Michael Jackson: Have you seen my Childhood

I always loved Michael Jackson, even when it wasn't cool to say it anymore. When he became known as Wacko Jacko and the world wanted to over analyze every move he made, I still admired the entertainer he was and the sadness we shared from being raised in an era when abuse from your parents was a way of life.

A year ago I wanted my grandkids to know what an amazing entertainer Michael Jackson was. Katie Ally and I watched his thriller video a dozen times and downloaded it to their ipods. We laughed for hours at YouTube Clips of the masses dancing to thriller.

We ordered all his music videos off of Amazon... some we haven't even opened yet. I bet they are worth a lot today, as the news of his death breaks.

He recently released a new song called Childhood.
He said in an interview if you want to know who I am. Listen the the lyrics of this song.

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for the world that I come from
'Cause I've been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart...
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities...
'Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me...

People say I'm not okay
'Cause I love such elementary things...
It's been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates and adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?
People say I'm strange that way
'Cause I love such elementary things,
It's been my fate to compensate,
For the Childhood I've never known...

Have you seen my Childhood?
I'm searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
The dreams I would dare, watch me fly...

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I've had

Have you seen my Childhood....

I know that world. The mourning of a childhood never known because of work-aholic parents that didn't see the need for a time to play and just be a kid. Making promises for a tomorrow that never came. I miss a childhood never known. Michael was Peter Pan. I don't know what else he was.. and I'm not sure I care. I loved the creative genius he was. Rest in Peace Michael.

Rocket Dog

Ivan and I were both so sad over Stinky Pete going back to his family that we did some research on dogs. We read that Border Collies rank number one in intelligence and number one for easiest to train. The difficulty is that because they are so smart you have to keep them stimulated and keep them busy. So we started looking at border collie pups and fell in love with this one.



Rocket Dog will be moving to the Landon's on the 16th of June. We are avidly watching all episodes of the Dog Whisperer in preparation. We are discussing all the tricks we want to teach him. We miss you Stinky Pete, you can come visit Rocket Dog anytime.

Birthday Adventures with Stinky Pete

A stinky, dirty, mangy looking australian shepard showed up at our house a few weeks ago. He followed us around the yard, starring at us with these huge,friendly, dark brown eyes. I knew if I fed him he would be ours forever so I restrained, for a few days anyway.

I saw him everywhere, he became the talk of the neighborhood. He had adopted everyone in a 3 mile radius but was honing in more and more on my house. My daughter Shelly said he had even been to her neighborhood. My next door neighbors yelled over to let me know he wasn't theirs. He came and went, he was definitely a traveler. As one week turned into two.. my driveway, and then my backyard became his favorite hangout. I called the pound and vet to see if someone had reported a missing dog.

My birthday fell on Memorial Day this year. It started out fantastic. Steve came down to help Ivan put up a huge light in the backyard so we can get our volley ball league started. Sandy and her family made me breakfast, my favorite strawberry crepes! Our new constant companion, "ugly dog" never left our sides. Luke and Grandpa Ivan decided he needed a name if he was going to stick around. "Stinky Pete" was nominated and voted on. Ugly dog now had a name.

We needed items to finish up the yard work and so we decided to make an adventure out of it and visit Petco so that Stinky Pete could have real dog food and his own dog dish. We all loaded up in my Tundra and made our way to Idaho Falls.

As we walked out into Home Depots parking lot we were not so happy to discover someone had crashed into the back right side of my pickup while we were shopping. Thankfully he left his insurance information under our windshield wipers. 3 weeks and 4 thousand dollars later I will supposedly have a good as new Tundra back in the driveway. Waiting to see how that all turns out. I've been battling it out with State Farm which has been a nightmare, but that's a post for another day.

After a brief visit with a friendly policeman, we were on our way to Petco. Eighty something dollars later we were headed back home. Dog Shampoo 16.00, Dog Food 29.00, Dog Bone 12.00, stainless steel dog dish 16.00, dog toys 11.00.

Once we had Stinky Pete fed, and bathed.. and gave him his new toys we discovered he knew tricks. He could fetch. Sit on command, roll over and all sorts of fun things. The rest of the family showed up around 6. We shared birthday cake and played games with Stinky Pete. I called the vet and the groomer the next morning and made him an appointment.

Tuesday morning, my mom felt it was her duty to see if Stinky Pete had an owner out there somewhere. She loaded him up and made the rounds to surrounding farms. Ahh! Haa! He did have a family. They wondered why he suddenly stopped eating his food. (Ya right. He looked like he hadn't ate in a month when he showed up at my place.) Mom told them they needed to keep a closer eye on him and get him a collar. They claimed he had one but they had removed it while giving him a haircut. He did have some odd shavings across his back. They also claimed to have been out searching for him. Everyone and town had met him. How could they have missed him?

So dog is gone. 80 something dollars in dog supplies is still here. I am sad. I cried myself to sleep the next night. He was stinky and ugly but he had the friendliest eyes, and he loved me.

I thought perhaps he would sneak back over but I think they have him tied up now.

Good-bye Stinky Pete. We miss you.

Zonky

See what happens if you sleep around.

Secrets To A Happy Marriage

I was thinking today about the secrets to a happy marriage. It's been a crazy 33 years for Ivan and I. I know I love him a thousand times more today than I did the day I married him, which is whole lot of love cause I really.. really.. loved him then.

Two baby pictures hang on each side of a large mirror on our bedroom wall. There is an adorable picture of Ivan around the age of two or three, and one of me around the age of one.



Whenever I'm mad at him. I go in, lay on my bed and look at those pictures. It melts my heart every time I look at his innocent little face and my mind is flooded with memories of growing up together. We crossed paths many times as kids and shared many classrooms in grade school. From our very first date, back in 1975 we have discussed a million times how it feels like we have known each other for eternity.

Every night when I go to bed that little boy and little girl, so innocent and starting out their lives, reminds me of our amazing history and how love is all that really matters. I use to keep baby pictures of my kids on my bedroom wall. I never told them but it was for the same reason. You can't stay mad at your kids when you look at those innocent little faces as you go to sleep. Today as I'm browsing through pictures, I keep thinking of that saying:
"ALL BECAUSE TWO PEOPLE FELL IN LOVE"

Our secrets to a happy marriage.
Never stop holding hands. Make every kiss a good one. Date night once a week. Get at least one hobby you do together. Call each other daily just to say I love you. Listen and share the events of your day. Be each others most loyal supporter. Nothing is more important than how much you love each other, all the other stuff comes and goes. Make decisions together. Respect each others passions. Share your goals, ideas and thoughts. Working through the bad times is the only option, never quit on "us". I'm very lucky to be married to someone that makes all of that pretty easy 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent helps us build character. :) I love you Ivan, and better yet I know you love me.

Mourning The Unknown

One night while researching a name, I came across the blog of a young mother.

Something in her blog caught my eye and so I read a few of her posts. She had just lost her father to medical complication. She spoke of the sadness of her loss. Her life was simple and ordinary, but now she was in a dilemma.

Her drug addict sister was trying to get clean and had asked if she and her daughter could move into this young family's home. She spoke of the difficultly of making the decision. She spoke of her prayers, pleading with god to help her make the right choice. She had her own family to consider. A new job, the mourning of her father's passing. Now this bump in her life of dealing with an drug addicted older sister and her child. She said that she felt that the answer was to do all she could for the sister. I have to admit I was worried she was making the wrong decision.

Fast forward a year. A few nights ago checked her blog again, hoping things had all worked out for her and her sister. Did the sister stay clean? Did she regret her decision to allow them to move in?

The ex-addict sister had posted a lot of comments letting the family know how much she loved them. Things seemed to be working out. Yay!

Then I was shocked to read the most recent post. The ex-addict sister had died the day before in a horrific car accident.

The young mother spoke of her pain. How close they were. How hard it was to deal with the loss. Her post was one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever read. I was so grateful she had let her come live with her. I was grateful they had found each other again. I was grateful she had prayed for an answer and listened to her heart. I was grateful that her love for her family overcame the difficulties of dealing with an addict. I found myself mourning for someone unknown.
♠

The Greatest Grandma In The World

In Memory of Viola Hevelyn Hackett



She was a dynamic figure, a mathematical genius, and candy lovers everywhere swoon over her paper thin peanut brittle and fancy milk chocolates creams. She was a private citizen, yet she had a worldwide fan club. Children trust and adore her.

She was born February 10th 1909. She was the mother of four children, and lays claim to 8 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great grandchildren.

She could tat tablecloths and hem dishtowels faster than a whole factory of Taiwanese slave laborers.

She is so good looking that her beauty radiated through a phone line and made a man fall in love with her at the mere sound of her voice, asking her to be his wife.

Her extraordinary cooking talents have earned her fame throughout the great Northwest. In her younger years she could bake 40 pies, whip up a double batch of strawberry jam, and have dinner on the table by 5pm.

Her laugh is contagious and her wit extraordinaire. She can warm an entire room with the beauty of her smile.

She sews, she tats, she bakes, she laughs, and compared to all the other Grandmas of the world she rules the universe.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, she once single-handedly defended 3 small children from a swarm of ferocious army ants. Later, she bested that feat when saving the same children from a rattlesnake at an Oregon rest stop.

Years ago she discovered the meaning of life, but refuses to write it down, challenging the rest of us to discover it for ourselves. She has made extraordinary four course meals using only a spatula and a toaster oven. She is a master gardener, and a world champion food canner.

She was known to lead large groups of relief society women through difficult obstacles with unflagging speed for over three decades. She has always given her all to the church and then squeezed out a little bit more to make sure she no one was left behind.

She is an expert in cake decorating, a veteran of love, and has been rumored to have stolen the heart of the former Price Charming of South Dakota.

She once read her grandchildren Pollyanna, Little Women and Nancy Drew all in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire living room that evening. She knows the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. She has seen two world wars, a great depression, the advent of the automobile, the airplane, radio, TV, and watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, and by now she has probably talked to Elvis.

She was born in a time when there was no penicillin and when not everybody had indoor plumbing. She knows how to pluck a chicken, but I’ve never seen her do it. She’s worn high button shoes and attended a one room school house. She survived the a year long bout of rheumatic fever.

She has always been active in her church and cultural affairs, as well as being a devoted wife, mother, and most important to me, the kind of grandmother who gave you all the love you needed and then a pinch more to grow on.

Not a day of my life goes by that I don’t think about how much I loved my Grandma and what an influence she always was to me. She made us all better people just by being in our lives and teaching us by her example. She made our path through life a little more bright and our burdens a little more light by sharing with us your wisdom and grace.

Grandma passed away Saturday February 7th just moments before her 100th birthday party. She lived a full and joyful life. She taught us the meaning of love and compassion. We will miss you Grandma. Thank you for all the memories you gave us. You will always be in our hearts.

Tribute to Steve

We celebrated Steve's Birthday Monday night at the Party Hacienda. We all made his favorite food. I made a CD of songs of our childhood in the 60s, and we put our pictures all together so we could make him an alblum. We each shared our favorite Steve story. Everyone had a blast and best of all I think it will be one of Steve's Best memories.

My Alter Egos

My Eight Alter Ego's:

1. My rock star name: *Katty Tundra*
{First pet and current car}

2. My gangsta name: *Cherry Cordial Blueberry Surprise Drops*
{Favorite candy bar and favorite cookie}

3. My detective name: *Pink Monkey*
{Favorite color and favorite animal}

4. My Star Wars name: *Lande of Cytomel*
{First three letters of last name and first two letters of first name then the word "of" then a medication you are on}

5. My superhero name: *The Black Cola*
{2nd favorite color and favorite drink with "The" in front}

6. My Nascar name: *Viola Olive*
{First names of your grandmothers}

7. My "lover" name: *Tuscany Cherry Cordial*
{Name of your favorite perfume/cologne and your favorite candy}

8. Witness-protection name: *Ann Reed*
{Mother's and father's middle names}

Ok... Tag your it! If you read it.. your turn to share. What are your alter egos?

Happy Birthday Steve

In 1958 candy necklaces, microchips, TV remote controls were invented, Elvis Presley was inducted into the army , gas was 25 cents a gallon and my brother Steve was born. Hula hoops were the fad. If you were lucky your family owned a black and white television. Our mom had worked for Phillips/General Electric out at the INEL, so we were one of the lucky ones.

I don’t recall the day Steve was born, but I do remember the day we got to bring him home. I rode with my Grandmother Olive, in her big green car. A large white wicker bassinette took up the entire back seat. He was the most handsome boy in the world and I wanted to hold him more than anything.

From that day on we were each other’s best friend and worst enemy. We fought like cats and dogs and we played like there was no one in the world but the two of us. We had to be creative as children. We were raised on the cement floors of a grocery store and then a meat plant. We slept on bread trays until we would no longer fit and then we graduated to meat tubs. The tall dirt piles of Bateman Brothers Excavation next door were an imaginary battlefield for us. We spent hours fighting the Germans or confederate soldiers, while we sang “The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Norton” at the top of our lungs.

Everytime I see the movie "Stand by Me" it reminds of the adventures of our childhood.

We were the outsiders on the School Bus ride to Holly Street. The big boys on the bus sang a special song for us. The Addams family started, when Steven Adams farted. And now they’re all retarded, The Addams family. We weren’t sure if riding the bus was worse or waiting on the East corner of the school grounds for mom to come get us in the freezing cold for hours. Our one edge in the Holly Street dilemma was that though Steve was a little kid, he was meaner than a wild cat in a gunny sack, and crazier than a shit house rat.

It didn’t matter that the “mean boys” were twice our size and more than double our age. Steve defended our honor. Every single day, until we decided riding the bus was worse than waiting on the freezing cold corner of the school yard, Steve tore into those boys. It was kind of scary then. It kind of tickles me now.

When I tell my grandkids stories of my childhood, almost every tale starts with the line, One time, when Steve and I were little…….

When the summer of Steve’s 3rd or 4th birthday came around I decided I would teach him to ride a bike. I was certain with my assistance he could do it. Mom and Dad had taught me.. How hard could it be?
I got him on my bike, and ran beside him holding the seat. It wasn’t as simple as my parents had made it look. But after many skinned knees and a few major crashes in front of our house at 427 Milton Street he started peddling as fast as his little legs would go. I can still picture it. You wouldn’t think a little kid could pump the peddles that fast. I ran as fast as I could behind him. He was headed down the center of the street like a bat out of hell. He made the corner at Nalder’s and I was losing ground running behind him. He was concentrating on peddling and balancing when Wham! He hit a parked car at Fred’s Garage. He flipped up onto the trunk and then into the back window. I knew he had survived. I could hear the scream a half block away. I knew this was going to get me a belting. But after a few tears we had made a deal. I would teach him how to use the brakes. He wouldn’t tell that I had almost gotten him killed. Over the years we made many such negotiations. We always owed each other some kind of favor. I’m sure he still owes me many.

In the early 60s we would go to the movies for 25 cents. For a dime you could get a pop and a popcorn. If you returned the glass pop bottle to the concession stand you got a nickel back. That nickel you could then buy a candy bar. OR you could pool your two nickels together and go next door to Dutch Treat and get a gigantic platter of real thick cut French fries for a dime. Homemade roast beef gravy on top of the fries was free. You just had to ask.

I’ll never forget Steve and I walking alone to the corner store at Grandma Hackett’s when we were only 6 and 4 to get a quart of milk and then buying candy cigarettes with the change. Grandma did NOT like that.

My mind is filled with memories of playing in the mountain of boxes at the meat plant, while stretching Big Hunks for hours so they would get soft and gooey. Sneaking candy when Myrtle had her back turned at Dad’s grocery store. Steven and I feeding the ground beef into the patty machine and making a contest out of who ran out first.

I could tell you about the time he rode his bike on the freshly poured hot slippery asphalt and made it to the middle of the road before his wheels slipped burning his legs. We spent the rest of the afternoon picking the hot tar off his skin. Or about the time he threw an enormous piece of fat off of a bull carcass at Walt Foster’s vintage car. Or when he tried to kill a bear that came into our camp with a blue plastic rifle… but I better save something to for the rest of you to tell.

I love you Steve. You are more than a brother and more than a friend. I cherish the memories I have of you. I love that we worked together to overcome obstacles in life. Thanks for always being such a great big/little brother.

Love Debi

Random Stuff About Me

I think learning something new is magical. I love to bowl. I am addicted to Diet Coke. I hate to run. I love to count. I hum when I’m nervous. I love music. I'm a republican. I hate Rascal Flats, but not for any reason I can discuss. I can't stand to write with a pencil. I hate spoons. I'm a bookworm. My favorite word is "wonky." I hate the feel of microfiber towels. I love microwave popcorn and Chicken Marsala, but never at the same time.I love gadgets. I drive a 2008 Toyota Tundra. My dad is cooler than your dad. I'd rather spend the day camping than shopping. I hate when it’s hot, but I’m usually always cold. I think the glass is half full. I use the words “always” and “never” too much. I think tattoos are disgusting. I'm afraid of high bridges. I’m extremely loyal. I think clowns are creepy. I love long baths with lots of soothing salts and scented oil. Hearing my grandkids laugh makes me cry. I like sappy movies. I cry at the drop of a pin. I am a kid that doesn’t want to grow up. I love to play cards. I hate brussel sprouts, they smell like dirty diapers. I love quotes from Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh. I write poems that no one reads, but me. I love Disneyland. I have an obsession with funky books like “Catcher in the Rye” and “Confederacy of Dunces.” I hate talking on a cell phone. I know if I hate you or like you as soon as I meet you. I live to enjoy my grandkids. My kids are my best friends. I have great intuition. I dont always use it. That's pretty much me.

Evil

You Are 22% Evil

A bit of evil lurks in your heart, but you hide it well. In some ways, you are the most dangerous kind of evil.

How Evil Are You?

Personality

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ENFP)

Your personality type is enthusiastic, giving, cautious, and loyal. Only about 8% of all people have your personality, including 9% of all women and 6% of all men You are Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving.

How Rare Is Your Personality?

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Bryan and Mandy invited us to their home to celebrate Jackson's birthday on Sunday. They recently had their yard landscaped and it's breathtaking. Behind the backyard is several mountains of dirt. All the grandkids headed out to the dirt piles and plastered each other with dusty handprints. Even Kate and Allie got dirty! (Something I didnt think I would ever see.) I don't think all that dirt will ever come out of their clothes. When Luke brought out the new wagon all the kids went crazy loading up for a spin. Then at Bryan's suggestion (who's surprised)they hooked the wagon up to the little Hummer power ride. Im happy to report that everyone survived. Happy 2nd Birthday Jackson. The smilest kid on earth!

Great Times In 2008

As I sorted through my photos tonight I thought what a great year 2008 has been for our family. We started out the year with the best news ever, Kristen and Conley expecting their twins. In January Bryan took his family, Sandy's family and myself to Disneyland. We had a blast. In April the whole famn-damily went The Jazz game to watch Katelyn and Allison perform with their cheer group. In May we traveled back to Utah to the race at Miller Park where Luke got to meet the pros. We took a detour to Park City and did a bunch of shopping for Kristy and Conley's babies. We had a spring and summer full of birthday celebrations and we all got to attend Gracies blessing. She was an angel in her beautiful dress. I ordered a gigantic triple water slide off of Amazon. It got plenty of use over the summer. In July the kids all went over to Becks and rode their giant water slide. We had a ton of fun playing vollyball in the evenings and had Bryan pour us a slab around our new firepit. On the 3rd of July we had a gigantic party with amazing fireworks. We all took a trip to Logan to visit Great-grandma Turner. The rest of the summer was filled with Family reunions and just hanging out at The Party Hacienda. In August Kaden, Tyler, Jackson and Luke signed up for the little buckaroo rodeo in Firth. Our boys were the only ones out there really galloping on the stick horses, we all laughed so hard it hurt. August also brought the birth of our beautiful twins. What a great year. Building memories we will never forget. I love all of you.

Aspirations

Far away there in the sunshine are my brightest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead. -- Louisa May Alcott 1832 - 1888)

Bowling Lessons

Luke, Gracie, Sandy and I went bowling today, so we could try out Sandy's brand new fingertip bowling ball. Whoo Hoo! Luke really got into it. He bowled 4 games all by himself and by the 4th frame he was lofting it clear out on the lane instead of rolling it between his legs. Every time he threw it Gracie would throw her arms up and cheer. She wanted to be right there taking her turn. With the help of the kiddie bumpers, she had some pretty awesome shots herself. Ivan had my bowling bag in his FJ so I didn’t have my balls or my shoes!! We all had to rent bowling shoes, they even had some in Lukes size. They were florescent yellow and orange beauties! I guess they want to see them of you try sneaking out the door with them.

A few lanes over from us was a group of 10 young adults. They were all dressed up in some very funky garb. One was an alligator with a big long tail. Another was a 20's flapper. They reminded me of the board game clue. There were some crazy polyester suits and tuxedos with tennis shoes. Most just had on an odd assortment of clothes that was way out there. We captured a few photos of them in our slide show. The best part was they were having a blast. How can you go bowling and not have fun?

On the other side of us was a group of preschoolers. A school bus had dropped them off from daycare, along with a couple of supervisors. When they finished bowling one of the little kids came up to Sandy and told her how impessed he was with her bowling. He had been watching her the whole time, he said. Ahh how sweet!

Sandy was doing great with her new ball she threw a nice 150 game here first game. Go Sissy! I had to use a house ball and that did not work at ALL!

Sandy, Ivan and I started a league this past week. We are already addicted. Someone take away the checkbook. Next thing you know we will be bowling 4 leagues and stocking piling bowling balls again. I guess if you have to have an addiction. Bowling at least can be considered exercise. :) Better yet... three STRIKES is not an out!
XXX

The Man Cave Survival Guide

I know you won't believe it so you will just have to check it out. Ivan has his own blog! hehee. I think he was feeling left out. :)

http://www.mancavesurvivalguide.blogspot.com

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!

Luke has been so excited to turn three. He has been counting down the days since Ry-boy had his birthday in July. He came over Saturday before his his party and helped me make his birthday cake. A few minutes later he was asleep on the bean bag. When he woke up the first thing he wanted to see was the birthday cake. He is always so cute, you can't help but smile the whole time you're around him. He is so smart and inquisitve and the best helper ever. He wants to do it all! We love you Lukie Pascoe. You're Our Big Boy!

"Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."

A year or so ago I watched a HBO special called the “IRONED JAWED ANGELS.” It is the shocking story of the women who fought the Woodrow Wilson administration and Congress for women’s' right to vote. It was a heartbreaking show. I cried. I was enraged. I was grateful that they had the courage to stand up for what they believed in. I was amazed at their personal sacrifice. I had nightmares for several nights. I couldn’t get the torture they endured out of my mind. In 1909, when my grandma was born, only a few states allowed women to vote. That privilege was not awarded to all women in the United States until 1920 when the 19th Amendment was finally ratified. As I watched the show I realized what a privilege it is that I have the right to vote. Could I ever be that brave? Would I put up a fight for what I believe at such a cost? It’s was hard to watch, but I couldn’t turn it off.

Below is an excerpt from an article written by Connie Schultz that describes the night of November 15th 1917 when 33 women were jailed for picketing The White House. They were arrested for obstructing the sidewalk and placed in jail. They almost lost their lives.

The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive.

Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 helpless women wrongly convicted of "obstructing sidewalk traffic."
They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.
Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the "Night of Terror" on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote.
For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food -- all of it colorless slop -- was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured raw eggs and milk into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory.
Some women won't vote this year because, why exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?

HBO's "Iron Jawed Angels" details the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized.
And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.
The doctor admonished the men: "Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity."




Whether you vote republican, democratic, or independent, don’t give up the right to vote.