'When I first went to the United States in the 1950s, I impertinently remarked to an archetypal guru, Chief Justice Felix Frankfurter, that what with Senator McCarthy and southern segregation, and civic corruption everywhere, I was not much impressed by the condition of America. Be patient, said the sage. America is like a pendulum, swinging from good to bad, from bad to good, and before long it will swing again. He was right, and with luck, perhaps the pendulum is almost ready to swing back once more. Whatever we may think in our moments of despair, America is still a marvellous and lovable country whose patriotism can still be touching: try restraining a tear when you listen to Irving Berlin's setting of the words on the Statue of Liberty - the ultimate American text, with music by the emblematic American immigrant. The Great Republic is great still, full still of decent clever people trying to be good. Even now, it is as free as can be expected, and its democracy is fundamentally honest and robust. It laughs at itself, criticises itself and dislikes itself just as much as we do. All it needs is someone with a key to unlock that Idea again, and I hope it will be that next president, whoever it is, even now gearing up for the election. Please God, may it be a poetic president. Inspiration has been the true engine of American success, and all its greatest presidents have been people with a divine spark. The dullards may have been efficient, respected or influential, but the Jeffersons and the Roosevelts, the Lincolns and the Kennedys have all been, in their different ways, artists. So may it be a president with the key of original inspiration who can release the Idea from its occlusion. All the ingredients are still there, after all - the kindness, the imagination, the merriment, the will, the talent, the energy, the goddam orneriness, the plain goodness - all there waiting to burst out once more and bring us back our America, blessed and blessing too. "Give our regards to old Broadway", sang Cohan, "And say that I'll be there ere long." So will we, so will we, just as soon as America comes home. · Jan Morris The Guardian Feb 2007 Best wishes Jon - who also first went to the United States in the 1950's

LindaC, that may be, and we'll never actually know. She said she was lying on a towel on the cement pool deck and got really hot, and started feeling sick to her stomach so she jumped into the pool to cool off. That's all she remembers. However, Amanda has grand mal seizures, the kind with a lot of involuntary muscular movements. Ashley has been present since that time when Amanda has had a seizure and says that she didn't have a seizure in the pool, she just jumped in and suddenly sank to the bottom with no thrashing or flailing. Amanda had never had a seizure before that incident. Since Ashley was there and described it to the neurologist, and it didn't appear that she had a seizure in the pool because the type of seizures she now experiences is very noticeable, the doctors all agree that they think she had some type of physical reaction going from so hot to so cool so quickly and passed out. I guess, at this point, the cause doesn't matter, only the effect. I do know that I'm darned lucky to still have her and equally lucky that her seizures are very well controlled with medication. She has had four that we know of in her lifetime, and none in the last five years, but she tried to go off her medication when she was 24 and that's when she had the last one. Annie

Thank you, solstice, for posting the Declaration of Independence. Too many people forget the meaning of this holiday. Our great nation has truly been blessed! A long-distance cyberhug this morning to our most patriotic KT American--Marlen. I will always remember you, dear KT sister, on your favorite holiday. You were an inspiration and friend to us all.

Lol, the 'bang'. Such a different 4th than we have ever experienced....but we knew that. We did consider a month ago to get some friends together that would be up for very careful lock-down conditions. Increase our close friends 'bubble'. We are all home with no-contact ever....just deliveries. NY is serious, especially all our friends. I think it is just a mood. We care enough for each other to not really need a social event right now. We just can't imagine the 4th or any social event without the usual hugs and close contact love. Maybe a bit nervous that just one friend might do a 'cheat'. (getting gas, going in a market last minute). We are doing so well in NYState I want to keep being responsible. Seems extreme for some. I need a close friend base unit like us, that orders on-line delivery, no contact in a store or grocery, two weeks minimal. We might try in a few weeks. I like what David Brooks said, "If you don’t breathe the spirit of the nation, if you don’t have a fierce sense of belonging to each other, you’re not going to sacrifice for the common good. We’re confronted with a succession of wicked problems and it turns out we’re not even capable of putting on a friggin’ mask."