Amen

This is why I'm happy to be an Episcopalian. It's a church that actually cares about actual Christian ideals, like social and economic justice, rather than just spending all of its time spouting Old Testament verses and worrying about who's allowed to marry whom, who's going to burn in hell, etc.

"As the OWS protestors point out, wealth in our country is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, the real income of the broad middle class has not increased in more than a generation, and the ranks of the poorest among us each year become ever more solidified. These are the facts – and the reality behind them is, quite simply, morally wrong. Ultimately, left unchecked, that reality is deeply dangerous. It is at odds with our vision of ourselves, and as Americans we ignore it at the peril of our most cherished national ideals. As Christians, we ignore it at the peril of our souls."

What a novel idea.

P.S. God hates shrimp.

Little Who Dat

I love it that my daughter continues to be quite the Saints fan. While I was in Ohio, Kenny and Emmeline went to see the unveiling of the new lights for the Super Dome, and she cried because she was sad that I wasn't there to see it with them.

Then, some friends gave Kenny their tickets to the Saints-Colts game and since I was still in Ohio (getting stuck on roller coasters and such), he decided to take E with him. It turned out to be the perfect game to take her to, as it was a complete blow-out with the Saints beating the Colts, 62-7. (Ouch.)

And, of course, she had a fabulous time and is already asking when she can go again.  My only regret is that, just as I expected, she was completely enamored with the Saintsations and now wants to know how you go about becoming one. (Shudder.)

Baby Mine

I recently discovered some old videos I'd taken of Emmeline as a baby that I thought I'd lost. I can't tell you how happy I am to see them again.

I love my six-year-old with all of my heart, but sometimes, I sure do miss my baby.

Bucket List

So, there's a national conference I go to every year for NIH grant administrators--normally, it's held in really fun locales like San Francisco and NYC (neither of which I got to attend). This spring, I was anxiously waiting to hear where this year's conference would be...and then the word came that it would be in Cleveland.

Sorry, Ohioans, but even though my brother-in-law is from Cincinatti and I had a wonderful time visiting there, I wasn't real excited about Cleveland. But then after doing a little research, I discovered that Cleveland is only an hour away from Cedar Point, the second-largest roller coaster park in the U.S., and all of the sudden, I was very excited.

You see, I love roller coasters. I ride them every chance I get, which isn't very often, seeing as how I live in New Orleans and our pathetic little Six Flags (formerly Jazz Land) was: a) pathetic; and b) promptly shut down after it flooded during Katrina. So, I hadn't been on a real roller coaster in almost 10 years, when my husband and I spent the first five days of our honeymoon on the beach in Sarasota, Florida and the last day at Busch Gardens in Tampa.

Dear Mississippi:

I just wanted to let you know that I'm proud of you for doing the right thing and voting down that idiotic personhood law.

To be honest, after living within your borders for four years, I wasn't sure you had it in you. Maybe there's hope for you after all.

Sincerely, A

Conversations With a Six-Year-Old, Volume 2*

E: Mommy, what's a penis?

Me: I'm sorry, what? Did you just ask me what a penis is?

E: Yeah.