Liberals

I guess you know that when I was in Massachusetts, I was exposed to a LOT of Liberals. 

It's true.

Yes.  The kind that you have to CAPITALIZE in a sentence, when speaking of them. 

The kind that have "Obama 2012" bumper stickers on their cars and speak freely of federal assistance and gay pride in mixed company. ("Mixed company" being Democrats and Republicans in the same room.)

The kind that watch the evening news and comment favorably about the economy.

The kind that contribute to Elizabeth Warren, in broad daylight, where everyone can see!

The fear, I'm sure, of my family and close friends is that I would not be contaminated by this exposure...

Liberalism, particularly the "Democrat" brand, is a pretty scary thing to catch, especially in Eastern Montana!

One of my friends worriedly texted me while I was "back East" and warned me not to come home a Liberal. I don't know if that was a concern or a threat...like, if I came home with liberal leanings that I might not be welcome...?  When I posted on Facebook that I was going to a Democratic fundraiser, all hell broke loose!

I rather expected a "2319" before being allowed back into Garfield County...

:)

Here was my experience with these creatures, the Liberals:

They were curious about my viewpoints and asked intelligent, non-confrontational questions about my political philosophy in general.  And they LISTENED to what I had to say, without interrupting me with inflammatory, devisive points.  The Liberals I met were well informed about the news in general and read several different papers, daily.  They discussed issues from different angles, spoke firmly but not offensively about their stand on those issues.  They were smart, open to new and opposing thoughts, and as far as I could tell, didn't have horns. 

Shocking!

Perhaps everyone was on their best behavior for me....

Perhaps they were being extra kind because I was so naive and wide-eyed.

I don't know and I'm not going to examine it too closely.

I came home with a new respect for certain Democrats...even a fondness for a few, despite their political leanings!  I'm grateful to them for sparking a renewed interest in current affairs and policy that I've been avoiding for the last couple years.  I appreciate their interest in my thoughts, ideas and stands, with no anger or impatience and no intent to change my way of thinking or beliefs.  

Incidentally, I also now have an Obama 2012  magnet for my car....

mostly, because I couldn't resist the dare.

It's a sign!

Literally.
I loved the signs and lettering, the New England-ish-ness of the little shops and stores.  Montana has its fair share of charm, but it's different in Massachusetts...we've got rustic, they have quaint.  And they can get by with names that would be completely appalling, here!  For example:

We didn't go to Durty Nelly's, but judging from the sign, it would be a great Boston dive, don't you think?


And then there's the Runcible Spoon in Providence...

We had to look up the meaning of the word, which is saying something for two people who read everything they can get their hands on.  I'll let you do the homework for yourself.  I just loved the sign!

This was a corner store on the North End of Boston that looked as though they'd had the same sign for 50 years.  What I REALLY liked, though, was the Petruccelli campaign sign in the window!  The North End was extremely Italian; we'd walk past a group of older guys sitting on a bench in front of corner stores like this one and they'd be talking in Italian, gesturing, "Bah!".  It almost felt like a movie set with GREAT extras creating the neighborhood scene.

This guy was in front of a cigar and pipe shop.  When I look at the large version of the photo, on my computer, I get all distracted by the photos in the window beside him!  V-e-r-y interesting...
I also like that you can tell everyone rubs the carving's head when they are going past...see the grubby top?

This sign and the view of the street behind it is another North End classic.  Besides having odd little general corner stores that carried everything you'd ever need, that end of town had an abundance of real estate offices, beauty salons and restaurants.   We're talking salons every couple blocks, now!  Although, come to think of it, I didn't actually see a whole lot of local ladies out and about....hmmm.

The North End is also home to the church Rose Kennedy attends, we were informed.  

This is one of my very favorite sign posts!  It was on the other side of Boston, toward Boston Common. They have delightful street names!  My friends live on Pleasant Street...again, almost like a movie set, right? We found out on our extremely, precisely factual Freedom Trail tour that George Washington decreed the British street names be changed to more Colonial street names...so one can be on Providence Street, say, and all of a sudden it will turn into Worthington Avenue, because apparently the signage was a little relaxed and the town plat book not really held to strict renaming standards.

I had to take this picture, of course...

The home of Parker House Rolls!  I thought of Gramps when I saw this; he made incredible Parker House rolls.  And the sign is so elegant!

Ah....here's the General Hooker Entrance.  Pretty grand, huh?  Considering the "women of a certain profession"....

....looked like this, exiting the building.
Boston hookers are apparently QUITE conservative.

Geoff's was a sandwich shop in Providence that made funky, wonderful food.  They were also the least pretentious, most REAL, groovy people I've seen working in food prep.  I'd be tempted to go there just for the overheard kitchen conversation and the funny college kid ads hanging on the walls, but I'd stay for the Rachel san (turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, horseradish on rye).

It was like seeing a picture of a dear cousin or something....sweetly familiar in a strange city.

"Hey, Norm...what's shakin'?"

"All four cheeks and a coupla chins, Sammy..."

And lastly, the Freedom Trail sign which will make Grandma Dutton mad at the desecration, but I thought it was sort of a good representation of our freedom of expression and speech. 

In an aside....

*Lobster hats....they make every meal more fun!

While listening to "Blue Suede Shoes" over breakfast, Maggie felt duty bound as a big sister to stop eating her banana chocolate chip muffin and inform him that Elvis was VERY FAMOUS.

This did not make the impact she was hoping for.

Angus, chewed on his oatmeal square cereal for a few more minutes, then said rather impassively, 

"Yeah.  But he's history...."

(And yes, Elvis was chosen specifically because of the banana chip muffins. We didn't fry them in butter, but that would've been an even bigger tribute, hm?)

Happy Friday!

“For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It’s always our self we find in the sea.” – e.e. Cummings

This is what I learned about the sea...
I added about half a gallon of salt water to her multitude with tears of impending homesickness for her.
Sue says, "The ocean will wait for you."
May the wait be short and joyful in its anticipation for our reunion!