Oh, what a night

So.

I started out yesterday in the garden. Remember the garden? Yes, it's still out there, and yes, it still needs attention. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Sandy might prevent me from doing the final stuff I should have been doing all month.

(Elections are hard work. If I starve next year because my garden isn't producing I'll blame it on President Obama. NOT!)

Anyway, with the predicted Frankenstorm predicted to dump several inches of snow here tomorrow, I thought it best to get some garlic in the ground. I planted 30 cloves, 20 hardneck and 10 softneck. That's less than last year, but should be enough. I might not have any to share, though.

I came in from that chore, got all spiffed up and headed for the state capitol and my first Jefferson-Jackson dinner. Which was SO MUCH FUN.

L to R, standing: Congressman Nick Rahall, Governor Earl Tomblin, State
Democratic Party Chairman Larry Puccio. Seated, L to R: Senator Jay
Rockefeller, me, Senator Joe Manchin.

Here's the thing about living in a small state. We only have three Congressional districts. Mine is the only district held by a Democrat. Congressman Nick Joe Rahall is very visible when he's in the state. If you're politically active, you're going to run into him several times during a campaign and yes, I know it's his job, but he remembers you and calls you by name and thanks you for being active.

Last night was a Big Deal. Each of the chosen Outstanding Democrats (one from each county) was introduced and walked across the stage, waving to the crowd of 700(!) people. The line-up prior to the introductions was lots of fun. I met some great people, including a woman I "know" from Facebook and Instagram.

My involvement with the West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women has opened many doors and allowed me to meet many influential people. It's interesting and fun and pretty heady stuff for a girl who began the day planting garlic and ended it surrounded by movers and shakers.

My husband and I left the convention hall with the keynote speaker, former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt, who asked for directions to the Marriott. And we walked to the parking garage with Congressman Rahall, who got in his car (which looked a lot like my Ford Escape, but I couldn't be sure) and drove himself home.

Just like I did. Point being, these folks are regular folks (and most of them would be the first to say so) who have had some advantages most regular folks haven't. Yes, they're ambitious and yes, they enjoy power. But I've talked to every one of those pictured above, at length, and for the most part I believe they're doing a good job for me.

I hope you feel the same way about your elected officials. If you don't – work for someone who does.

I'm not going to blame President Obama for anything. I sure do give him credit for introducing me to an entirely new way of life and service, though.

Being a Democrat in West Virginia

It's hard, people. Trying to turn this state blue again is a MAJOR effort, probably impossible this election cycle when it comes to the Presidential race. Despite a majority of voters being registered Democrats, by a two-to-one margin, there's a lot of crossover and too many of them stay at home on election day.

Well, except for those who voted for that convicted felon during the primary. I wish they would have stayed home!

The upside to being a Democrat in West Virginia, and in particular being a Democratic woman, is getting to hang out for the weekend with a couple hundred like-minded souls who just can't wear enough blue. Blue shirts, blue hats, blue scarves, blue jewelry, blue, blue, blue, everywhere you looked.

It was fitting that the convention ended on Women's Equality Day, the day the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing a woman's right to vote was ratified. Republicans seem to be hell-bent on sending women back to their kitchens, barefoot and pregnant. Soon they'll be taking our right to vote away, as they are doing with young people, old people, black people and Hispanic people – most of the people who voted for President Obama in 2008. If they can't beat him fairly, they'll pass laws to suppress and disenfranchise and make it harder.

It doesn't matter how hard it is to vote. We have to do it anyway.

In West Virginia, the most important thing to do is give President Obama a couple more Democrats in the House of Representatives. My Congressman is a Democrat, but he's the only one left here. We're so small we only get three. Our Senators are both Dems, as is our Governor (one Senator and the Guv are decidedly moderate, too much so for my taste, but hey! We'll elect them and then pound them into submission!) It would be amazing if our state could help give the President the Congress he needs to really, truly do the job we elected him to do.

Am I fired up? Why, yes, yes I am. That's what happens at Democratic conventions.

I really wish I were headed for Charlotte the first week in September. If I got any more fired up, though, I might explode!

My hand knit bag and its contents brought $65 at the auction – not as much as I'd hoped, but the auctioneer started it way too low, so it's all his fault. Several women bid on it, and there was an exciting little back-and-forth flurry at the end, so that was fun. Now, though, it's time to campaign and make calls and try to convince folks around here that voting for Republicans is voting against their own interests.

Because believe me, we who live in Appalachia need a tax break more than the 1% do.

Thanks for reading … I'll be off the (blue) cloud and back to something resembling normal tomorrow.

Maybe.

Three words

Mad.
Men.
TONIGHT!

Oh, okay, more than three words. Do you know how hard it would be for me to do a three-word post? You guys are the only people I talk to all day, other than my husband. And the dog. And they get pretty tired of my chatter after a while.

This was yesterday's Project 365 picture. The prompt was
An Animal. Had to snap something quick when I got home,
because it's hard to take drive-by pictures of cows or turkey
buzzards. Hershey was, um, bored with it all.

Yesterday was a good day to travel. It rained and/or was cloudy and grey all day, and I didn't mind being cooped up in a hotel conference room with a couple dozen other Democratic women. And one clearly outnumbered man, who didn't appear to mind being outnumbered at all.

I've been appointed to chair a committee for the group (our state Democratic women's organization) and I volunteered to be on a planning committee for the 2013 national convention, which will be held in West Virginia. You'd never know I used to be a Republican. But I make no secret of it, and they all seem to like me anyway.

It's raining now, and looks like it might continue to do so most of the day. I hope it clears up long enough to go for a walk, but if it doesn't I can and should will hop on the elliptical. And I will definitely be taking a nap. Rainy days are good for that, and I will need one, because the Mad Men season premiere doesn't start until 9 p.m. Eastern.

Which is usually past my bedtime.

Friday Quote Day

You must be the change

you want to see in the world.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

I'm off to be an activist this weekend, or at least learn how to be a better one. And if that turns out to not be on the agenda, well, maybe I'll start a new conversation. Heh. I bet you'd never guess I could do that, right?

The West Virginia Federation of Democratic Women is holding its annual state convention this weekend, and I hope, hope, hope it's not a weekend of preaching to the choir.

As y'all know, I'm on Facebook. The pages I've "Liked" all lean to the left and they all, every day, many times a day, bewail the state of the nation, especially the state of the nation's politics. And we Facebook followers all "like" and "share" and "comment," but we already know things are scary and bad and weird and crazy. I mean, when Mitt Romney says he'd like his Veep to be someone like Dick Cheney? Way to get nominated, Mitt!

I'm packing my knitting, my workout gear, my electronics and something blue. Because we Democratic women are "Women in Blue." The sweater I've been working on (blue) isn't finished, isn't even half-finished, actually, but it's easy knitting while sitting in meetings. I'd hoped to wear it this weekend.

Oh, well.

I have a back-up plan. WVU plays Maryland tomorrow, so I'll wear my blue-and-gold WVU shirt during the day. I have an indigo blue tee/cardigan set to wear with an indigo/white skirt tomorrow evening. And the WVFDW sold blue polo shirts with their logo embroidered on them last year, so I have that for Sunday.

I feel like a middle-schooler: What are you wearing? Oh that's so cute! Perfect! Giggle.

The hotel has a fitness facility, but it's also mere steps away from a beautiful park and I do believe that's where I'll be fitnessing. Since last Saturday I've walked 20 miles; I'm pretty happy with that. Gotta start (over) somewhere, right?

Since I'm traveling today, I'm declaring this my rest day. If you're resting today, may you be restored, renewed and ready to change for the better when you wake up tomorrow.

You can join me. Heh.