn't stop.) I walked until 5'ish and then hit the lawn chair, covered myself with my sleeping bag and caught some sleep until 6.

From 3-5 (a.m., mind you) I ran into a few people I haven't seen in a long time. We each barfed out the happenings of the last few years- one swore me to secrecy- and walked, and walked., and walked.

I returned home, tired, the next morning around 11, where life resumed, normal. Cancer free.
Lucky.






I had a dream last night that a mom I know had been diagnosed with cancer, but wasn't telling anybody. (I asked this morning- she's fine.) I had a similar dream a few years back. So vivid. An old friend showing me her scars from her mastectomy... She's fine too.

But my parents neighbors? Youngish couple, two kids. Elementary school students... kindergarten and second grade, maybe. She had a lump removed and some chemo was started and then they found cancer in her lymph nodes... Not sure what the prognosis is today.

Not so lucky though.




edited: Before I could hit publish- Abe was throwing up... and he already had it a week ago!!!

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The Plan: as the children see it, for the distant and near future

At dinner tonight we are talking about the kids getting older and the following ensued... we lost the bigger kids at some point but Mia, Abe, and Jack stuck it out. I mildly suggested that maybe they would want to move out at 35.

Abe will be with us "FOREVER MAMA, Don't joke us 'bout that".

Mia also "forever, but until you die then we can be all here (gesturing about her head) by ourselves"

Jack will be in "New York, where it takes seven or ten days to get there, because it's big" and... "I'm not going to that place in school"

Me: "What place in school?"

J. "That place."

Me: "Does maybe Mommy know the place you're talking about?"

J: Blank stare.

Me: "Do lots of people go there?"

J: Blank stare.

Me: "Hmmm, have we been to the place at school, before?"

J: "NO!"

Me: "Did your teacher tell you about the place?"

J: Blank stare

Me: "Jack, I'm going to need a little bit more information about that place if I'm going to help you. Can you tell me if it's inside or outside? Big or little? (what the hell...???)... I know you don't want to go.'

J: "Yeah, I don't want to go"

Me: "Yeah, you really don't want to go to the place..."

J: "Ughhhh" disgruntled sigh, as he slumps out of his chair and ambles over to the school basket and begins to rifle through his papers, turning his head to glance my way to see if I'm watching"

How is he going to find the place in his basket of papers...???

Me: "Mommy, do you know the place Jack doesn't want to go to?"

Käri lists off a couple of places and then mentions summer school.

Ah ha, the light bulb blinks on

Me: "Jack, is it summerschool?"

J: "YEEEES", exasperated sigh as he shuffles off to the living room and throws himself into the couch in the living room.

I invite him back to the table and we chat about the possibility of summer school and that it will be at the same campus and his kindergarten teacher will be his summer school teacher... and it ends with

J: Blank stare

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The Fantasy

There's a book out there called something like 'Nobody Wants to Know What You Had For Lunch: Ideas for Blogging' or something like that. I'm too tired and lazy to look it up. Today, I'm thinking that nobody wants to hear which of my kids is sick and with what. It's been a long week, and it just keeps on coming.

So, the fantasy is that K gets home from work rested and refreshed ( not likely, since she was also up 4 times last night with the thrashing whining and crying child twice, the puking child once and the nightmare child who remained on her chest from 4-6 am- 3 different children), makes something splendid for dinner with a pitcher of margaritas (or maybe gin and limeade) on the side and then puts me into bed, uhmmm, shall we say, lovingly... And then tomorrow, after 8- 10 hours of sleep, nobody's sick.

It ain't gonna happen, but I wish it would.

Cuz, you know we have eight kids running around and we're both tired...

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