I’m with you, G.G. America only has 2 national holidays and for too many years Thanksgiving has been diminished to a mere pale of the reason it was instituted. It HAS become a holiday only known for eating and watching TV (parades or football games) and it is overshadowed by commercials for the other abused holiday—Christmas (wherein no one is thankful for the so-called Savior of the World, rather the gifts under the tree)! I am thankful for each morning I awake. I am thankful for my sharp mind and fully functioning body. I am thankful for my child and other family members. I am thankful to have lived to see the day that America voted a Black person into the Presidency. I am thankful to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.

Hi My Alias. As for me, I find President-Elect Obama’s appointments enough of a “change” to the face of government past. I trusted the man’s intelligence, experience and foresight enough to vote for him and I am willing to give him one full term if need be to prove his word to me. As for your charge of cronyism, I ask you: Don’t you value the advice of your FRIENDS over all others? In the position of “boss”, wouldn’t you want to surround yourself with friends for advice? Especially if each of them had experience and expertise in the fields of study you will need at your command? If non-cronyism is the change YOU were looking for from this administration, I fear that you are not politically astute. I expected President-Elect Obama to appoint his friends, acquaintances those he “owes” (see Hillary Clinton) and I accept that so long as THEY conduct their business in the spirit of change that his campaign promised.

Hey Diana. I find you speaking my feelings yet again. Damn! I may give up posting :^)

I’m with Chris Matthews in questioning the wisdom of appointing Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State (the accuracy of the Amtrak diatribe aside). I soundly villified Sarah Palin for her ridiculous assertion of her foreign policy qualifications, but I haven’t forgotten that Senator Clinton lied about her landing in Bosnia in order to boost her own qualifications. What urks me is that she needn’t have! Her visit to the war torn region was diplomatic enough, so why try to build it up with lies? I feel that President-elect Obama will battle the independent, self-serving interests of a Secretary of State Clinton and that his administration (and our nation) doesn’t need the squabbling to distract him.

Diana, I feel as if you have spoken, exactly, for me. Thank you.

Girls! —>They become Women!!!

I’ve read several articles on surviving in the wild and drinking one’s urine was suggested in all of them. Why? After leaving the heated filtration system which is the human body, urine is sterile as well as being fully acclimated to one’s OWN biochemistry. As for taste? Hold your nose :^) I guess.

Even with my complete ANTI-marriage point of view, I am flummoxed by America’s opposition to same-sex marriage. “Marriage” has evolved over millenia. Prehistorically it was practiced much like what is now considered “common-law marriage” in which 2 people agree to share romantic, domestic and financial lives. This evolved into the property transaction between 2 men…a father and a suitor, wherein the valuable asset of a woman was sold and bought. Until the 1970’s “marriage” protected a man from RAPING his wife! Instead of religious people being so concerned about the sexual lives of adult individuals, why don’t they set their sites on the conduct of adult religious LEADERS who destroy the minds and lives of children through sexual perversion??!!

I’m in the unfortunate group of Americans who’ve never taken the White House tour. I hope that priviledge is offered to us citizens again. I love the stately impression of the rooms we were shown. And (loving the color red as our next First Lady seems to) I was happy to see the color red throughout so many rooms. Vibrant and passionate. Loving it!

Golly…”The Sound of Music”…my father brought us down from Connecticut to Radio City Music Hall. The movie was on a gazillion foot screen :^) The seats were plush, crushed velvet in a color I know today as merlot. They were gilded too, and I kept creaking mine open and closed. Even the concession candy was the sweetest, most unique I’d ever seen before then (Jordan Almonds). And there were white gloves on the ushers, who had flashlights that glowed us to our seats. Julie Andrews seemed to be yodeling right at my face :^) and body felt connected to the singing and dancing in the movie. I wanted a marionette for a looong time after that. (Thanks for the memory.)

Dear Kristi, Thank you for this honestly put comment. It gives me the chance to put forth my explanation about what puzzles you. Last night I told my gathered family: “I feel like I’ve never realized that I’ve been holding my breath my whole life and now I can let it out and take a fresh one.” You are right when you say that Sherri’s son has the same RIGHT that your son does. What White Americans don’t “get” is that the FEEL of the POSSIBILITY wasn’t there before November 4, 2008! As a White American YOU’VE had pictures of your leaders to put up on the walls, or turn to in history books, which validated the reality of the encouragement you got. Black Americans have had a few dynamic preachers who’ve motivated us to stand up for our HUMAN rights, and the possibility of the American dream. The REALITY of our reach has been limited to the non-visual “possibility”. So I understand Whoopi and her suitcase. And I understand that YOU feel black people have chips on our shoulders (because many do). And I’m looking forward to hearing each side voice unfounded, outdated views of each other in the open so that we can finally SPEAK about it and start working it out so that we ALL can “get over” ourselves and be one country together. And never again be divided.

I was born in this country. On September 11th I became an American. On November 4, 2008 I became a participating American, ready do whatever my President asks of me to help better my country. Why? Because President-Elect Barack Hussein Obama has a brillian plan to move our nation towards financial recovery for ALL, improve our standing in the international community, and take our country healthfully into the future through the education of our children! President-Elect Obama’s skin color IS the icing on the cake for little ole me! Now I have an ACTUAL person who LOOKS LIKE THEM to point my grandchildren to as a visual reality when I tell them they can “even become President of the United States of America if you want to and are willing to do the work.” Today I stand taller and feel more calm and confident about myself as a human being. Maybe because I’m following the example of my newly elected Commander-in-Chief? I’m so glad I lived to see this day!

I am so happy to be alive on this day! To have lived to see this day! I am so happy for America!

Pen and Paper! Nothing feels as good as a handwritten letter delivered through the U.S. Postal Service! Journal entries and short story writing still done by hand, too…just for the soul connection!

Yes, Margo…I was able to read this with a “knowing smile” (as is every woman of a certain [see dating] age. At least once in her life a woman has bent over backwards to acommodate an emotionally distant man in the hopes of bridging the romantic gap between them. I stopped having sympathy for those women, however (myself included). HOW deeply in love can a woman be to continually allow herself to be mistreated, ad infinitum? And a woman with her own money (because we all know there are many unfortunate women who’ve trapped themselves into bad situations due to their lack of money)?! Money that her man is living well off of? Puleeze! Leave Woman: do it to make YOU happy, grateful and, with any luck, bring YOURSELF closer (TO yourself).