Today we wake up....

to a new ERA , new HOPE and a NEW PRESIDENT! And we are HAPPY!
It's a BRAND NEW DAY! Last night we toasted the NEW FIRST FAMILY!
Maya decided what she would wear for this special event when Barack Obama won in November 2008! It's perfect....red, white and blue and Hawaiian, too!
Click here to sing along!

After the ceremony...we watched with delight as President Obama signed his first bit of paperwork! We hope he will be signing many more acts with good intentions for
our common future good! We can work TOGETHER to create a better world!

This reminded me of a REALLY good episode of "The West Wing"! Only BETTER!
And you don't have to pinch me...'cause I know I'm not dreaming, at last, this is REALITY!

Finishing and Finding on Monday

Despite having the flu....I did manage to finish up my fabric post cards for January. I feel a little HEAVENLY HAPPY this week! So some cozy angel kitties are making joyful, peaceful wishes for the world on the sparkling stars this month! I made an archealogical discovery this afternoon while in pursuit of stitchery patterns to do while watching the INAUGURATION tomorrow! And I found some LONG LOST and LONGED AFTER patterns...particularly, these three! When I do an organization...I really do a put it away organization! I found these at the back end of my "teacher's room" in our basement! The Rumpled Quilts projects are bean bag things...perfect for my little mermaid girl and her underwater props! (they look great with those Bali Batiks!) The Mumm's pattern for the gingerbread people I've been wanting to do with some adorable g-people fabric I have had a long time! And the little paper piecing gardening quilt from HM Designs...well, I'm a gardener....it's so cute and would make perfect gifts for my gardening friends!
But....I've got to finish my current projects and WISPs before I start something new! But these are so tempting.....

In my diggings I found some other interesting things....later...

We're off to watch the BIG EVENT at a place with CNN and BBC (in English!)...waiting such a long time for this happy day! And allow me to say it one more time...I"m PROUD to be an AMERICAN! Democracy does work! May we all come together for the GREATER GOOD!

Maya's Obama quotes and more.....

"I love Obama."

"I forgot to draw his nose because I was concentrating so much on his ears."

"When Obama wins I want to have a real glass glass so I can "skål" him." (toast)

"If McCain wins not everyone can move to Sweden." (my parents said they would consider moving to Sweden for good if McCain won and another friend said she was going to give up her American citizenship)

On the phone: "Granpa, I just want to know if anyone is voting for McCain." (response: no one we know and we hope not many)

"OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA, OBAMA" (said while jumping on Papa's back on Tuesday afternoon while waiting...waiting)

"Great!" very sleepily said when I woke her up for school at 6:45 on Wednesday morning telling her that Barack Obama had won.

Some months ago Maya wanted us to use our fancy silverplated champagne glasses...so I told her that if Obama wins Papa and I would use them to celebrate his victory. So Wednesday night when we were getting ready to pop a bottle...Maya said "Wait, you said you were going to use the Special, SHINY glasses for this celebration." (what a memory!)

(I was in Denmark on Wednesday so I wasn't at work until today, Thursday.) All day today my Swedish colleagues were congratulating me on Barack Obama's win. (I've been wearing a button or t-shirt for the last week for my own mental therapy since I couldn't really do too much from here for the elections.) It seems that EVERYONE is so excited and hopeful for our country even knowing that the task at hand is a tremendous one.
During Maya's swimming lessons at the local pool mothers were approaching me about the election. You must understand that Swedes are usually quite private, especially when it comes to politics. The enthusiasm I have felt today from these contacts touchs my heart very deeply...I am PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN AGAIN! And that feels damn good!

Thanks to everyone for voting!

I've made arrangements already to take off work January 21 so that I can REALLY enjoy watching the inauguration ceremony all afternoon and night on the 20th. I want Maya to watch too...a great moment in history! I hope she will remember forever!

PS- and at some point here, I will calm down and get a little more sleep! I've been in "Obama dilirium" for days!

YES, WE CAN....YES, WE DID!

CELEBRATION TIME ......

ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!!

I'm waking up to the BEST NEWS I've heard in a long time!

Obama just won the election...whatcha gonna do?
Go to Denmark for the day! (class field trip to another country! weird, huh? It's so close...only a 20 minute ferry ride!)

Today is THE DAY!

I can hardly concentrate on anything else today....it's going to be a LONG wait! It's 5 pm here...but only 11 am on the east coast! I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight! and I have a field trip to visit a Danish school tomorrow with the Grade 4. I'll either be on CLOUD NINE or ....no, I'll be on CLOUD NINE...I can feel it!

SWEDEN IS EXCITED FOR OBAMA!
Click here to read what's in the Swedish news (it's written in English)!

The African-American father of one of my students came to see me today....we both needed an AMERICAN HUG!!!! (I gave his daughter one of my few OBAMA buttons yesterday for him to wear....with much pride!) We are both yellow dog democrats but this ain't no yellow dog running for PRESIDENT! This man we call Obama is WONDERFUL!!!!!

Tomorrow....

ANTICIPATION ....EXCITEMENT .....RENEWAL ....HOPE!!!!

DESIRE for an EDUCATED LEADERSHIP with FRESH, YOUNG (47 yr. old) IDEAS!!!!!!

DESIRE for HONEST LEADERSHIP accompanied by a REAL NORMAL FAMILY!!!!

DESIRE for a BETTER WORLD LEADER!

Will I be able to sleep tonight?

How long will I have to wait for the RESULTS!???

PLEASE USA...MAKE ME PROUD to be an AMERICAN AGAIN!
Vote with compassion...Vote with your brain!
Vote knowing that we live in the 21st century!

OBAMA WIN OBAMA WIN OBAMA WIN VOTE OBAMA WIN OBAMA VOTE OBAMA WIN OBAMA WIN OBAMAVOTE WIN

Election excitement! count down is on......

I voted on Friday...my ballot is in the air in registered mail on its way to the USA! It feels GOOD to participate!
OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA! OBAMA!
WIN, WIN, WIN!
Bring dignity to our country again!
Put our economy back on track!
Bring better health care for ALL citizens!
Support our schools and teachers!
Bring home our troops safely and give them the treatment & respect they deserve once they are home!
Promote sustainable energy!
Work with other nations for the PEACE of ALL people!
YEAH! (I"m not excited about this election, am I?) ;-)

Saturday's funny.....

If the candidates were trains........all abroard! It's almost time to leave the station!
Which train would you trust to carry our country for the next four years?OK...I"m so lame with the computer stuff sometimes...I took a photo of my computer screen and then loaded it up to my blog like I do my photos...I just couldn't figure out how to save it from an email (thanks Holly C!) and then transfer it to the blog...but it worked ok, huh?

Which team has the best education?

I know this is risky business bringing up politics on a non-political blog but
1- it's MY blog so it's MY opinion
2- if I help change the mind of just one voter to OBAMA I will be thrilled!
3- if the American people put McCain in the White House, I will deny I'm an American if anyone asks me....for the last 8 years it has been TOTAL embarrassment, I"m not going through that again! Please read on...

With America facing historic debt, 2 wars, stumbling health care, a weakened dollar, all-time high prison population, mortgage crises, bank foreclosures, etc.; which team would you hire?

Educational Backgrounds

Obama:
Columbia University- B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Biden:
University of Delaware- B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor(J.D.)

vs.

McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho- 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College- 1 semester
University of Idaho- 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Now, which team are you going to hire?
Please vote with your BRAIN!
And don't listen to the fear tactics of the Republicans!

Post #102 ---things that make me SMILE

1- UFO...no more!!!! I finished the binding on this Halloween wall hanging FINALLY! (Betsy, do you remember this one? I started it at the Hamilton...recognize your fabric contributions?) It's a little lopsided on the edges but I think that adds to the folkie charm of it, don' t you think? I guess it's not technically finished ....I need to add some sort of hanging device on the back. For it NOT to be UFO anymore, does it have to have a hanging thing? I'm considering how I want to hang it...dowel, clothes pins, or what? And Rhonda has challenged the Quilting Bloggers to make a label on our pieces for historical purposes. (I'm going to use a premade label because I'm totally lazy about that! Although after seeing Rhonda's I might have to push myself alittle more, hers are so cute!) 2- Maya's drawings! Look at this adorable drawing Maya made for me while I was watching the debate yesterday afternoon! (Yes, a major Swedish network played the entire American Presidential debate on TV! with Swedish subtitles, of course!)
His nose was an afterthought because it's not her usual style of nose. She told me that she had to focus her attention on his ears because they were so big! Do you think I should send Barack a copy?

My Swedish friends and colleagues (& students) are EXCITED and NERVOUS about the Presidential elections in the USA. I really wish that all of you Americans knew just how much our actions, our economy and our President and OUR VOTES influence the rest of the world!
I am constantly amazed at how much other people, especially children, know about our USA!

My fourth and fifth graders know all about the elections and who is running and what their ideas for the future are! How many 5th graders who you know would know the name of the Canadian Prime Minister? What about the Mexican President? (your two neighbors) Or when they have their elections? Would any 5th graders or adults know the names and ideologies of the major European leaders? Do you get my point here? Please register to vote and VOTE! The world is watching us and hoping we'll use our brains!

PS- I have my absentee ballot now...I will vote this week and send it off in registered mail! I know this sounds corny but I am so proud to be an American when I vote! :-) Because I CAN VOTE....so many other countries don't allow their citizens that right!

Away for the weekend...

It's my folks last weekend with us here in Sweden so we are staying with them at the summer house for a couple of days. BEAUTIFUL weather! Hope to get down to comb the beach for shells and other delights. We're expecting my husband's cousin's family of 5 (3 kids) to arrive later today from Göteborg. Maya and one of her 2nd cousins are a year apart...and they have such a grand time playing together. Bo's cousin's wife is from Malaga, Spain so all their children speak both Swedish and Spanish! The languages of today will mostly be Spanish and Swedish with a little English mixed in. (My parents also speak Spanish as we lived in Peru when I was young.) We're fixing salmon rolled in halibut on the grill...and looks as though we'll be able to eat outside! Usually we have a 'crayfish' party this time of year but last year we decided we didn't really like the imported crayfish from China.(The Swedish crayfish are nearly endangered so the ones you can buy are extremely expensive.) So we are bending the traditional faire just a little! But we'll still use the "end of the summer" decorations that are used for the traditional crayfish parties in Sweden.

I've just spent an hour looking at something over the internet (since I couldn't watch it live earlier this week) which thrilled me to the point of tears! I'm so proud to be an AMERICAN at this moment and I REALLY wish I could be "home" to participate in the fall's activities! CHANGE is in the air...a real positive change! I will do my best to be a part of it in some way!