Saddle Up, America!

Since our orphanage was Catholic, Starr Ann and I were basically raised by nuns. Well, really and truly, we raised each other. But until we learned a few tricks, the nuns were in charge.

Anyway, I guess most people have heard of Lent. Part of how Catholics observe Lent is by 'giving something up' during the weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Well, at the orphanage, the nuns used to make us all stand up in class the day before Ash Wednesday and declare what we'd be giving up. When Starr Ann was about eight, she stood up big as you please and announced with real regret in her voice that she'd be giving up lima beans for Lent that year. Only thing was, Starr Ann hated lima beans, and everybody knew it.

I personally thought that showed a lot of imagination and ingenuity on Starr Ann's part. Sister Blissie Marie thought it showed a lot of disrespect and smart-aleckness. AND, Sister for some reason suspected the idea originally came from me. So, Starr Ann and I both were assigned a Lenten sacrifice that year. To this day, neither Starr Ann nor I can really look directly at a lima bean.

So, last night, as Jodie, Starr Ann and I were savoring President Obama's Inauguration Day, all of a sudden, his message penetrated our revelry. If the man said it once yesterday, he said it eight thousand times - we all have to find a way to pitch in. Dang!

We had a long talk, and decided that Jodie's already doing her part by chronicling the Bush years in her textbook for middle-school kids.

Then we focused on me and decided that since two major areas of focus are to be education and science, the best way for me to serve will be to find a good inner-city tutoring program and volunteer to help kids get a good math and science foundation.

Starr Ann isn't saying yet how she plans to contribute, but she promises it won't have anything to do with lima beans. Heh.

And speaking of doing your part - anybody whose imagination and incentive hasn't quite caught fire yet should check out Heather's series on her extraordinary experiences volunteering in Nicaragua as part of a Habitat for Humanity Global Village trip. Even if you already know how you plan to serve in our new America, you might want to pop on over there, because Part One begins with a little vlog where you get to see a mighty cute girl.

This Just In

Well, the whole not existing on paper thing is kinda getting in Starr Ann’s way. Her fake papers got her on the plane (Starr Ann claims Osama bin Laden’s probably flying commercial, it’s so easy), but she needs a little bit more in the way of credentials to get inside Walter Reed. Celia Susan claims to have the proper materials, and she’s heading up there.

Bottom line, Starr Ann hasn’t made it to Lane yet. Lane knows she’s there, though, and she’s not real happy about it. Seems like Lane basically wants to put a pillow over her head and pretend the world doesn’t exist anymore. And who knows, maybe that’s a pretty good short term response. Only thing is, Starr Ann is determined to be right there when the pillow comes off.

Anyway, yesterday when Starr Ann realized that Celia Susan wouldn’t get there until at least late tonight, she took up the offer of a Posse rider who lives about an hour and a half away. Yep. Starr Ann had supper and spent the night with Heather and April, of Wishful Writer fame. You know how even when something momentous is going on, your brain still tries to make all the normal observations and things, just to keep you grounded? Well, when Starr Ann called to check in last night, she told me about three times how nice that bathroom of Heather and April’s turned out. So, I’m real thankful for the hospitality of those cowgirls.

And Jodie says Starr Ann has something cooking. She’s given Jodie the job of getting in touch with Jamila’s folks about the possibility of letting us borrow Jamila’s riding boots for a few days. More on that as it develops.

Lately, I feel like I ought to be calling this the Starr Ann Dispatches.

In A Cloud O'Dust

Look out, Bloggies, here comes The Posse!

Heather, at Wishful Writer, is a finalist for the 2008 Bloggies under the GLBT category. Be sure to go vote for this extremely funny and thoughtful writer right away and vote often.

Here's Heather:


Cute, huh? Not only that, she's a fine writer and she's Posse. So what are we waiting for? Let's go to the Bloggies and vote!