For any who want more, complete list of all posts by month since 2011
  • the James Sisters at play

    the James Sisters at play


    Once upon a time there were two sisters named Ella James and Molly James who had fun playing together at home in a bedroom with a big bed.

    Daddy and Mommy were Gamecock fans so they became Gamecocks, too

    sometimes younger sister Molly liked to squeeze Big Sis Ella’s neck very hard

    The two sisters also had fun together when they went out to eat with their family and played in the parking lot while Naynay took pictures. Naynay was forever taking pictures.

    we’re not posing for any pictures tonight, said Ella

    Molly, I said we weren’t posing, and you’re posing

    okay, Naynay, I will pose for one picture

    Ella and Molly went to school every day because Ella was five years old and Molly was almost three years old. Sometimes Nana and Naynay came to pick them up from school in the afternoon and take them to their house across the big river. The two little girls had their own playhouse at Nana and Naynay’s house. Ella called it the Tree House.

    Naynay tries to help us with our projects,

    but she is slow because she is very old

    we do much better when Ella is the teacher who tells us what to do

    Our most fun was when we went to the tailgate for the Gamecock football game with Daddy and Mommy, Aunt Coco and Uncle Seth and our cousin Caleb plus a bunch of other people. Uncle Seth bought us our own Cocky!

    we had the most fun, but we were so tired…

    because tailgates last a very long time

    The End.

    ************************

    Since Naynay is so very old, she can’t remember who took all these pictures. Thanks probably to Nana and Mommy Caroline…and any other contributors.

  • When we VOTE, we Win

    When we VOTE, we Win


    Roe, Roe, Roe the vote – and to the polls we go

    We won’t go back – we’ve made a pact

    that Dobbs we’ll overthrow.

    *******************

    We’re singing a new song of freedom celebrating democracy in America – sing along with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who are leading the parade to the ballot boxes! Your votes, your voices. E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.

  • once upon a time…

    once upon a time…


    Once upon a time a kind queen who loved to wear shorts in warm weather took her two little princesses to a special Halloween festival called Trick or Trunk in the magic land of Westover Acres. All the villagers came together to celebrate by decorating their carriages to welcome the many children who lived in the kingdom.

    Princess Ella and her little sister Princess Molly carry their goody gatherers

    Princess Molly clutches her goody gatherer and stays close to Queen Nana

    oh my, what treasures must be hidden behind the colorful carriage streamers!

    Princess Ella flees the scary ghost who offered her a second piece of candy

    to give her younger sister Princess Molly who was afraid of the ghost

    kind Queen Nana holds Princess Molly while Princess Ella waits her turn

    decisions, decisions – so many yummy choices from Bonnie and Clyde

    kind Queen Nana serves joy juices to the two thirsty princesses

    last stop: corn dogs and chips marked the festival exit

    kind Queen Nana and Princess Ella reach their carriage

    while Princess Molly struggles to keep up

    Queen Nana and Princess Ella all smiles as they leave Trick or Trunk festivities

    (Princess Molly wants to make sure the ghost isn’t going home with them)

    The End.

    ********************

    When I think about the futures of Ella and Molly, my wish for them is they will grow up in a country where they are free to make discoveries of who they are and what they believe with kindness toward others, with love in their hearts, with joy in their souls.

  • a belated Happy Pride!

    a belated Happy Pride!


    Last weekend downtown Columbia hosted the 34th. annual South Carolina Pride March and Festival which is now known as the Famously Hot South Carolina Pride! Festival.

    “To celebrate, to experience queer joy. That’s something that we talk about a lot, is queer joy and queer resilience,” said Dylan Gunnels, president of Famously Hot South Carolina Pride. “Oftentimes, when you hear stories, they might be in a negative light, or we might be focusing on negative legislation or negative experiences. This is our night.” (Corey Thompson, News 19, October 18, 2024)

    Nine years ago as I walked away from the 2015 Pride March and Festival I stopped to take this iconic image of lesbians celebrating on Sumter Street. Clearly inspired, obviously empowered. This remains one of my favorite photos to this day.

    Finally, another favorite from the 2014 Pride celebration:

    The girls (and guys!) who march and/or ride for equal rights truly do rock.

    Thanks to all who led and participated in Pride this year – the future is brighter because of you. Celebrate yourselves!

    Happy Pride! Onward.

    *****************

    “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion – but not to his own facts.” – Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan

  • the devil went down to Georgia? yeah, but he ended up in Florida

    the devil went down to Georgia? yeah, but he ended up in Florida


    Lest we forget the horrors of 2016-2020 when the devil operated from the White House? (From the archives on July 22, 2022.)

    “The devil went down to Georgia, he was lookin’ for a soul to steal

    he was in a bind ’cause he was way behind

    and he was willin’ to make a deal”

    No disrespect to the lyrics of this popular hit by Charlie Daniels, but the devil the American people experienced as their President for four years from 2016 – 2020 did indeed go down to make a deal in Georgia for the 11,780 votes he believed he needed to turn that state’s results away from Joe Biden – to allow Trump to overturn the will of the voters in Georgia and retain the oval office he couldn’t afford to lose. The devil couldn’t close that deal in Georgia or any other state because of duly elected officials who refused to tilt democracy over a cliff from which search and rescue would have been a monumental task, because 61 of 62 courts laughed his cases to delay the election results out of their courtrooms.

    The devil grew desperate, and the results of his desperation were on full display to the world in the brutal attack on the US Capitol during the insurrection on January 06, 2021, the day the electoral ballots were brought to Congress for certification.

    ‘Cause Hell’s broke loose in Georgia, and the devil deals the cards

    And if you win, you get this shiny fiddle made of gold

    But if you lose, the devil gets your soul

    Much has been said about restoring the soul of America, but the devil continues to play his trump cards of disillusion, deception and division from his shiny Florida fiddle made of fool’s gold.

    The 01/06 Committee has been a reminder for all people of good will that the devil is alive and if democracy loses, the devil will get our soul.

    ************

    “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion – but not to his own facts.” – Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan