The Knotted Scarf: Remembering the Passing of Elizabeth Edwards

Today is the anniversary of Elizabeth Edwards passing. It's been somber for many of us, although I managed to stay busy. Likely Elizabeth would have preferred that I or anyone be productive than dwell on her death.

Still, it is time to pause a little and think about her.

I bet she would have been proud of Cate and Trevor's wedding. Courtesy of one of Cate's guests, Bill Spiegel, here's a link to a picture he snapped of Cate and Trevor cutting their wedding cake. Note: you must be a FB friend of EE's to view it. I was and still am.

The Elizabeth Edwards Foundation (EEF) website is seeing some legs.

Speaking of the EEF, CEO Cate Edwards put out a call on Elizabeth's Facebook wall for folks to share quotes or other thoughts. Iddybud posted a lovely poem by WS Merwin entitled "Rain Light". Nancy Anania, Elizabeth's sister, was open with her feelings when she posted, "My beautiful sister, you know how much I miss you." Yours truly posted a pic of Elizabeth and the two younger ones when Elizabeth was voted Role Mother of the Year by Glamour.

In another part of FB, Dem Debbi, a former JREG blogger, posted the pic of Elizabeth when she learned her cancer had returned and many of the DU'ers contributed money for dozens of pink roses (still my favorite pic, I remember posting it at the DU when the campaign sent it to me) in support of her continuing on in the 2008 campaign.

BW Readers, I also bring your attention to One America Rising, which wove a photo blog tribute to Elizabeth.

I will conclude with a couple of thoughts which may to tie these bloggers to the anniversary of her passing. One of them is by Cate Edwards, who penned an article that was published in Self magazine this afternoon:

There are things quintessentially Elizabeth that will always remind me of her. Some of them are grating (a constant flow of grammatical corrections). Some of them gracious (the constant claim that friends and family--not herself--are to thank for her own strength). Some of them are ill-advised (putting together meals comprised only of 100-calorie snacks). Some of them are good advice (to put together the biggest dream you can for yourself, then go one bigger). Some of them are passing (her idea to buy a bush hog and cut her own path in our backyard). Some of them are lasting (her idea to be herself, regardless, and forge her own path in life). But every Momism that I took for granted during her life has served as a welcome reminder of her every single day during the last year. Some days they make me smile or laugh out loud. Some days they are more burdened with the sadness of losing her. And while I hope that the former overtake the latter as the years roll on, I am glad to know that a year will never pass-- or even a day--when my mom is not with me.

The other is by Elizabeth herself, from Saving Graces. The context is a scarf she received from Christine Lavin (one of my favorite folk singers)in the mail:

Christine had taken it on her tour and had asked the women in the audience to make a little knot tie or knit a little. ...That scarf was everything I believed in. It was a gesture--not a difficult gesture--but a thoughtful one. ...It was pulling people in because you do believe in the grace a community gives each of us. ...This scarf is Christine's gift at the same time that it is the gift of all of those women whose names I will never know. And it is, also at the same time, something I can literally can wrap myself and something I can figuratively myself,, this huge community of people, spread out among the towns she toured--people who were pulling for me and who believed in the strength of that tiny knot they tied." (pages 333-4).

Indeed we were all part of her fabric. And she of ours.

We Knew

I am using an expression that Elizabeth Edwards would say today but slightly altered: we knew. Her comment was about Wade, you know.

Yesterday, I received e-mails about a WaPO article regarding what John Edwards could teach our POTUS. I am a bit incensed that Chris Cillzza got the memo 4 years later, but it's easy for a progressive political journalist to look back, rather than taking a position at the time. I've visited and told many liberal bloggers that they looked at who could raise money over what was bold and right for all of us. They have conceded privately that JRE was right. But I hear this "but if" meaning JRE's personal trials were revealed in the media. Chickens because of what happened in the 80's by a popular Colorado guy.

Elizabeth knew something of John's problems at the time, but she was willing to go on the campaign. She has been criticized for knowing them. How could any one be nasty towards a person who would later have her illness re-occur? Peeps like Taylor Marsh, who still touts Hillary Clinton as the possible nominee because she was the first viable woman Dem nominee in an election year that was open to anyone?

This blog is about Elizabeth Edwards and JRE's ideas. I am not ashamed to say that we knew what was right for all of us. And I am a Liberal but independent like Bernie Sanders.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/what-john-edwards-can-teach-barack-obama/2011/10/17/gIQA85p8rL_blog.html

Thanks Chris for acknowledging JRE, but you are 4 years too late. We knew all along. So your next job is to help Elizabeth Warren, as her ideas are many like JRE's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvumTKOSYaI -End the Game (thanks Montana Maven for this reminder)

Team Edwards at the 3-day Race for the Cure

Cate Edwards and a group of friends (some that we know from the campaign, are doing the race as I type this note. One of my blogging buds was tipped off via former campaign worker yesterday.

I sent a little change to support Nancy Anania, Elizabeth's sister, on Team Edwards.

This morning, Cate was interviewed by Andrea Mitchell:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/44643196#44643196

Seems appropriate Andrea is a breast cancer survivor.


Go Team Edwards!

Elizabeth Warren Considering a Run in MA for US Senate

At the Daily Kos and TPM, it was reported that Elizabeth Warren, the Harvard Law Professor who helped set up the Consumer Credit oversight group, has set up an exploratory committee for a senate run in her home state. Already she has met with some local activists in Arlington (all of this has been reported at Blue Mass Group) and liberals in the state have raised $100K.

Warren should have been confirmed to provide leadership for that new agency, but she was rejected by all of the sexist Republican male senators. As usual, Obama didn't have the stomach for any confrontation will to back her as a top candidate, so she packed her bags and went home.

She penned an eloquent post at Blue Mass Group, a site I used to follow when JRE was in the race. Her narrative was about her family background, coming from a working poor family but emerged out of it because of education. Her law work led her to working for struggling families.

I think she is wise to explore first as her committee can conduct polls, and while she is not allowed to talk as a candidate, she can raise certain sums of money within FEC rules.

I have a feeling she will be at Netroots Nation in Providence next year. I really want to go to that conference, but I think work is going to preclude me on that one.

Run Elizabeth run! She's very much like our late Elizabeth Edwards.

Happy Mother's Day

Many of the JRE/EE bloggers are human mothers. I am not one of them, but I always appreciated that EE knew I was not as she paid attention to the blogs she and JRE were in charge of.

I reflect more on this day since I lost my girl, Elmora, in late October. Teh Ben is my sole pet and a joyous one to have.

Today, I miss my mom, but of course that I miss EE and wondering what Emma Claire and Jack must be feeling without her. It's got to be challenging for them as youngsters.

I hope JRE is taking this day in grace.

Want to Share a Memory of Elizabeth Edwards

There has been a web site created for her:

http://elizabeth-edwards.org/

Former staffers were asked to do this, and I'm glad they told us the family wanted this website.

Cheers, Elizabeth and to the former Edwards supporters.

Elizabeth Edwards Passes

Our Lady Elizabeth passed this morning. I was so in work details that I didn't know until now when a fellow JRE supporter just called to console me, and I'm not consoled. Not his fault, just didn't know it would be this fast.

Elizabeth knew.

Roses for our lady, Elizabeth Edwards

Elizabeth Edwards is in the last stages of her journey.

I remember when the DUers gave her roses for going on in the campaign. I hope there are no regrets from the group in sending a bit of money for them.

12 dozen pink roses. She appreciated them so much.

I will have more to write in the coming days, just want to express my gratitude towards this lady. I liked what Sam Myers wrote on Facebook. "The songbooks are out." Elizabeth always liked to sing.


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f7/nanboz/EE_Roses_2_320.jpg

Attraversiamo

Yesterday morning, I read Roger Ebert's review of the new release, Eat Pray Love. (The link is from Oprah's site, in which she was given permission by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author who wrote the book of the same title) He gave it a thumbs down, as he believed it was too narcissistic. There have been movies that I disagreed with him when he liked them and I didn't. My interpretation of his review is that he dismissed this film as a chick flick. Thus, I decided to go see it on my own, knowing that Mr. Benny wasn't likely to have much interest in it right now--and it may be out of town by the time Mr. Benny comes to visit.

The film was very well done. I think Julia Roberts was perfect for the part, and it's very much a Julia film, whereby Julia's characters generally lose themselves in men and run away from them in fear, but move towards of finding out about herselves (if there is such a word). I bought the paperback today because I know quite a bit of the movie used direct quotes in the script from the narration that Roberts has to perform. And some of those quotes resonated with me, one of them being "Attraversiamo" which is Italian for "Let's Cross Over."

I guess I liked the movie because it was a 21st century look at the conflict of feminism and being feminine. What I mean by that is I was influenced by the ERA phenomenon, driven by the feminists such Gloria Steinem. It was important for a woman to be strong and show solidarity with those who had been denied opportunities because of dominant male world. To this day, that is why civil rights are important and why I also believe in marriage equality.

The first time that this conflict really resonated with me in a visual art form was Wendy Wasserstein's 1988 Tony Award winning play, The Heidi Chronicles. Heidi searches for her soul, but undergoes many conflicts with Scoop, the man she loves but wants her to be submissive. They eventually part company, and Heidi eventually finds self-fulfillment, in being a mother and not needing even a partner to help raise her child. At the time, the play resonated with me because of the pain of a breakup with a college love. I had thought he was the "one" in my life. And it took me many years to understand why I was not the one or that we were too young to know what we really wanted.

Cue Eat Pray Love. It's a memoir of a mid-30's person who loses herself in her marriage and decides to end it. In doing so, she makes the mistake of getting involved with an actor in her play and moves in with him too soon. She goes to an Ashram with him and is electrified by the experience--as well as unnerved--and that is the part of the relationship that she takes with her once she realizes she has not been her own person. Using her gift for writing, she elicits an advance on a book about traveling in Italy, India, and Bali, spending 4 months in each place. In Italy, she indulges in the aesthetic pleasures of eating, drinking wine, and seeing wonderful architecture. In India, she stays at a Ashram, learning the discipline of worship--both to her God--and of her inner self. She also gets called on the carpet many times by her friend Richard, for taking short cuts instead of doing the work. Her last of her journey takes her to Bali, where she had been a year ago, and when she had been very unhappy. Bali is a beautiful place and she is encouraged to bringing together her indulgences for a life balance. Only when she confronts how she can maintain this balance is when she cracks open her heart to the possibly of sharing herself with another man. She is frightened again of being lost, but is reassured with these words from her Balinese friends: "To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life."

(At that part of the movie, most of the older women, including yours truly, were in tears).

So the comparison to Heidi is easy: both are comfortable about being silent or alone at times. The contrast is that Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts' character) has decided that she can be alone and be in a relationship--her balance.

The movie is beautiful in the filming, and I was taken back in time of when I went to Italy for a week and for the Bali segment, it sort of reminded me of Caines, Australia.

In crossing over, I hope that I can learn from some of the insights that Gilbert has provided. One inspiration today, and this is something Elizabeth Edwards did (yes readers, there is an Edwards hook this post) and that was to say good bye to the man she was married to. It was painful for her to do so, but it was the only way to find some peace. I joined her in a sense that symbolically, I finally said good-bye to John Edwards too, but in my case, the short-lived career politician. I had three yard signs in my garage that were from the 2008 campaign and I recycled them this morning. I had held on to them because of what the campaign represented to me, economic and social justice for One America. Those ideals will always stay with me, and as I have repeated many times, I have no regrets about as the thousands of hours of volunteer time I spent between 2004 and 2008 of blogging, helping taking care of the Edwardses' websites. Elizabeth put it this way to the campaign workers after John left the race--as described in her new chapter of Resilience:

The race is over for John, and in most ways it would seem that your efforts for his candidacy were for nothing, but that is not right, When some mentions health care, remember that your work got out the first health care plan among these candidates and set the bar for what they would have to say...and pat yourself on the back."

Well, we haven't seen them in the way we've wanted, but Elizabeth is right in general.

Yes, John Edwards misused a lot of money on that mistress of his and got lost in his own mirror of who he was or said he was. Like Elizabeth, I did believe in that John, and I was "seeing what you wanted to see, what you needed to be the truth. Believe in people is what we should do.." and her other words, which connect me to Gilbert's lesson, "Living and believing and loving are not a waste."

Ironic that new chapter of Resilience was written shortly after I saw Elizabeth last.

I hope to strike that balance that Elizabeth Gilbert has found (with Mr. Benny) and an inner peace of a transformed Elizabeth Edwards is uncovering in being alone at times.

Gilbert has said that many women have taken to her book because they know what it is like to be disappointed, to have disappointed themselves, and disappointed someone else. I think if Roger Ebert would have read the book, as he did not, he might have picked up on that theme.

Readers will note I have put away John's picture and have changed my theme--just slightly--to reflect "attraversiamo"--the cross over to what is really my world.

Do see the movie, Eat Pray Love.

Pax.

Update: due to some a-holes by acting like Fox News regulars who believe I am "sick" by admitting family problems and learning from mistakes--and how these same folks despise the Edwards family, I have removed the more intimate parts of this post. I'm not afraid for myself, but I dislike it when these same jokers refuse to be honest about why they attack me otherwise without any substance--and I will do no harm to my friends from the Edwards campaign. Obviously, intimacy is an issue for them. They are just interested in being a-holes.

Resilience: Take Two

BW Readers,

As Mr. Benny had to stay in Florida this weekend, a dear friend from Madison came down for a couple of days. We did mainly little projects in the house--or should I say he did most of them--from fixing a bathtub drain to clearing and cleaning off the backyard desk, to getting old newspapers packaged and ready for recycling, making my new remote more seamless for not having to remember which remote to use all of the time--moving furniture between rooms (upstairs and downstairs), and helping me think about how I want to do some updates to the place.

Before he came, I did some house cleaning and clearing too, in order to prepare for the projects.


Yesterday was my 51st b-day. I took my place as a septugenerarian..and I do so proudly, if not for any reason but Andy Rooney's take on 50+ females:

“As I grow in age, I value women over 50 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why:

A woman over 50 will never wake you in the middle of the night and ask, 'What are you thinking?' She doesn't care what you think.

If a woman over 50 doesn't want to watch the game, she doesn't sit around whining about it. She does something she wants to do, and it's usually more interesting.

Women over 50 are dignified. They seldom have a screaming match with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant. Of course, if you deserve it, they won't hesitate to shoot you, if they think they can get away with it.

Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved. They know what it's like to be unappreciated.

Women get psychic as they age. You never have to confess your sins to a woman over 50.

Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 50 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.Older women are forthright and honest.. They'll tell you right off if you are a jerk or if you are acting like one. You don't ever have to wonder where you stand with her.

Yes, we praise women over 50 for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, it's not reciprocal. For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed, hot woman over 50, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22-year old waitress. Ladies, I apologize.

For all those men who say, 'Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?’ Here's an update for you. Nowadays 80% of women are against marriage. Why? Because women realize it's not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage!”

h/t to the Septuagenarian blog

In being in this group, in which I am the last of the true baby boomers, I will say that my age has challenges. It was a challenge to get ahead of those in front of me, and yet the generation Y is getting ahead of me, due to technologies they grasp and I do not fully.

I think I am part of being Resilient, but still not as strong as EAE.

Happy 61st Birthday, Elizabeth Edwards

Greetings BW Readers, and most especially, Elizabeth Edwards.

This is the 5th year that Benny's World has celebrated EAE's birthday.

We are celebrating EAE's 61st year of life, with at least 8 years (I think Elizabeth will exceed that, but 8 is a good goal) more to come to blow out candles and have picnics. I hope Elizabeth gets a chance to read the e-card I sent her.

This week, I read the afterward in Resilience and noticed the time it was written: the week after NcDem Amy, BettyNC and I saw her at the Red Window warehouse sale near her home in Orange County. I know this because she mentions her sister helping out at the warehouse the week we were there.

I enjoyed the interviews EAE had this week. I just bought my People magazine copy but probably won't read it until tomorrow. I'll probably post my thoughts about all of those interviews on Monday, as tomorrow, I will be celebrating my own birthday--number 51, however 45 lbs less than last year, the best present I could give myself.

Tonight is Elizabeth's night.

Happy birthday, Elizabeth. Another gift...celebrating another year of life with your friends, family, and fans.

Elizabeth Edwards Tells a Story in Carrboro

According to the News Observer, Elizabeth was back in the public eye, telling stories about her parents, as that was the theme of "The Monti" which is a group that hosts arts festival--and in this case storytelling-- in Carrboro.

Here's something I didn't know about Elizabeth's parents: they were on the show Match Game.

Good to see Elizabeth out again.

Happy Mother's Day 2010

Dear Readers,

Many of you are mothers of sons and daughters. I happen to be a pet mom and not a human mom. Given my lack of patience for some weeks now, it's just as well that I only have pets to be concerned with at present since I have a big space and yard to oversee maintenance.

Today, I did do something special for Mother's Day (the rest was trying to get my lawn mowed, which is trickier than one realizes). A work friend and I got together and had a nice lunch to honor our mothers. She had lost hers last fall, whereas I lost mine the spring before that. We each brought one picture that we liked of our mothers and/or families. And it was nice to share a memory of two. So to BW readers who are living alone like me and this work friend, I highly recommend sharing a lunch today with a friend. Remember the good times of your mothers. Look for common ground.

This particular friend asked about Elizabeth Edwards, and I said I had not heard from her since I saw her last. This friend's younger brother has terminal cancer, except his is more advanced than Elizabeth's from what I understand. The friend's sister had been down to visit--and like Elizabeth and Nancy, she is very close with her family.

To my friends Amy, Bettync, Jackie, and to Elizabeth and Nancy, happy mother's day. Aloha Nell Smith and Ruth Zumalt--Mr. Benny and I miss you very much.

Benny & the Jets Honor Austin Cloyd

BW Readers,

Champaign is a happening place today. Ebertfest is going on. For those of you who aren't familiar with Ebertfest, it is a film festival that the City of Champaign, the U of Illinois, newspapers, bunch of others, and Roger & Chaz Ebert sponsor in order to keep the old Virginia theater going. I went to one of the films about 2 years ago thanks to a colleague who had some extra tickets. While this is not the Sundance Film fest, people from all of over the country, and directors from the world, actually come here. Of course, the sponsorships help pay for them to come speak, but they (the directors and artists) do it to honor their friend, Roger Ebert.

But more important, today is "Austin's Day." Austin Cloyd was a Champaign native who died in the crossfire in the tragedy at Virginia Tech back in 2007. (see link for Elizabeth Edwards' statement that afternoon) .

According to the Austin Day website, Austin "spent four summers on missions with the Appalachian Service Project, where she helped to renovate homes. Her favorite task was roofing. Cloyd and her mother, Renee Cloyd, were so inspired by the group's work that they started a similar program in her former hometown of Champaign, Ill., calling it the Champaign Urban Service Project. Austin was also a member of the Champaign Centennial Interact Club." (sorry, had a pic, but it was copyrighted I guess)

While I didn't know Austin personally, I knew her dad as he had worked for the b-school at the U of I. It was devastating for all of us, but especially for him as he had not lived in Blacksburg very long when Austin was killed. But in reading about Austin and knowing her dad, she would not want anyone to feel sorry for the family, but instead, give back to the community. And that is why each year, Champaign celebrates Austin's life by having a day of community service.

As I have been missing Mr. Benny (and other stressful things that have been going on at work), I decided I would not wallow in self-pity (just as Austin, her parents, or for that matter, any Edwards Democrat) by participating in this celebration.

Today, I worked with a group of 11 folks from 10:30 to 12:20 in a project called "A Million Meals for Haiti." I was alone, but the others were from the Champaign Church of Christ College group and they needed one person to work at table number 9.

The event was sponsored by the Salvation Army, but hosted by a non-profit called Numana. Robin, one of Numana's folks, came by and visited with us for awhile. As I was unfamiliar with this nonprofit, I asked her quite a few questions about the organization and how it got started.

Rick McNary is a spiritual man who started the organization because of missionary work in Nicaragua. According to the Daily Illini,

"He says he started working to fight hunger when a young girl he met on a trip to Nicaragua eight years ago whispered to him that she was starving."

Reminds me of when JRE went to Latin America and also to Haiti in 2009, when a woman begged him to take her child because she couldn't afford the health care nor to feed him. JRE and Sean Penn also traveled earlier to Haiti not long after the earthquake this year to deliver medical supplies.

While I'm not religious (and I don't know Rick's political beliefs, I presume they are socially conservative), I'm always drawn to those who work to alleviate poverty, most especially those who are in food insecurity. That's why I was drawn to John and Elizabeth Edwards as they cared about this issue. Can't speak for John, but I know Elizabeth still cares.

I had signed online to work 10-12 today. I had never seen so many people mobilized at once (well, at least since JRE announced his candidacy in 2007). The packaging event was held in former retail store and people were waiting in line outside the door to check in and get busy!

First, we had to put on aprons, hairnets, and gloves. A volunteer came over and trained us on how to do the assembly line, which considered of taking a case of product (soymeal, chicken flavoring of a sort, rice, and some beans), putting it through a sieve, scooping it, weighing it and putting it into a special bag, getting the air out of the bag, using a machine to heat seal it (that was my job) for 10 seconds, shaking it flat, then packing it in smaller boxes--and putting those smaller boxes into a larger one. Each big box held 44 meals (or sealed bags). We put together 20 boxes, or 880 meals, in less than 2 hours.

Like a telethon, someone announced over loudspeakers how many meals had been boxed (sort of like how much money had been raised). When I left, it was over 360,000 meals. I have no doubt the event may not happen tomorrow as everything went clockwork today.

Almost forgot: the woman on the lower right has an adopted cousin from Haiti, so this was personal for her as well.

If there is something I can do for others outside of myself, I am being part of my community but also giving thanks that I can do so for the people of Haiti.

Meantime, enjoy this remake of "We are the World". I told the "Jets" today I would play it in honor of our event. And get outside of yourself--give back to your community or to the world. We cannot do things by ourselves, after all.





What a day! Makes life worth living and remembering those who aren't with us anymore either.

Ciao!

Mr. Benny Moves to FLL

Readers,

I had a busy week packing Mr. Benny for his move to FLL. Yes, that's Fort Lauderdale, FL. It was very hectic, sometimes spirited as he dropped his iPhone in the washer with his clothes. We checked about how to fix it. I think it's fu-bar, as he does.

I don't have many comments about politics this week. I do wonder the latest NE is mainly untrue about Elizabeth Edwards. One should ask if she is concerned about her health and was given edicts before, but thinks she can beat the odds again.

A Welcome Rug: Got to Have Friends

Dear BW Readers,

This past week I was at a conference at Duke. While the first few days were the hottest on record and the pollen heaviest ever, springtime in the southland was splendid otherwise. I was treated to a walking tour in the Doris Duke gardens and dinner in its lodge. Many of the participants there are my personal friends I've known for years; felt comfortable.

Thursday night, a gentle rain fell in the area. It lasted several hours, but certainly did not deter me from any activities. On Friday morning, it was nippy (upper 40's--50's), but the sunshine awoke me to a beautiful day. I was looking forward to it albeit I would have to leave early in the afternoon to drive back to Champaign.

Fellow bloggers NCDem Amy and Bettync had e-mailed ahead to meet each other as both live within a hour of Duke and I was in town. I had met NCDem Amy before in person, but not Bettync. Amy and her spouse agreed to pick me up at my hotel, then we would meet Betty at the Red Window Warehouse outside of Carrboro as the store was having a sale. In addition to purusing the furnishings and furniture of the place, it was an opportunity to say hello to Red Window's proprietor, Elizabeth Anania Edwards.

The warehouse sale was housed in a former used tire store on Old Greensboro road. We drove past it, but in the midst, we recognized Elizabeth in the doorway. So we found the nearest driveway, turned around and turned into the gravel parking lot of the store. Amy went in first, giving Elizabeth a hug. Then I walked in, and Elizabeth recognized me as well. I said, "hello sweetie" as we hugged and she said "hello, how are you?" (And I asked, is it OK I call you sweetie?--"Sure")

Then Amy and I saw Betty. Betty was looking at a candle holder and said, "Benny?" I nodded. Then she said "Betty" and we hugged too.

We asked Elizabeth about the concept of her store and warehouse. Elizabeth explained that she enjoyed buying furniture and furnishings around High Point and was able to get many of the warehouse inventory at discount and was able to sale it to potential customers for wholesale or not much above. It was terrific that the profit meant enough to keep her business afloat but wanted to offer customers unique pieces at discounted rates. Much of the furniture was "distressed" to make it look antique, but many customers liked the textures. Indeed, the warehouse had many types of wardrobes, mirrors, as well as rugs.

We also met Elizabeth's sister, her niece, and her grand niece. Elizabeth's sister resembles her except she is a bit taller and has long darkish hair.

I bought a handcrafted rug (that you see at the beginning of the post) that I thought would be great for Mr. Benny's condo in Florida for when he moves. Elizabeth was unware that Mr. Benny was out of work and had looked for a job for over 6 months. She asked where he was moving and I said Florida. Then Betty was kind enough to tell Elizabeth he was moving to where she had given a speech not long ago--at Nova SE. Elizabeth quipped, "Oh that is a nice campus and everyone was so friendly!"

Elizabeth used a calculator to include tax with the price and wrote up all of the orders for us herself. She took credit cards and checks, but the credit card numbers were written down on a special form, which I thought was great in order to utilize low tech, be more approachable to the customer, and not worry about electronic transactions right away.

A funny moment. Amy was purchasing something and filling out one of those forms. She said she needed her reading glasses but didn't have them with her. Elizabeth had a pair on her head, and without missing a beat, handed Amy her glasses to use for better focus. Great timing and so down to earth!

Elizabeth treated all of her customers that way that morning --answering questions, acknowledging their needs, etc.

At one point, Amy mentioned that she (herself) wished that she had gotten into politics at an earlier age. Elizabeth's sister said Elizabeth would have been great at it too when she was younger, but Elizabeth was quick to point out that she grew up in the 60's when she was against the Establishment, so she was wary of politicians then. Touche!

For the most part, Elizabeth shied away from politics in our conversations back and forth in the group--understandable as she was wearing a business owner's hat. Instead, we talked about about Elizabeth's kids and how well they were doing. We found out Cate is working for a judge this year and thinking about private practice in the near future. Elizabeth's treatment is going along; she's adapting to some recent changes in medications.

No, we did not talk about John nor the Gold Dust Woman. Nor did we want to. Not an appropriate venue, and in our view, it's still a very private matter for them.

Elizabeth noticed I had lost some weight (at least when Amy pointed out that she almost didn't recognize me at first earlier that morning) and I was pleased to say I had lost 42 lbs since last anyone had seen me. Everyone beamed along with me.

Amy, Betty, Elizabeth, and I posed for a pic.



When we said good-bye, Elizabeth asked been curious for awhile as to how I came about being called Benny on the OAC/JRE08 blog or naming my blog Benny's World. I explained my story from 2004 from when John was running with John Kerry and I had 2 cats. One of them was from Massachusetts and was more of the personality of Kerry, but the other cat was named Benny. Benny reminded me more of Little Jack. She said, "it's great to know that you named your blog after your cat. " (As aside, Elizabeth is allergic to cats and I alluded to that point to her sister and Elizabeth in saying that I regret I could not have her visit my home, which she acknowledged, "oh yes, I am highly allergic to cats!")

As we were leaving, Elizabeth told me how proud she was of me. I replied, "you too." And a last comment to her, "And you hang in there, sister." One last tug on her left arm. She smiled.

What a classy lady.

The remaining 4 (Amy, Mr. Amy, Betty and I) went to lunch and caught up on the latest happenings of former Edwards supporters. We ate at Elmo's diner, but as many situations when we were volunteer bloggers, we had to go do other things. We also all agreed that the campaign's ideas moved Obama and Clinton from no campaign (it was all about them at first) at least to the middle, if a little more. And like my conference friends, I felt so comfortable with them too. Elizabeth made us feel comfortable too.

Too short of a visit. It was quality visiting though.

Elizabeth seems to be transitioning well; not at all being the politician's wife anymore. She's a mother, a sister, an aunt, a great aunt, an engagement speaker, and a business owner. And we have an opportunity to be a part of her transition as we continue to transition ourselves away from the campaigns.

A song for us all from Bette Midler, "Friends"--which reminded me of that experience altogether--from former politician to volunteers--some stayed or are now friends. That rug I bought symbolizes a welcoming one towards kindred spirits.




Next day--for Elizabeth, a woman who knows literature better than I ever would, but this quote resonated with me when I was in college, and it seems to describe you, as well:

One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield---Tennyson, "Ulysses"