You call this change?

Will the real Democratic response please speak up? First Obama and
Hillary say the anticipated snide remarks - which played even nastier
coming on the heels of Palin's gracious mention of them and Ferraro in
her speech. (I tell you, when I heard Palin's respectful mention of
Hillary and Ferraro, I teared-up. I did.) Then comes a revised
response that was supposed to play as friendly and nice and classy.

Well, it didn't.

Obama says the first outburst was from some of his aides who have a
"hair trigger." Hair brain is more like it.

And while we're at it, can somebody explain to me how the Obama camp
can keep talking about sweeping change - much-needed change -
unspecific change and then pick BIDEN as the VP candidate? Shoot,
girlfriends, Biden was working in Washington, D.C. when they broke
ground for the White House. Biden is an entrenched, experienced
Washington bureaucrat. How does Biden represent change? Shoot, does
anybody remember how Biden was caught plagiarising? Biden was so
caught-up in politics-as-usual that he used somebody else's words,
claiming them as his own. I suppose he just figured that it worked for
them, so it would work for him. Plagiarism is stealing intellectual
property that already exists. It is most definitely not change. Change
= something NEW, at least in my dictionary.

Which is it, Obama: status quo or change?

Here we are 24 hours later, and I'm still so excited I can hardly
stand it. My Junior Julep and I are ready to get to work for Palin,
and yes, definitely: let's invite the girl down for some juleps. If
she can handle a gun, 5 children, and Alaska's winters, she can handle
a mint julep.

Till next time . . .

Miz Vul

Wonder how Sarah Palin feels about Mint Juleps?

My goodness, that woman has done everything hasn't she? Eats mooseburgers, shoots guns, hunts, has five kiddos, has governed a state and been mayor of a city. She was a beauty contestant, winning something or other, and has that kick-butt spirit wrapped in syrup that so reminds me of a Southern gal.

Now she's the first woman on a Republican Presidential ticket... Way to go gal!

I am just so EXCITED to have this accomplished woman running for office. A hockey-mom much less, which is a bit stronger I'd think than our local soccer-mom types? Although I wouldn't want to tangle with either of them if their cubs were being maligned.

Have you heard ol' Obama's folks scramblin' to come up with some way to mitigate the exuberance men and women across the country are feeling right now? It just sounds so petty. I mean, I may not be a Hillary supporter, but the way these so-called-love-everyone-support the down-trodden, the women, the poor, Democrats treated that woman is shameful. And the way they went after Geraldine for saying something innocent.

They better watch out with their little nit-pickin' digs at Palin. They ain't never tangled with the riled-up bunch of women they'll be tanglin' with if they keep that kind of garbage going. They look like a bunch of sniveling bullies who've just been bested by a girl. Whine, whine, whine.

I bet they were all scrambling and still are trying to come up with a way to look Democratic and all-inclusive as they attack a woman. Ya gotta love the moment.

On that note, have you noticed how many women there are on tickets and in office across the country? Compare the number of women and minorities in positions of power in the Bush White House to those who were in the Clinton White House. Ha.

Talk about moxy! Have you heard that sharp gal who handles the press for President Bush? I was listening just a minute ago to her talking to the press and she was telling them what the President was going to talk about at the Convention on Monday night. The last thing she said was that Bush wouldn't be attacking Obama and some reporter shouted out, "Why not?". Her quick answer? "Because he has class."

Love it. Thrilled to have Sarah Palin on the ticket and these boys on the Democratic side better watch out. She has more experience than Obama so they better stop attacking her on that one!

Wonder if she'd be willin' to join us on the front porch and sip a few juleps sometime? Guess she's going to be mighty busy for a good while.

What a Way to Celebrate Women's Suffrage

Hey Girls,

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: those Republicans sure do
know how to celebrate and commemorate. I just heard McCain announce
his running mate, and I heard Sarah Palin's acceptance speech. You
know, Michelle Obama said a while back that for the first time in her
life she's proud of her country, and I tell you what: for the first
time in a long time, I am hopeful about our country.

So hopeful that I feel a burst of energy (at least I guess that's what
it is - been so long), and I'm going to clean my house.

After a bit of mint julep fortification, of course.

More on this later (the Republican VP candidate, not cleaning my house).

Miz Vul

Little Bits

Hey girls,

Miss Etta, count me in: wipe off my chair and get my mason jar ready.
I'll be there soon cause I tell you what - watching this Democratic
whoopteedoo is enough to drive me to drink. Okay if we start September
early this year?

I bet the O'Bamas are already stockpiling bottled water - probably
buying it off the shelves in New Orleans first - so they can upstage
the Republican whoopteedoo when Gus (I can't remember his full name)
hits New Orleans. And you know good and well that the entire press
corps would pull out and leave the Republicans to cover the O'Bama
gang in the role of Good Samaritans. In a heartbeat they would.

I could go on forever, but I just don't have enough energy to pursue
that one this morning.

Wonder if all this rain got here in time to affect the leaf color. You
know, I seem to remember leaves turning in September, but now it seems
like that color doesn't pop out till November. And one thing I've
always wondered about: when the leaves fall, what makes some of them
hold on and stick it out through the winter? It's not something I've
lost sleep over, mind you, but I do wonder about it every now 'n then.

I'm enjoying this overcast day. It's like one of the Steel Magnolias
said: When God doesn't try so hard, I don't feel like I have to either.

Something like that.

I saw some Mint Julep something-or-other in the beauty section of the
drugstore the other day. Foot cream. Or maybe it was face cream. I
don't know, but when I get a minute, I think I'll run on back over and
pick up some to take with me to Miss Etta's upcoming Bourbon
Blasterbration.

Till next time.

Miz Vul

Get Ready to Party on My Porch

Whooppppppeeeeeee. Finally, someone in an official capacity is honoring my spirit.

The governor of Kentucky has declared September as "Bourbon Heritage Month." He's even recognizing Bourban as “America’s Native Spirit” thus honoring the family heritage and deep-rooted legacy of the Bourbon industry in Kentucky. Well, good for him.

That got me to thinking. Why doesn't the federal government also celebrate this spirit of American culture? Well, to my surprise, just last year the U.S. Senate declared September as "National Bourbon Heritage Month."

So come on over gals, this calls for a toast with my special julep juice!

Miss Etta

Gotta Make It While the Sun is Shining

Gals,

Glad to finally hear from ya'll. I'm much too busy right now to set a spell. The sun is shining, and with all the recent rain--- guess what I'm doing?

Of course-- making julep juice. Gotta make it while the mint is fresh off the vine. Why, the mint has been overtaking everything so much that the mister told me to make something out of it or he was gonna cut it down!!

Well, after I finished having my stroke and an attack of the vapors, I glared mightily at the ole coot. I got busy making my juice, but it's been hard with all the stomping of feet and huffing. Why, the very nerve of even a hint of throwing out my mint!

Here's the recipe I'm using right now for the juice:

1 c. sugar
1 c. water
Bring to a boil. Add 12 fresh mint sprigs. Cool and discard leaves.

Pack a glass with ice. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar-mint juice and throw in an equal amount of bourban. Add water to fill the glass. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Thought that I would try and make up a BIG batch of the starter juice and freeze it in ice cube containers. That way, all I have to do is grab an ice cube, add the special B and water.

Whatcha think about that? You with me?

Miss Etta

My turn to be alone?

I know I most likely expect way to much given how sporatic I have been about setting on the porch over the summer time, but it would be so nice to have company now that I'm back.

I have had such a delightful time this summer! I won't bore you with all the many things I've done though as they kept my little pea-brain occupied but would most likely force my Julep sisters to hide their yawns behind a large glass of cold ice tea (or something with a bit more bite perhaps?).

I am home to stay for a while and hope we can all resume our chats. I will have to say that I am not too very happy with some of the changes that have occured in our fair county while I have been gone! Lest you chasten me unneccesarily, I will tell you that I did my duty and voted absentee in both elections. I was not overjoyed with the outcome of the elections, however I have been in this world long enough to know that life goes in cycles, not all of them to my liking.

Well, come sit, come share and lets talk about this great big beautiful world together!

Depression is all in the mind...

I think we have just moved way too far up Maslow's Heirarchy and have way, way too much time on our hands. All of a sudden we get to lookin' round and we're sitting up there on that pinnacle and we're bored. Or we have more stuff than we need and we've reached those goals or just quit bothering to set them and we get to thinking we're depressed. Some of us are brung up thinking we've got to have more, more, more and we can never live up to those expectations that are slammed in our face every time we open a magazine or turn on the boob-tube. We get depressed 'cause we're never going to get there.

It's all just a bunch of hullabaloo. I think the drug companies like to make us think we just gotta be happy all the time. Well durn it, life has ups and downs. We can't always walk around with a big ol' smile plastered on our face and be happy. It just ain't life.

These people in this country want to know what's depressing they oughta go live in Africa or some other country for a while and they'll figure out real quick what depression is all about.

We get depressed if we don't have two tv's and three cars.

I figured out a long long time ago that I could walk through life feeling poor me-like or I could decide to be happy. Being depressed is darned addictive. It's great to sit around and feel sorry for yourself. Especially if you get in one of those groups that helps you, or so they say. You sit around telling each other how bad you feel and pretty soon you get to enjoyin' feeling that bad and you don't even realize it.

When I was young and I'd start getting down in the mouth and feeling bored and pitiful my Mama would hand me a broom and tell me to go sweep the back porch. I think we need to get these depressed people to find something to do to help somebody else and they'll start to feeling pretty good about their own situation. Go down to the homeless shelter and help feed people once a week for about six months and you'll find out just how happy you can be.

Guess what gals? I'm back! I've missed you all but I sure haven't been depressed for one single day.

Miss Faye

D is for

Hey Girls,

I've been taking a little Vulcation (like my newly-minted word?) this
morning: been cruising the internet reading blogs written by other
gals (so much so I have a cramp in my right elbow), and I notice 2
things:

1. These gals are GOOD wordslingers.
2. These gals are depressed.

Now let me just stop right here and say for the record: it's not just
females who are depressed. There seems to be a veritable epidemic of
depression these days. Seems like everybody I know or am related to or
both is at least a little on the D side of things. Used to be that
being depressed was something you and yours kept quiet, like it was
something to be embarrassed about, something to be ashamed of. That's
not the case now - THANK GOODNESS - and maybe that openness, that
willingness to talk about it will help answer me this: why is it
depression seems to be running absolutely rampant these days? I, being
who I am, want to know WHY. Why so many wonderful, talented, creative,
intelligent, genuinely good people are depressed - not just blue or
sad or down but flat-out depressed.

Is it something physical like we're not getting enough exercise?

Or is it something psychological like we don't have effective coping
skills or maybe we have unreasonable expectations?

Or is it something physiological like our bodies are squirting out too
much of one juice (hormones, neuropeptides, etc.) and/or not enough of
another?

Or (and you both KNEW I'd get to this, didn't you? Go ahead: admit
it.) is it something They put in our parents' drinking water? Or
something They loaded into those free cigarettes? Or something They
put on the fruit pieces used to mess up perfectly good lunchroom Jell-o?

Girlfriends, if we don't do something about whatever causes
depression, pretty soon those who are not depressed (be that of
natural causes or sheer, unadulterated determination) will be the ones
getting the diagnosis and subsequent pills.

I'm just saying.

Miz Vul

Buried and Forgotten??

Lawdy Miss Etta,

Remember me? Why, I used to come and sit on your porch for our daily talks. I just loved them so. And, I do remember the fine punch you would serve.

Guess you thought I was dead. Dead and buried. Well, I am still kicking, but I have been buried. I'm spending most of my mornings try to dig my way out of all the mail that my good neighbor has been sending. How many good neighbors are there around here? Way too many, I think. And don't they know that filling my mailbox with the same letter from several of them a day is the best way to make sure I don't spend any of my precious coins at their doorstep?

Of course, I have to wonder if you have been getting all those letters?

Hope to hear from you soon,
Georgia gal