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For most of the primary season, I’ve said that either Democratic candidate will serve our country well, I’ve been torn between Obama and Clinton for some time. I share this feeling with many people, both candidates have a host of good qualities, and their weaknesses are exactly the strengths of the other. However, I’ve made up my mind that Barack Obama has my unconditional support from here on out. Deciding has freed me up to actually work on his behalf, whether it’s making phone calls, writing about it in my blog or putting a sticker on my car. I encourage you to take the final step and support one candidate over the other, that way you can put your boots on and do the work they need.

What tipped me over into the Obama camp? So many things. Some of you know that I truly believed that he was the only candidate that could rise above the fray of Republican smear, we don’t know that much about him and his history in the world of politics is relatively short, that the Republicans have mountains of material on the Clintons to use in the general election and so on. While this is true, my devotion and support for Obama go much deeper today.

Hope and change. As a recovering child of an alcoholic, a recovering racist and bigot from Texas, and a recovering disabled person I know alot about hope. Contrary to the media and the Clintons (who used the word Hope alot during Bill’s campaign), the word hope is packed with quite a bit of depth. If it were not for hope, I might be dead or otherwise absent from engagement with the world. I have lived my life hoping that things will change, knowing that without hope I would be useless and lifeless. Hope is what decided my future when considering college, hope is what propelled me through the door of my first Al-Anon meeting, and hope is what got me up each day for the first 5 years after my Spinal Cord Injury.

Hope is what we need as a country. Aside from his profound message of hope, Mr. Obama brings honesty and truth to the political arena. How many african american leaders have the integrity to name the homophobia and anti-semitism that exist in their community? How many candidates back up their anti-corporate rants with a pledge to take no campaign $ from corporate America? Critics maintain that he is inexperienced, and unless we investigate his record we are tempted to agree. After all, he’s not been in the spotlight, the poliitical fray as it were. That’s a bad thing? In our media soaked culture, those who make it to the headlines are almost always there because of some discretion, not good deeds.

Mr. Obama has written two books that reveal his transgressions and shortcomings in no uncertain terms. He chose to work in the area of civil rights instead of working for the corporate interest, he served in the Illinois legislature for 8yrs, he is a father and he has lived as a black man in a country where racism is the norm. He has built a campaign that celebrates the grassroots, has influenced thousands of Americans to get up off their butts (no easy task) and actually work for no pay. This is not the work of an amateur.

It seems to me that he has had plenty of life experience and professional experience to lead us out of business as usual and into a new century.

And finally I want to share something I saw last night. It’s a sit down interview with Mr. Obama and the journalists at the SanFrancisco Chronicle. His depth and candor convinced me to join the 1,000 other volunteers (look at this) in Columbus and get up off my butt and take our country into the next century with Mr. Obama.

Over 1,000 volunteers showed up to lend their support and time to the Obama primary campaign in Columbus, Oh.

I’ve spent the past couple of days revising my website - polymer-clay-art.com, three solid days at the computer typing, pasting and doing my best to learn CSS and how to style my pages to look like this blog. My neck, back and brain all hurt. I don’t know how webmaster do it, seriously. I’m so tired by the end of the day I can’t think. I’d rather be making art, but I knwo this has to get done. I’ll be very happy when I’m finished. I’s emabrrasing right now to refer people to my website, it’s in such disarry, but just you wait soon it will be awesome.

Jonny’s Birthday was on the 26th and we had a great day. I usually try to plan something special for the day and today was no exception. I surprised her with a magnificent lunch at the Hoover Grill in Westerville. It was funny because when I told her where we were going, she said that she had wanted to take me there as a suprise too. The food was awesome, I had the goat cheese pizza and she had the fish and chips. Our appetizer was the brie, which is Jonny’s new favorite food. Did I mention that Brie is pretty much all fat ? yummy. Then we came home had a long nap and watched The Gymnast a very good coming out movie with a happy ending.

I ordered the Hillary Nut Cracker for her as a present and it never came. I’m so angry at the company, they have been unresponsive to my requests for information and I finally filed a complaint with PayPal and did get my money back. I mention this as a warning to others who may purchase things from this site. So I ordered another one from another site and it should come soon.

I love the thing and I love Hillary too. Although I will vote for Obama over Hillary. I just think he’s more electable, I can’t stand the though of another 8 years of the republicans investigating the Clintons again.

I’ve finished my Valentine Fairie Bottles and they beautifully red and passionate!! Since I’ve started using Swarovski Crystals and glitzy Fire-polished Czech glass for embellishing, the Fairie Bottles have gained alot of sparkle and BAM! Because the materials cost a little more, I charge a bit more, but not to fear I’ll continue to make a more affordable version for my art shows. Here are a few pictures of the Fairie Bottles sold exclusively at Hayley Gallery:

As an artist making it in the retail trade, I always recognize holidays and other special days that we set aside to celebrate. Sometimes this prompts me to leave my comfort zone, especially when it comes to my color palette. I’m known for my use of earth tones and really prefer the colors I might find deep in the forest bed. Valentine’s day challenges me to use red, fuschia and pink; that little love fairie Cupid suggests a Fairie Bottle complete with Fairie Dust to enchant someone you love !

These are some of the things on my tables today: