I always thought the best epitaph a person could have would be

"He/she was good company." Strange maybe, coming from a person who relishes large doses of solitude, but that's how I feel too.

Folk wisdom, at least, holds that when you dream of a departed loved one,

it's their way of visiting you.

Wise advice, Hoppy. Bless your heart - so sorry for your loss.

But you show your true colors when you can still think of others in the midst of your own grief - which I hope eases a bit as soon as possible. I think most folks who've been down that road would say be sure to seek out the company of others as soon as you're able and lean on them. You will actually be helping them by letting them help you. God bless.

Nothing you do for a child or Mother Earth is ever wasted.

haha - you just wait! You don't know the can of worms you just opened, buster!

A NY charity I volunteer for has sent me a smartphone so I can call people long distance to feature them in our newsletter, and that phone - which so far is still smarter than me - has a camera. When I have a chance to learn how to use it, I'll FLOOD this place with pictures of cute little baby cukes until people are ready to puke! So there!

Ha! Guess I told YOU! Take that!

X-Post: The first seed has sprouted in my starter pots, yaaayyy!!!! Baby cuke's are so - cute.

While I'm at it, will mention a trip I took to the Dollar Tree in the nearest 'big' city 65 miles away yesterday. First time in 3 years. Bought the place out, very practical items. I took one look at all those beautiful bright colored wash buckets and thought: PLANTERS!

The first seed in my starter pots has sprouted! Yayyy! A baby cuke - so cute!

While I'm at it, will mention a trip I took to the Dollar Tree in the nearest 'big' city 65 miles away yesterday. First time in 3 years. Bought the place out, very practical items. I took one look at all those beautiful bright colored wash buckets and thought: PLANTERS!

Happy for all the people helped by President Obama's ACA.

Future generations will arise and call him blessed.

The most notable thing about getting healthcare AT LAST when I reached 65? It made me feel more valued, more human. I'd love President Obama for that reason if no other - and there are plenty of others.

You bet! I subscribe to several newsletters etc. to keep abreast of petitions and letters to sign,

and I also write the President independently. He's the wisest, most capable leader we've had in a long time. Hopefully he's setting the tone for those to follow. Nobody with half a brain really mistakes him for a pacifist. But thank God he's no warmonger either.

If it's done w/o a DOOMED splinter party, I'd vote for him.

The primaries will tell. Perhaps our best case scenario would be a Clinton/Reich ticket. Hillary couldn't afford a female VP candidate, but there are plenty of good Dem male candidates. The Castro twins, Reich, etc.

But I beg everyone to remember this unchanged (and probably unchangeable) political truism of all times: no third party succeeds to the oval office, much less wins the Hill. The only practical use of a third party is to convince the opponents to split. I do everything I can to encourage various shades of Repukes to bolt. What makes anyone think they're not working the same way against us? For the exact same reason.