Open Thread – Gurgi Revealed
For anyone who has read the piece I posted about my mom yesterday, you’ll know that I was hunting for a particular picture of a Halloween costume she made me that I couldn’t find. Thanks to my sister, another copy was located, and I’ll embed this picture in the article too. Behold, Gurgi! I think I was in the fifth grade.
This is just such a great and funny picture! Anytime I need to be cheered up about something, I think I’m going to hunt for the Gurgi pic. 🙂
Priceless….
Weddings as funerals are often the times and ties that rebond and hold families close, as relatives are so often living too far apart to see one another except on these occasions.
Though this is a very sad time for you mom’s close relatives, it will hopefully be an time of strengthening family ties, as well as a time of sorrow
Jared Lee Loughner, is the alleged nutcase who did the deed.
Huff Post: “The most illustrative window is Loughner’s YouTube account, which appears to be hub of anti-government zealotry, obsession over currency and language standards, and, to put it bluntly, outright paranoia.”
“In conclusion, reading the second United States Constitution, I can’t trust the current government because of the ratifications: the government is implying mind control and brainwash on the people by controlling grammar,” he writes in one video posting. “No! I won’t pay debt with a currency that’s not backed by gold and silver!”
My gosh, that guy sounds just like Palin’s Joe Miller.
Can anyone do screenshots? Before this is taken down..
http://www.facebook.com/notes/sarah-palin/dont-get-demoralized-get-organized-take-back-the-20/373854973434
Don’t Get Demoralized! Get Organized! Take Back the 20!
by Sarah Palin on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 5:41pm
With the president signing this unwanted and “transformative” government takeover of our health care system today with promises impossible to keep, let’s not get discouraged. Don’t get demoralized. Get organized!
We’re going to reclaim the power of the people from those who disregarded the will of the people. We’re going to fire them and send them back to the private sector, which has been shrinking thanks to their destructive government-growing policies. Maybe when they join the millions of unemployed, they’ll understand why Americans wanted them to focus on job creation and an invigorated private sector. Come November, we’re going to print pink slips for members of Congress as fast as they’ve been printing money.
We’re paying particular attention to those House members who voted in favor of Obamacare and represent districts that Senator John McCain and I carried during the 2008 election. Three of these House members are retiring – from Arkansas’s 2nd district, Indiana’s 8th district, and Tennessee’s 6th district – but we’ll be working to make sure that those who replace them are Commonsense Conservatives. The others are running for re-election, and we’re going to hold them accountable for this disastrous Obamacare vote. They are: Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1), Harry E. Mitchell (AZ-5), Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-8), John Salazar (CO-3), Betsy Markey (CO-4). Allen Boyd (FL-2), Suzanne M. Kosmas (FL-24), Baron P. Hill (IN-9), Earl Pomeroy (ND-AL), Charlie Wilson (OH-6), John Boccieri (OH-16), Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3), Christopher Carney (PA-10), John M. Spratt, Jr. (SC-5), Tom Perriello (VA-5), Alan B. Mollohan (WV-1), and Nick J. Rahall II (WV-3).
We’ll aim for these races and many others. This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to sarahpac.com and join me in the fight.
Stand tall, America. Real change is coming!
– Sarah Palin
Polly, this is an important point you are making. How chilling that SarahPAC had Giffords in the gun sights from the beginning. If the voters didn’t get rid of her, Sarah’s henchmen would take care of her instead.
I just checked this, and here’s another chilling detail: of the 20 targeted congressional representatives on the SarahPAC map, only two(2) were reelected — Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and Nick Rahall of West Virginia. I hope Rep Rahall is taking extra precautions to ensure his safety. Sarah Palin has made him a marked man, and his life is in grave danger, if Gabrielle Giffords’ fate is any indication.
The latest from HffPo:
Via Brian Stelter, state senator Linda Lopez tells Fox, “We just heard that [Giffords] is responding to commands. She made it through surgery.”
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
live blog
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3:05 PM ET MSNBC: Federal Judge Shot. “MSNBC reports that a federal judge was shot at the scene, and may have been killed, but the latter is unconfirmed.
“3:03 PM ET Palin: Shooting ‘Tragic’
Sarah Palin has issued a brief statement on the shooting:
My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today’s tragic shooting in Arizona.
On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice.”
Anyone besides me unable to picture the Palin family kneeling in a prayer circle – praying for the Congresswoman?
The responses to her “sincere condolences” are something else! She is being slammed by those who are able to comprehend what she has wrought and encouraged by those who are too kool-aided to understand anything more than their darling has asked them to pray. I wonder how long the former’s comments will be allowed to remain up. beth.
Palin clearly has blood on her hands, along with all the hatebombers.
True, there are always unstable people within earshot. But when we KNOW this, and we continue to ramp up the rhetoric to such a frenzy, then we bear some of the guilt when those who act on our words commit crimes.
“Will no one rid me of this man?” Henry II
No to make fun but I always call this the “Cousin Eddie Scenario” (from the movie Christmas Vacation).
The Chevy Chase character goes on a rant calling for his boss to be kidnapped, brought to his house and taught a lesson. Cousin Eddie, the dimwit, overhears and takes action on what was actually just a hyperbolic rant on the part of the Chevy Chase character and follows through on the kidnapping.
I am writing from Arizona. Giffords has been targeted before. A local station just played a statement from the county sheriff, who had no trouble linking this to the hate-filled rhetoric soewed by various tea-baggers. I am ready to go out and break windows right now, which I know does no good. Palin, Sharon Angle and others have blood on their hands. Words DO have consequences.
I’m with you, Mag. I’m just sitting here, numb. It wasn’t a bad day until this.
((Mag the Mick))). I feel like personally throttling SP’s skinny throat. We all knew this was going to happen sooner rather than later.
This was on my twitter
Sarah Palin just took down her website that had gun crosshairs on Rep Gabrielle Giffords, but here’s a screenshot http://twitpic.com/3o7twm
Doesn’t matter if they pull it down. It was heavily published in articles on the net and elsewhere. Huffpost mentions it in their story as I am sure others will (Immoral Minority also has a screenshot). When will they learn that once something goes up on the net it is basically there forever. All it takes is one screenshot by one person to remain.
I too hope that this is not in vain and that both sides but particularly the right will stop this hate filled and dangerous rhetoric. Sure, most people are fine and can distinguish right from wrong and while they might get mad or outraged by such speech they don’t act on it except at the ballot box. Unfortunately, there are always going to be the ones that are not quite all together and will take it to be literal and act on the hate speech. We can and should recognize that they are mentally disturbed but also that they are fueled by the likes of Palin, Beck, Faux News, etc.
The Daily Dish has Palin’s “target list” with the congresswoman’s seat in her gun sights.
Pray for Ms. Giffords, the other victims and for our country.
Huffington Post says: While there is no hard evidence at this point to suggest that the shooting was politically motivated, Matt Yglesias points out that an anti-Giffords event was held in June with the billing: “Get on Target for Victory in November. Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly.”
Rep. Giffords was also on Sarah Palin’s “target list.”
As noted earlier, a gun was dropped at a Giffords event in 2009, and her office was vandalized in March.
Why I find $P beyond despicable
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/24/sarah-palins-pac-puts-gun_n_511433.html
This is a sad day for all Americans.
What has happened to respect for our legislators, the work they do and a feeling that they do their best for us, whether we agree with them or not?
Deep sympathy to her family.
AKM, your Gurgi is magnificently monstrous. {{{{{AKM and family}}}}}
The news from Arizona (where is whatzername, by the way?) is just monstrous…nothing magnificent about it.
They just announced 6 more dead, seven including the Conresswoman. Banana Republic we are. Some post that we should all take a deep breath, wait to see if the gunman was mentally ill or deranged. Isn’t just about everybody in the tea party “deranged” including lock and load Sarah? Don’t kid yourself, her fingerprints are all over the trigger.
Whatzername herself proclaimed, “Don’t retreat. Reload.” and published her evil target-covered map, also, too. Then tried to say she meant reload at the ballot box. Vile and evil…leading the easily manipulated.
If I remember correctly, she said the same thing or something very similar to her daughter when hey were shooting guns on her t.v. reality show. Do you really think she’s smart enough to know how dangerous her words are?
I agree.
There is no doubt that someone who would perpetuate a horrific crime like this is deranged. The frightening thing, however, is that people like that can easily be triggered to act out their violent fantasies by something like Palin’s target list. Regardless of her motives for posting the map with the gunsights (and there was simply no excuse for doing so), she was offering the perfect motivation to a mentally ill inidividual to commit this kind of crime.
After so carelessly targeting the Congresswoman in a blatant effort to get a little media time, to then post her condolences for the family on facebook is heartless and cruel.
She was one of the people on Palin’s target map.
SarahPac just removed the target map from their website.
Why am I not surprised.
@ #32 – Latest word is that Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Gifford is dead. She was one of the 20 Ms. Palin had “cross-haired” for elimination because of support for Obamacare. Your careless words and actions DO have consequences, you beeyotch, Ms. Palin. I am disgusted beyond words. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/08/gabrielle-giffords-shot-c_n_806211.html#comments
beth.
i don’t care what side you are on but people need to get a grip…this is just so sad!!!
Chilling and inexcusable. This is murder, plain as day, and that, my friends is what the Tea Party has wrought.
May her death not be in vain, but may it be the catalyst for CONSEQUENCES for hate speech from Fox faux-lebrities, their masters, and those Republicans who have hidden behind them for too long.
Let’s see how this unfolds…
Let’s also hold judgment until there is real information.
Please… do not forget John Hinkley, Jr…
There are all forms of derangement…
I am in my tears over the theft of our freedom to talk to our politicians. I am also in tears over this senseless loss for all the families. MSNBC says a Federal Judge is also dead in this melee.
I feel like the 12 year old I was when Kennedy was shot or the 16 year old when King and Bobbie left us.
I see not only Palin but all her enablers like Murdoch, everyone on Faux, Rush and the hate radio talkers plus the Kochs, C Street, the NRA as responsible for this. This is the first of Sharon Angles 2nd Amendment remedies.
ROFLMAO!!
I just wanted to share the above info, now I can post about Gurgi! My goodness, that is absolutely the cutest and somehow most unsettling creature I’ve ever seen 😉
So, from now on do we get to call you a Mama Gurgi?
Sad breaking News in Arizona: AZ Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 11 others shot at public event in Tucson. Live feed on CNN. Other news outlets including Huffington Post blog are doing updates.
http://www.npr.org/2011/01/08/132764367/congresswoman-shot-in-arizona
NPR is reporting she and six others died…
This is just terrible beyond words.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/01/08/132764807/rep-gabrielle-giffords-d-ariz-others-reported-wounded-in-shooting
NPR is also running an update page showing reports as they come in
KOLD live stream from this site is reporting Congresswoman Giffords is in surgery while others are reporting she has passed…
This is fluid …
Yeah, I’m seeing that too, problem with up to the second news, things get reported that are not necessarily right, in order to get it out as soon as possible. Shot point-blank is obviously bad though, and if she lives, she will likely be in very bad shape for a long time.
I’m not a praying person, but I do hope for the best for her and my condolences to the families of those who were killed.
This is an assassination (attempt), pure and simple, and it is heinous.
One of the comments from the NPR site:
“I wonder who the “Manchurian Candidate” is that was chosen by the Obama administration to be the so-called “right wing extremist” who performed this terrible act.”
1. How incredibly heartless to dismiss the cold-blooded execution of a Congresswoman and several innocent bystanders (possibly including a child) as a political stunt.
2. What kind of sick, hateful, demented individual would even imagine a scenario like that?
I just watched an old video of Congresswoman Giffords being interviewed on MSNBC after he office was vandalized after the health care vote. It was chilling to hear her discuss how she was on Palin’s ‘target’ list and that there were gun crosshairs on her picture.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40978517/ns/politics/
My thoughts and prayers to all the victims of this horrible act.
My congresswoman. I have shed a few tears the last few hours.
News conference from Tucson PD at 1:30PM Mountain time, 12:30PM Pacific.
No one is denying that it is anything but an assassination attempt so far. Five other victims have died so far, with eleven the newest total of all victims. Gabby Giffords is in surgery at last word.
If right wing radio had any influence on the shooter, I hope that whoever ‘inspired’ this action is charged as an accomplice to murder, plain and simple. The rhetoric has simply gone too far.
You look to be from the Bo Peep side of the Gurgi, AKM. Any relation to the ghillies?
(web search ghillie suit images)
hug a Gurgi today
It was a premonition: a snow ghillie…
I’m so glad your sister had a photo. It’s a shame to not have pictures of great costumes. The wonderful thing about my mom making all my costumes was that no one ever had my costume. I did the same thing for my kids only I made costumes for all four of us (we often dressed up as a family). It was a lot of work but so much fun. Younger daughter is continuing the tradition by making costumes for herself and her husband – and she’s the most creative of all of us.
From Gurgi to Liz Taylor – it appears as though you were as interesting, diverse and imaginative as you are now. It’s easy to see our dear friend under that wonderful costume, and in your mother’s eyes and face.
There were times when Liz Taylor looked rather gurgi-ish.
Yes, those later years…
Elizabeth Taylor is as gorgeous as a Gurgi as she ever was… imho …
Never read these books, but my library has a great section (its own floor) for children, so I’ll check it out. Gurgi is very much as I pictured it in my mind’s eye.
Until second grade, my mommy-made Halloween costumes were pretty pedestrian (Spanish dancer was pretty fine, using one of her 1950s crinolines as a skirt, a nice hair comb, and a fan — I think I even had castanets). In second grade (so I was seven), I decided to be a beatnik, and wore black tights and leotard with a short skirt, beret, sunglasses, and a cigarette in a very long holder. I walked around the classroom saying, “Cool, man!” I usually made/collaborated with mom on separate costumes for school and trick-or-treat.
Third grade, I was a Dutch peasant, in long skirt, “wooden” shoes (I covered my own shoes with masking tape, sculpting them into the proper shape), a fair braided wig, and milk pails on a pole over my shoulders. Fourth grade, I went all out — half man, half woman. Mom sewed half a skirt, attached it to my corduroy pants (which I rolled up under the skirt on one side), some kind of padding to give me one breast (I had none of my own yet), makeup and long hair on one side, slicked back hair and a mustache on the other.
By twelve, I was making my own costumes, as well as my younger sister’s. I outfitted her as a bee, in yellow and black stripes, wings, and a TV rabbit-ear antenna for antennae. At thirteen, I won the costume contest at our junior high dance as Nefertiti. Mom made my caftan-like dress, I trimmed it, and created a headpiece out of a fabric covered dress box with elaborate gold trim, including a cobra. I got a suntan foundation at the five and ten, and did very elaborate eye make up. My best friend, who’d made a southern belle dress (but wasn’t allowed to wear make up) wanted to kill me — she was certain she’d win the costume contest. There were at least a dozen such southern belles at the dance. Mine was certainly the unique costume. The next year, when invited to a Halloween party, I took silver mylar (dad worked in the plastics industry, and we had mylar WAY before anyone else), covered cartons, and made myself into a boxy robot. The following year, I did something similar, but made myself into a candy vending machine. I won that contest, too.
I used mom’s fabric scraps to make couture for my Nina doll (a Barbie knockoff), even cutting out tiny pieces of cardboard to make stacked heels for her matching mules. I sewed everything by hand. By fifteen, I already had a design portfolio of my sketches. She also taught me to knit; I taught myself crochet and some other fabric arts. When I started designing crystal jewelry, I related to it as sewing stones with silver. It wasn’t all that different than learning to sew on cardboard with punched holes, with yarn threaded on a bobby pin (I was considered too young to trust with a needle).
Thanks for stirring up such pleasant memories, Jeanne. Btw, my mother was offered training in opera (she was a mezzo), but blew it off to run an acting troupe at the 92nd Street Y. She regretted it lifelong. She did finish Brooklyn College, and was a nurse’s aide during WWII. Blessings to you.
OTOH, the dominionist evangelicals are at it again. Now, they’re trashing Obama for “getting wrong” our national motto, etc., chiding him in a letter for leaving out god. I’m disgusted:
http://sadhillnews.com/2011/01/05/national-motto-letter-of-correction-sent-to-president-obama-from-the-congress-of-the-united-states#more-19478
Read it and weep.
And they always seem to forget that the Pledge of Allegiance, from the time it was written in 1892 until Congress passed a bill to change it in 1954, did NOT include the words “under God”.
I have no problem with them practicing their religion as enthusiastically as they choose. Just don’t try and force everyone else, including me, to practice it too.
How cute is that photo! I can only hope my kids reflect back with such love on the costumes I made them – they certainly were not deserving of any awards. I always dreaded when they requested a specific character, it took more craftiness than I had. I preferred to ‘invent’ a costume that would allow me the excuse ‘I meant it to look like that’. 🙂
And I agree with Irishgirl- happiness can only come from celebrating life, not death.
I can so relate to Gurgi…..I had a monster in 4th class called the “infra dig.” God only knows what I was reading because I just looked up the definition….and this is it.
Adj. 1. infra dig – beneath your dignity; “considered helping with the dishes to be infra dig”
undignified – lacking dignity.
Anyway, I just loved the sound of the words and I made up a monster.
AKM, I know from experience there can be great happiness in celebrating someone’s life, not death.
(((AKM))))
Gurgi! How cute you are! Yay for creative moms! 🙂
Thanks formerwriter and BuffaloGal for pointing out that Gurgi is from the Chronicles of Prydain. I thought the name sounded familiar but couldn’t place it. I loved those books! (I think Hen Wen might have been my favorite character).
Is that you in there, Jeanne? Too cute. Nice to remember the wonderful things that our mother’s did as we grew up. Do well in this time of grief and remembrance. We’re all thinking of you.
Delightful costume.
What is remembered, lives.
Warm wishes
Clearly the roots of your creativity run deep and were inspired and nurtured by your patient and understanding mom. And we at the Mudflats are grateful.
wow, quite the imagination…this is great
Truly sorry to hear about your mom. Heart felt condolences to you and your family.
I have been reading your blog since Sarah Palin came on the scene. Have not posted
much, but read your posts. You have been an inspiration to me in many ways.
Gurgi even has a Wiki page : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurgi
I know I would have really the Chronicles of Prydain. I don’t know how in the world I missed this series. And any book that contains a Gurgi AND Hen Wen the Oracular Pig , would have been an instant favorite.
Love the Gurgi photo !
So cute! I think I read those books in fifth grade, too! Lloyd Alexander wrote about a young boy named Taran, and I think Gurgi was his sidekick who traveled with him. Maybe I’m mixing up my stories, but the books I remember were so very fascinating. What a cool mom!
I loved those books. What an awesome costume. Your Mom sounds like she was an amazing person.
Some of my best friends were Gurgi’s.
Looks like a Gurgi to me, AKM.
Your Mom obviously met every challenge you gave her. May she enjoy her rewards.
Gurgi Rules!
When your right your right.lad you found a copy so you and the family can enjoy and remember.
So sorry to hear about your mom. Your tribute post was beautiful – what a wonderful woman she was, I love the Gurgi costume. Hoping that the hole in your heart will be filled with all the wonderful memories you have of her.
My mom helped me make ‘Thing’ from the Addams family one year.
i had a big box end held up a sign in a gloved hand.
Thanks God we were only allowed to go around the block at night it was tough to navigate with.
My God how we are dating ourselves!
After posting yesterday and knowing how hard it is to lose a mom, I thought of all our moms, who raised us to know the difference between what is right and wrong, and who gave us a voice and courage to do something about it.
Looks cute-like Phyllis Diller when she is retaining water. Again,thanks for sharing.
Gurgi looks like a yeti that needs to go to the gym! Thanks for the chuckle this morning, and thanks to sis for finding the gurgi.
I was thinking of a Shmoo.
“Gurgi!” – Coming Soon To A Theater Near you!
The claws are gripping!
I am so sorry to hear about your mom’s passing. My thoughts and prayers are with you. I fully understand the sense of loss and sorrow that you are experiencing. As someone who has last both parents recently, I can assure you however, that things get a little easier every day. Before you know it, you will only remember all the happy, wonderful and fun times you had together. The Gurgi costume is a good start.
I remember the time that my mom made me a very authentic looking hobo costume for Halloween. Problem is, I took things a little too seriously and actually “ran away” for a little while!
Once again, please know that I am thinking of you.
-Kevin
I want a Gurgi !! So happy you found this photo. It was difficult to imagine and this is so much better than I imagined.
Too funny! How wonderfully creative and loving she was to come up with this. Glad you still have the photo!
One Halloween in Bethel, someone showed up inside a beat-up old refrigerator carton. It had dents, gashes and holes in it, and had everyone was wondering just what it was supposed to represent and who was inside. A teacher was inside, and was supposed to be “Wein freight”. (At the time, Wein Air Alaska flew into BET twice a day.) We all had a good laugh over that!
🙂
good one!
Perfect! Your mom had an eye and a wonderful imagination . . . .
Gurgis ROCK! Your mother does too, not only for not dismissing your imaginary friend, but bringing it to vibrant life! What a woman!
Gramiam:
I am perplexed – I thought Gurgi plural was like moose plural.
However, I stand corrected if I am wrong.
I am going to get the series of books – oh boy!
Thanks all for the smiles,all.
Aren’t old photos the cat’s meow?!
Yup – old photos are great – my mom got two huge boxes of them for Xmas – she and her hospice volunteers have been working hard putting the names on for me. She is so animated and happy each day.
I hung up the baby pictures of her and dad on the walls – quite the conversation pieces.
Love the Gurgi picture AKM – you were very brave as a 5th grader – I’m not surprised given your courage when you started this blog. I suspect your wonderful mother encouraged your bravery, too.
I like it! Great idea. Our younger daughter wanted to be a kelp bed one year, because she had been given a lovely stuffie of an otter lying on his back with a little clam in his paws. So, kelp bed it was!
Peace.
Now, that’s love!
If only all children were that loved, and all children were that lovable and imaginative!
Blessings be to you and your family, Jeanne, although, really, you don’t need to be wished blessings – you have been blessed all along. May the blessings simply continue.
Oops – wrong placement of the 5.1 comment. Sorry.
Meant to say to say to Jimzmum – that the kelp bed concept was absolutely wonderful! Guess, really, your family is as blessed with creativity and joy as was/is Jeanne’s.
(I apologize for the clumsy combining of both comments – but it is very early and very cold here where we live and my brain is not fully awake yet.)
Adorable!
{{{Gurgi}}}
I love the gurgi picture, it gave me a overdue smile and giggle today.
Thank you and sending warm thoughts to you and your family.
Just too, too cute!!! Awwwwww!!!
Yeah, fifth grade was like that for me too.