Barackathon

How exciting - hope for our beleagured country. We'll see how it goes. He's stepping into a no-win situation, but at least we have HOPE. The last guy didn't give us much of that - he gave us shame and embarrassment, torture and bankruptcy. Our infrastructure is failing, bridges are collapsing, and trillions of dollars have been wasted on countries that don't want us there. Unemployment here might reach 20% and 3 million foreclosures have left people on the streets. I wonder what Bush thinks, looking out the window and seeing the cheering, surging crowds, all there for Obama. We've had two baby-boomer presidents and what did they leave us with? Clinton left us with a surplus budget but set the stage for millions of jobs going overseas. If he had not cast a scandalous dark shadow on the White House I think Gore would have been able to get himself elected. People were angry at Democrats and the Neo-Cons slipped in and took us to war. It's a weird feeling to have a president younger than I am. Yikes, when did I get so old??? Speaking of old, "On the Beach" was on TV today. It's a 1959 movie with Ava Gardner and Gregory Peck about the last survivors of a nuclear holocaust sailing around in a submarine and landing in Australia where the radiation hasn't hit yet. They kill themselves rather than die of the sickness. I read the book as a kid, during the time when we really thought something like that was going to happen. It's a reminder of the awesome responsibility of a president and how important it is to use diplomacy to solve international problems...something W. did not know anything about. OH, Hannah and Luke, I'm so relieved you have such a smart, talented, creative and caring President. It will take years to turn the country around but with O. it just might happen.

I'm having fun watching the inaugural festivities from my little kitchen. I got 48 pounds of Lemon Eucalyptus and 48 pounds of Patchouli made. So much work - pots, scales, containers, spoons - oh, what a mess. I don't like to have the lye around the kitchen with dogs and cats under my feet but I can't use the milk room. I'll be glad I have soap come May. Let's hope it sets up correctly. I hauled my dress form outside to take bag pictures for my Etsy site, but the sun was going down and don't know if they will come out okay. A pretty little lake effect snow was falling and might show up as fuzz balls on the bags. Thor, Finn and Knut were so excited and kept jumping on me and the bags as I was going back and forth. I love those dogs! We got Bodie, Jackie and Pip bathed this weekend, and one bunny groomed. I've got to work a lot harder than this! It stayed light a few more minutes today...a reminder that spring is on the way. In the meantime, Hannah and Luke are playing on the beach in northern California. Lucky kids...I'm so happy for them.