Essential Estrogen

As you might have expected, there were several posts (including ours) about the passing of Jerry Falwell:

• Cathy Haustein starts her discussion with a great quote from Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run with the Wolves.
• Babblemur & Akaoni took mostly the same approach as we did: Let Falwell's words speak for themselves.
• culturekitchen just opened a thread for comments

There's a very nice post at Blue man in a Red district about Wake Up Wright County.

Popular Progressive believes former Rep. Jim Leach is on the short list to replace Paul Wolfowitz at head of the World Bank. Deeth has info on this subject too.

Century of the Common Iowan reports Sen. John McCain has lasted five weeks without voting in the Senate. Also, be sure to check the Mother's Day post for information on Julia Ward Howe's first Mother's Day Proclamation. Good stuff.

Recent University of Iowa graduate and Iowa native Dylan Lampe has signed on to Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Blog for Iowa has the skinny on the proposed Progressive Iowa Network (PIN) and the upcoming meeting in Iowa City on Saturday, June 9. One or both of the EE women plan to attend, so see you there!

Gordon has a nice post on Daschle's visit to the Iowa Chapter of the National Security Network.

So, it's not a blog, but I still very much enjoy waltzing through the pages of KingWatch.

Gov. Mitt Romney is launching a new ad in NH and Iowa this weekend says Watching Washington.

The South of Iowa talks about the discussion and debate over raising taxes to build a new jail.

Freemasonry Resources has a (very) brief write-up about the twice-yearly meeting of Iowa Research Lodge No. 2.

Senior Amy Servantez and Junior Courtney McGarry were speakers at a Philosophy Tea entitled "Jihad and Human Rights." The event was covered by Jennifer Yeske for Buena Vista University's The Tack Online. The entire article summing up the discussion has been placed in the Freedom's Zone crosshairs.

In what has to be one of the oddest news articles of the week, the Associated Press broke information about nude photos of nursing home residents. Police are still investigating why four residents at Greenwood Manor in Iowa City were photographed without clothing (although not an a sexually explicit way).

Let me introduce you to one of my newest favorite blogs: Brain Based Biz. I know, it doesn't sound all that great, but where else can you learn (well besides here) that the height of one's ceiling can affect creativity and focus? As a side note, we have 14-foot ceilings in our bedrooms. No wonder my daughter can't ever crack down on homework when I send her to her room!

I've got to look back through the campaign lit I picked up at a recent event to see if I have the piece from Mitt Romney touting his "sensational good looks" and how we women have a word for him, "hot." Just for the record here, I do have a word for Romney after reading the text on his promo lit: creepy.

And, while I'm confessing... I too have spent several hundred dollars at the hair salon in one sitting. Nope, I was not in California or New York. It happened just a few blocks from my home here in Eastern Iowa -- and I still have my hair done there.

There's a great piece on Her Daily News about radio women. Go. Read.

A friend who knows how much I adore Tiramisu sent me over to the Travel New Mexico blog for a recipe. (BTW, there are lots of great recipes there.) What else do I find? A link to the Waterloo-Cedar Fall's Courier's report of Richardson. Small world.

Oh boy. There are times when you read things and you just have to shake your head at the stupidity of it all. And, no, it isn't the Power Liberal's post I'm referring to. It's what she's referring to in her post. Ladies, go forth and read (if you're able).

We know some of the men (and a few of the women) have been keeping one eye averted while reading here out of fear there would be, without notice, something tear-jerking or overly sentimental posted. Well, today is the day your worst fears come true. Read on...

Family friends who have been on several missionary trips to the Ukraine have been hoping to adopt. We learned this week that they have been introduced to two boys, Nick and Denis whom they hope to make permanent members of their family. It's a long post and one made even longer as tears welled up, blurring the words on the screen. We're so happy for your both and can't wait to meet the boys. Come home soon!