Let the Buttons Do the Talking

As I've mentioned before, my mother was politically active. Some political punch exists in my husband's family as well. His aunt once served as the Chairman of the Kansas Republican party.

We've inherited some commemoration of these experiences - political buttons.

Here's a sampling of my Mom's buttons. She worked on many civic projects including raising money for the library, the school district and the city pool. She also was a democrat, a yellow dog democrat! I recently learned from my cousin, Shelley, that this is a real term, studied in college political science classes, and I assume a moniker of great honor within the Democratic Party. It means even if the dems were to put up a yellow dog as a candidate, my Mom would have voted for her!

Here's a look at the buttons collected by my mother and father-in-law.

I love that many different parties are represented here with buttons from Reagan to Carter to Perot. Even Rockefeller. I need a little help though. Who's Stassen and Bob Ray???

A true political button collector has the cool button from both parties. You might see Carter's face while reading Ford's name, but look from a different angle and see Ford's face while reading "Carter".

How about this cool Ford button? How could he not win with a button like this?

We have followed this election so closely for the last few months. It's hard to believe it is finally Election Day! We will know, I hope, who our next president will be before we go to sleep tonight. We are going to a Watch Event this evening... the kids, too. We've got them so excited (some might suspect brainwashed)! I hope you take the time to VOTE today, because...

And Then It Was Gone...

Just an update on the blackberry pie. We traveled to the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend and took our pie. It survived the ride largely intact except for a little jostling that caused some leaky juices.

The first night my husband and I cut two pieces, warmed them up and slowly ate them. The pie was wonderful! Our mm-mm-mmms got a couple of the kids interested and they too, had pieces. Just over half remained and I thought, great, when my brother and his wife arrive, we can all enjoy Mom's Recipe blackberry pie after dinner.

Following our meal, I went to serve the pie and only a sliver remained! What? Huh??? The kids had almost finished off the pie sometime during the day! Kids don't really like pie! Do they? Isn't there a rule or law or something stating that kids don't like pie...unless it's chocolate or ice cream pie. hee hee My kids and my nephew definitely like blackberry pie!

We all watched as my brother enjoyed the remaining itsy-bitsy piece. I will need to go blackberry hunting today.

A Blackberry Pie to Remember

The wait is finally over!

My husband and I walked out to the blackberry patch and were greeted by dozens and dozens of ripe berries. My heart skipped a beat.

Picking blackberries just makes me smile! It's fast work of the ones you see easily, then it's time to look among the leaves.

More are almost alway hidden beneath. This year because of all the rain, we even found branches bowed over and touching the ground under the weight of the huge, succulent berries.

This variety, Chester Thornless Blackberry, from Stark Brothers Nursery, is sweet and juicy. They are the reason we have not accumulated any berries so far this summer. We keep eating them!

Fortunately, we were able to keep ahead of our eating on this excursion and collect more than enough berries for a pie.

My mother made wonderful pies. A couple of years ago, we made pies together and I wrote down the recipes as we estimated the amounts on each ingredient. As you can imagine this pie has special meaning to me.

My Mother makes Kansas Governor Sebelius Laugh

Did you know Douglas County, which includes Lawrence, was the only county in the whole state of Kansas to go Democratic in the 2004 presidential election? I notice these things because I come from a politically active, mostly democratic, family. In fact, I have memories of stuffing envelops for George McGovern, helping my Mom put up yard signs and standing at polling places handing out candidate brochures. My Mother signed my brothers' high school diplomas as the School Board Secretary.

Pic of Mom being sworn in for her first term on the Kirkwood School Board.

She served six years.

My Mom worked hard to get Democrat Claire McCaskill elected Missouri Governor a few years ago. McCaskill lost 52% - 48% to "Baby Blunt". My Mom's term and it wasn't meant to compliment his youthfulness... After the election my Mom was invited to a luncheon to thank the McCaskill volunteers. Who was at this luncheon you might ask? Well, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Prior to the lunch, some mingling occurred and my Mom made her way to the Kansas Governor. She introduced herself and said,

"My daughter lives in ______ (small town in Kansas). I think she's the only democrat in her whole county!"





Governor Sebelius laughed and said, "You may be right!"

Pic of Mom with Missouri Governor Bob Holden, who was the predecessor to Governor Blunt.