Good Morning, Usual Suspects! Perfect antidote for four days of rain…For one mistaken moment, I thought that was Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs…(the Contours) …Fancy Dress Ball and W&L…and, yes, that was the 60’s…and, wow, there’s more on the menu button..Happy Friday! Think I’ll dust off some vinyl and declare this a CFZ..candidate free zone for a couple of days…

Dear Coach, Still don’t know how to preview without losing the message …but I am getting better about not submitting twice…where’s the how to do it page? Every good wish from Georgia and her best friend, Pearl Barleigh..

I am moved and saddened by your story . I am, however , glad to hear from you on a serious topic…

I am moved and saddened by your story . I am, however , glad to hear from you on a serious topic…

Everybody needs an editor…blue pencils all around….I hope to learn a lot from all y’all.. facile wordsmiths…just never say very or tasty and you’ll be okay…

Hi Mugsy, I liked the part about closeness with your grandmother. My granddaughters and I are the presidents of each others’ fan clubs. Their mother, my daughter, is not the least bit amused by Margaret Mead’s observation: “The reason children and grandparents get along so well is that they have a common enemy.”

I meant Ann Richards, I think

Yep, Maggie..That’s really effective…lovely language..no swearing..it also makes me miss Mollie Ivins and Ann Richardson..They could really pull the rug out from under somebody with those drawls…Don’t we miss them.

Thank you,Jackie, for speaking up. I’m beginning to realize that “catching more flies with honey”isn’t nearly as much fun as a little well-constructed sass.

Dear Pamela,et.al.,I grew up in the forties,fifties (and now the 00’s I guess) with southern grannies reminding me to “catch more flies with honey”…I still tend to get stuck ..pun intended.. with this admonition. I just loved the way Molly Ivins and Ann Richardson could smile and drawl and flat nail somebody to the barn door. Sam Ervin was pretty good at it, too. But about speaking up when it’s your turn and the right thing to do: remember the slogan in the sixties “If you want to be seen,stand up. If you want to be heard, speak up. If you want to be liked, sit down and shut up.” Atta girl,Pamela!

Many thanks to all of you sharing story and SONG about lillies of the valley. I can see them from my desk and can’t wait for the little stalks to appear. This morning I was trying to recall the words to the round …thank you..and had completely forgotten about the paper baskets. My granddaughters will love that! So we enter extolling a flower’s virtues and end up, after a sweet trip down the rabbit hole, speaking rusty french. C’est si bon, n’est-ce pas? Happy Birthdays, May babies! and don’t spellcheck the french.

dear ms. rose, i certainly didn’t intend to send 10 copies of a submission not worthy of this savvy space. With practice …and patience..all may still be well.My grandmother said “darlin’, i asked the lord for patience and he gave me you”. I can’t envision getting out of the boondocks where i live in fact,but i am eager to make good my escape from the boondocks of the mind. The first day i had cable tv, i saw the wowowows on charlie rose…the next week i was given this computer with about an hour of how-to demo…wanta get in on the kentucky oaks day pool in honor of the fillies and the run for the lillies?

not so facile with a keyboard….what i wanted to say is that michelle obama delivered a brilliant speech on april 25 2008 that was totally ignored by the press and the mainstream media….it was a c-span thing that i can’t figure out hown to see again…. you just have to listen to her to understand what this is all about…..she diffused in the most humanistic way everything that is a threat to him…….she gets it….and we should get it also…….what can i tell ya….just brilliant…..ms. obama for pres……….. i tthought that ms. kerry was the best thing in that rrace….oops…so sorry about the typing…..okay….i just can’t wait to have a visit with you….except that nobody does anything around here until after derby…..but i can’t wait until the tuesday primaries…….call me back………

not so facile with a keyboard….what i wanted to say is that michelle obama delivered a brilliant speech on april 25 2008 that was totally ignored by the press and the mainstream media….it was a c-span thing that i can’t figure out hown to see again…. you just have to listen to her to understand what this is all about…..she diffused in the most humanistic way everything that is a threat to him…….she gets it….and we should get it also…….what can i tell ya….just brilliant…..ms. obama for pres……….. i tthought that ms. kerry was the best thing in that rrace….oops…so sorry about the typing…..okay….i just can’t wait to have a visit with you….except that nobody does anything around here until after derby…..but i can’t wait until the tuesday primaries…….call me back………

i can’t figure out how to get a message through….and i have lost a bunch of messages to individuals…just call me back…i’ve been without a computer for ten TEN years for TEN years and i just can’t wait to talk to ya’ll.liz did great and i will keep trting to learn how to do it…call me back.. i just want to respond to lilly of the valley and others,,,,,,it says submit and i’m handing it over