Go Nancy!

From TPM:

Speaking at her weekly press conference just off the House floor moments ago, Speaker Nancy Pelosi made her most impassioned argument in weeks, for including a public option in comprehensive health care reform legislation, arguing against the idea, favored by some conservative Democrats, of mandating that people buy health insurance, and then throwing them into what she called the "lion's den" of the private insurance industry.
....

The House, she said, "will not force America's middle income families to negotiate with insurance companies."

What about you, Harry Reid? Where are you? Take a lesson from your sister in the House.

In these parts, Nancy Pelosi is disliked almost as much as Barack Obama.

Isn't La Bella Principessa Lovely?

From MSNBC News:

A new portrait by Leonardo da Vinci may have been discovered thanks to a centuries-old fingerprint.

Peter Paul Biro, a Montreal-based forensic art expert, said that a fingerprint on what was presumed to be a 19th-century German drawing of a young woman has convinced art experts that it’s actually a Leonardo.
....

Canadian-born art collector Peter Silverman bought “Profile of the Bella Principessa” at the Ganz gallery in New York on behalf of an anonymous Swiss collector in 2007 for about $19,000. New York art dealer Kate Ganz had owned it for about 11 years after buying it at auction for a similar price.
....

“I would say it is priceless. There aren’t that many Leonardos in existence,” Biro said. He said he had heard that one London dealer felt it could be worth 100 million British pounds (more than $150 million).

Gallery owner Kate Ganz says she does not believe the portrait is by Leonardo. I understand why. Whoever painted it, I think the portrait is lovely.

"You Know I Don't Normally Do Stuff Like This..."

...but when I saw Irma's name...well...

1. Passing the Purple Hat to You

In honor of women's history month and in memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer.
Pass this on to five women that you want watched over.
If you don't know five women to pass this on to, one will do just fine.



IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer.)

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love yous' More 'I'm sorrys.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute.look at it and really see it. live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

If you don't mind, send this on to all the women you are grateful to have as friends.

Maybe we should all grab that purple hat earlier.

Please send this to five phenomenal women today in celebration of Beautiful Women's Month.

If you do, something good will happen--you will boost another woman's self esteem.

2. KEEP IT LIT!

IN MEMORY OF...

Gayle, Jean, Edna, May, Aimée, Barbara, and others.

IN HONOR OF...

Donna, Susan, Lois, Richard

These are the colors that represent the different cancers.



All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it's to one more person, in memory of anyone you know who has been struck by cancer.
A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle.
Please Keep The Candle Going!

This one I do ask that you please send on.
By sending this on, you will think and realize how you've been blessed, up until now.

This is a disease which affects all families... no one is exempt!

I'm sending it on to all of you at the request of David@Montreal, who says:

Consider it a loving prayer of gratitude for each of you.

This morning, one particular much loved sister who underwent surgery successfully has us large with gratitude & praise.

Please add your names to the memory list in the comments.

Story Of The Day - The Doctor Visit

Grandpère and I got off to a late start for New Orleans, because of the broken water heater, the plumber arriving, our house guest departing to drive back to Connecticut, and my mistaken idea that the appointment was 15 minutes later that it actually was, so we arrived at the office of the optometrist at Ochsner Medical Center about 40 minutes late. The receptionist looked pained, and when she checked to see whether the optometrist would still see me, she told me he would, but that I would have to wait. I asked if she had any idea how long, and she said she really didn't know, but it could be hours. I told her that I wouldn't wait and asked if I could borrow her phone book. I chose Ochsner because I'd had surgery there already, my medical records were there, and I was familiar with the place, but I decided that I'd explore other avenues.

My optometrist here in Thibodaux recommended an ophthalmologist in New Orleans, so I called his office on the off chance that I could get a last minute appointment with him, but his receptionist told me that he was in surgery all day. Next I called the office of Dr. B., who performed my mother's cataract surgery, and to my great surprise, the receptionist gave me an appointment right after lunch.

When my mother had her surgery, I watched the procedure live on TV from a camera fitted with a microscopic lens. At the time, I thought that Dr. B. must be quite sure of his skills to permit a family member to observe, and I was impressed with his dexterity and speed in the operation. Just last year, in "New Orleans Magazine", Dr. B. was rated the best ophthalmologist in the neighborhood by his peers in the profession. He was a pioneer in our area with the small-cut cataract procedure, and I should have chosen him from the beginning. I believe that the mix-up at Ochsner turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

After lunch, GP and I headed over to the office (me driving), and, to make a long story short, my surgeries are scheduled for Nov. 9 and Nov. 23 by a doctor I know and in whom I have great confidence.

The bit of bad news is that I have early-stage dry macular degeneration in both eyes. For now, the treatment is a vitamin supplement, which I already take, and which obviously didn't prevent the condition from developing in the first place.

GP drove us home, because I couldn't see due to the drops in my eyes, but he did quite well, and we had an uneventful trip back to Thibodaux.

The Wisdom Of Walking The Dog

Last night we discovered that our hot water heater was leaking. Good thing we discovered it, because our whole downstairs once flooded once from a leaking water heater while we were sound asleep. We stepped onto a soaked carpet when we got out of bed. Had I not decided to take Diana along when I went for a walk with our house guest, we may not have discovered the leak, because the dog lead hangs on a hook in the closet where the water heater stands. We turned off the heater and the water source and drained much of the water out by letting faucets run, so we only had wet towels around the heater this morning, instead of a flooded house.

The plumber and his helper are here with a new water heater, and we've asked him to install a pan and a drain leading outside in the event that this happens again. We will leave them here to do their jobs as we head off to New Orleans for my doctor's appointment.

"Resist!"

If you have not read Church of England Bishop Peter Selby's address to "Inclusive Church's residential conference Word on the Street - Swanwick - 7 October 2009", then you must. It is absolutely brilliant. It's what I and many of us on this side of the pond and a few on the other side have been saying, but Bishop Selby makes the points beautifully.

While I was away I tried to read the online version for days and never succeeded, because I had little computer access. Last night, I printed it and read it as my bedtime reading. Excellent!

Home Again - Part 2

Whoa! Do I have a busy day ahead of me! I made it through all the security points with an expired drivers license. My first priority is to get a valid drivers license.

Also, I ask your prayers because tomorrow morning, I have an appointment with an optometrist at Ochsner Medical Center to start the process for having cataract surgery. What can I say? I'm scared. I know, I know. It's a simple surgery, and I will be much better off afterward, blah, blah, blah, but nevertheless....

UPDATE: Perhaps I was not clear. My surgery is not tomorrow. The visit tomorrow is to get the ball rolling to set a date for surgery. I am frightened way ahead of time.

Story Of The Day - Big Job

When do you get to be a grown-up? she
said. When you can read & write & lie
without laughing, I said & her eyes got
big & she said she didn't know it was
that hard

From StoryPeople.

In Thanksgiving for Frank...

...and please continue to pray for Frank and Carol. From David@Montreal:

dearest Giants of Prayer & Practice
Just in from a long walk with Willie the blessing daschund, and the phone was ringing
Frank, my very dear cousin, fighting leukemia with genetic therapy with an imperfect genetic match had called Mam when he couldn't get me on the phone.
Late last week he and Carol were headed into Vancouver for one of his twice-weekly days of outpatient treatment at the hospital, when all of a sudden Frank felt an incredibly sharp pain and tearing deep inside his calf.
The pain persisted all the way to the hospital where he was admitted as an emergency.
Turns out two pieces of cartilage had become so brittle from all of the different treatments Frank's been undergoing and two rogue pieces of cartilage were circulating in his body via the blood. Minor piercing of the lungs, some damage to the heart but thankfully no damage to either major veins into or out of the heart. The pain in his calf was indeed a tear of some seriousness which is being left to heal itself.

After the situation had been normalized, apparently the head of the whole cancer program came in to shake Frank's hand- to tell him how he couldn't understand, how with all Frank's been through, and now this, that he's still alive. To quote' you should have been dead, several times over.'
Carol said, with tears in his eyes, Frank told the doctor he was being kept alive by prayer alone- 'It's my cousin's gang of saints' (that's you guys)
Apparently the doctor at first misunderstood, thinking Frank and Carol might be Mormon, until Frank explained we're Anglican/Episcopalian/ RomanCatholic/Buddhist
Frank apparently waxed quite lyrical about the bunch of you, and by the time he'd finished the doctor was shaking his head, smiling with tears washing his own cheeks.

Literally Franks first call when he got home today, was to try and get me, and then to talk with Mam, to say thank you, thank-you, thank-you to the Giants & to ask for your continued prayers.
To quote my beloved cousin, he's never felt so loved in his whole life, and that's saying a lot, as he had two wonderful parents (an only child) who adored the beautiful human being they'd been given.

I'd also ask for prayers for my sister Susan, who has spent the Thanksgiving week-end in hospital following a minor stroke with complications- tests still being run on the second day as they haven't quite got it all figured out.

En passant, I've also recommend two posts, by beloved siblings in Christ:

a DY-NA-MITE sermon by our beloved sister Elizabeth at Telling Secrets. Sublime, poetic, and the essence of our vocation to live as the Body of Christ, this is one of Elizabeth's very, very best- and believe me this sister CAN preach!

and Paul's account of his Sunday at Byzigenous Buddhapalian. This man is positively one of the most generous great hearts in Anglican/Episcopal blogs, and in his two post he shares putting together a Eucharist celebration in a church which apparently had been reclaimed by the Episcopal Church. In addition to a full time secular job, a very serious writing career, and part-time priestly duties at another Episcopal mission, Paul put together a celebration which was lovingly accessorized, beautiful and prophetic.

Thank-you my beloved Giants,
Thank-you from Frank, Mam, and I

Home Again

Late this afternoon I arrived safely back into the heat and humidity of New Orleans and then on to the heat and humidity of Thibodaux. Our friend Hugh, who has been here fishing with Grandpère, took us out to eat in an Italian restaurant in the next town over.

I had a lovely time in Connecticut and in New York city. I am now going to bed, for I am tired. More later.