Meeting Sarah Palin in Georgia!

Homeschoolmomma | 12-2-2008 | Homeschoolmomma

[HomeschoolMomma]

Well I braved the cold and rain and packed my husband and daughter (in her crown and sash) and went to the Gwinnett Arena in Atlanta. We got there about two hours ahead and we got there before the crowds were starting to form. It was chilly and wet outside, so they started letting people in to the building early. While most made a bee-line for the front of the stage, we instead scoped out the staging and chose to park ourselves near what looked to be a staging area. (Good thing I have a background in stage management – it paid off) We were right by where everyone was coming in and out – there was no way Palin couldn’t miss us!

I was told they had about 5000 RSVP’s. Half the arena was blocked for this and it was nearly full on the floor and first level. I would geusstimate about 6,000 or so showed up. For the most part, the crowd was well behaved. We had an invocation and then Saxby came out and spoke for all of two minutes. His wife Julianne was dressed so beautifully and stood by his side. My daughter and I had occasion to meet her and Saxby at the Republican picnic and she is so elegant and such a pleasant person. They are a lovely couple.

Then Saxby introduced Sarah! The crowds went NUTS!!!!!! For a woman who had been up at the crack of dawn and was on her fourth rally, besides a fund-raiser the previous night, you would not know it. She had such warmth and energy! My gosh – she really is as beautiful in person as she is on TV. I got to admit – she is HOT!!! (And that’s coming from a woman) My husband was disappointed that she wore pants – I thought that was funny! Both he and my son think she is One Hot Momma! I was surprised that she was as tiny as she is, she looked much taller on tv! Well, it was the usual stump speech – la,la,la …John McCain …la,la,la ...Drill, Baby, Drill, only this time “Saxby” was thrown in a couple of times and I do not believe I heard the word “maverick” even once ( Thank God!)

When it was over, she went around the stage near the barrier area to shake hands. That’s when I knew we picked the right spot. That’s when the PUSHING and SHOVING started! ADULTS were pushing and shoving trying to get to where my daughter was. My daughter is all of 4 feet 10 inches, even though she is 13, and is a teensy tiny ballerina. After what happened at Wal-Mart I was scared!!! Well, let me tell you, you do not mess with the momma bear!!! I had to lock my arms around my daughter and the barrier to keep her from getting trampled. My husband was literally pulling people off of me, but I held my ground and kept her from getting trampled! People were fighting for our spot! Then Palin came around and my daughter held up her sign. One side said “Miss Georgia Christian Loves Saxby and Sarah” and the other said “Gov. Palin – Please can I have a Photo-Op!” Well, not only did Sarah shake my daughters hand, sign her sign, but she stood for a picture with my daughter – making one little girls year! (I did not see her take the time to a picture with anyone else!) Even though they had the barrier between them, they still had their picture together and I am so thankful to Gov. Palin for the photo.

To be honest, it wasn’t the photo that was important, it was the fact that my daughter’s hero – the one person she admires most in the entire world, took a few seconds out of her incredibly busy day to acknowledge my daughters existence. WOW! Of all the world leaders she has met, and the superstars that have her attention and even her own family that needs her, Sarah Palin cared enough in that one moment of time to give my little girl a smile and take a picture with her! Thanks Sarah!

As I left the arena, I thanked God for giving my daughter that magic moment with Sarah Palin and I said a prayer that someday Lord, let my daughter grow up to be like Sarah Palin. May she have integrity, and honesty, work ethics and family values. Let her know that she can have it all, a husband, a family, and a career, and she doesn’t have to compromise herself or her beliefs to get it. May she always keep Christ in her heart at all times and help her to be the type of person that young girls can look up to – and moms can say proudly, “One day you can grow up to be just like her!”

[papasmurf]

I was standing just behind her. There was one man in front of me. I wasn't sure that it was her, I was thinking she would be about 6 or 7. LOL. I would just feel awkward talking to a strange young girl like that.

Just after Gov. Palin started speaking, people started cutting in front of everyone. It was pretty low class, I thought, and I didn't want to start anything there, so I wound up 8 people back from the rope.

Quite a lot of my shots were too fuzzy from being poked and bumped, so I only have a few good ones. I think I may have gotten a pic of the back of her sign?















I have more pics HERE if you like.

BTW, did you catch her comment about Ludacris?

Just a snippet of Ludacris' rap/speech/beg for vote votes for Martin in Atlanta...
..."we bout to make history the first black president is destined and it’s meant to be the threats ain’t fazing us, the nooses or the jokes so get off your ass, black people, it’s time to get out and vote! paint the White House black and I’m sure that’s got ‘em terrified McCain don’t belong in ANY chair unless he’s paralyzed Yeah I said it cause Bush is mentally handicapped Ball up all of his speeches and I throw em like candy wrap cause what you talking I hear nothing even relevant and you the worst of all 43 presidents"

Full text at the Malkin link above.

[papasmurf]

Bump to my post 21. Sorry to have missed you.

[Cedar]

What a great story. I think you should send an email or letter to Sarah and tell her just what you told us. Very touching.

[HomeschoolMomma]

A thank you letter is on the way to her along with one from my daughter. I plan on including some of what I wrote! Handwritten of course - not email; there are some times where email is just not propper!

[GipperGal]

"The cowards never started, and the weak died by the way."

Beautiful! And, yes, that's exactly what I meant.

I kept think of sentiments like that when I read this bio piece on Palin.

They don't call it the Last Frontier for nothing.

[GipperGal]

BTW, I'm not a Mormon (I'm Catholic) but I've always had a great deal of respect for Mormon women because their great-great-grandmothers were some of the toughest women this country ever produced. To settle a city in the middle of a desert and wild prairie... unbelievable.

The Dunn painting also reminds me of that great song by "10,000 Maniacs" called "Gold Rush Brides":

Follow the typical signs, the hand-painted lines, down prairie roads.

Pass the lone church spire.

Pass the talking wire from where to who knows?

Theres no way to divide the beauty of the sky from the wild western plains.

Where a man could drift, in legendary myth, by roaming over spaces.

The land was free and the price was right.

Dakota on the wall is a white-robed woman, broad yet maidenly.

Such power in her hand as she hails the wagon man's family.

I see indians that crawl through this mural that recalls our history.

Who were the homestead wives?

Who were the gold rush brides?

Does anybody know?

Do their works survive their yellow fever lives in the pages they wrote?

The land was free, yet it cost their lives.

In miners lust for gold,

A family's house was bought and sold, piece by piece.

A widow staked her claim on a dollar and his name, so painfully.

In letters mailed back home her eastern sisters they would moan

As they would read accounts of madness, childbirth, loneliness and grief.

[AnAmericanMother]

I think the Dakotas were too cold even for the Mormon settlers . . . . ! < g >

You had to be a tough number to weather those winters.

[Toki]

I’m so glad you had a good time. My ride ended up getting caught up in family drama so we didn’t make it to leave. I wish I could have seen all this, but I’m glad you did!
Great pics btw

[Toki]

I’m so glad you had a good time. My ride ended up getting caught up in family drama so we didn’t make it to leave. I wish I could have seen all this, but I’m glad you did!
Great pics btw

[jla]

Image at post 18 - I love that. Will now Google 'Harvey Dunn'.
And whatever became of your art thread??

[AnAmericanMother]

Wasn't mine - was RepublicanProfessor's, I think.

Haven't seen her around much lately.

< hallllooooooo! >

[AnAmericanMother]

You'll be surprised at some of Dunn's work.

He began as an illustrator of blood-and-thunder novels, and was a WWI combat artist.

He also did a lot of burlesque and slice-of-life work in the manner (more or less) of Reginald Marsh (another of my favorites).

But when he turned back to the Dakotas of his childhood, it was unique and from the heart. Beautiful work.

[jla]

Just ordered a print of The Prairie is My Garden at southdakotaartmuseum.com.

Thank you, AMM!

[AnAmericanMother]

Glad I was able to introduce you to him! He deserves wider appreciation.

[jla]

Would you know of other sites where reproductions can be bought of that genre?

[brushcop]

WHY IS IT that this fine woman puts tears in your eyes and a smile on your face?!?! Could it be that she is the embodiment of DECENCY??? Yes, that’s it! GO SARACUDA!

[AnAmericanMother]

The Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington also has a number of his paintings, but I think the South Dakota folks have the largest number. You might be able to ask them directly where other works might be found.

[jla]

Thank you

[BibChr]

That is so great.