A DAY (a few days) IN THE LIFE OF PRESIDENT BUSH (PHOTOS): 12.4-6.04

yahoo.com, whitehouse.gov ^ | Monday December 6, 2004 | GretchenM

[GretchenM]

Saturday, the president, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld and Condi Rice met with Pakistan's President Musharraf at the White House. Bush said, "We discussed international politics. I assured President Musharraf that there is an opportunity at hand to work toward the development of a Palestinian state and peace in the Middle East." He gave his radio address, saying, "We must do everything necessary to confront and defeat the terrorist threat, and that includes intelligence reform. By remaining focused and determined in these efforts, we will strengthen the safety of our citizens and defend our nation from harm." Vice President Dick Cheney will lead the US delegation to Afghan President Hamid Karzai's December 7 inauguration, the White House announced. The president went to the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia.

Sunday, the First Couple went to St. John's Church in DC. He presented awards at the 27th annual national celebration of the arts.

Monday: On an international level, Bush met with Iraqi interim President Ghazi al-Yawar; Jordan's King Abdullah II; and Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade. On the national scene, he met with Dennis Hastert and Tom DeLay from the House of Representatives, and Senator Bill Frist, on Bush's proposal to overhaul Social Security. Laura Bush hosted Viviane Wade, wife of President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, for tea. The First Couple enjoyed time with some of our youngest citizens with a Children's Christmas reception and program in the East Room of the White House.

Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island!

[Lives and Loves]

How often does one get invited to a whitehouse event where you get to have the president give you a hug? Lucky kids. I am jealous. ;P

Look how kind and real our President is. You are right, he does come from a wonderful family and I can tell him and Laura are raising the twins right too.

[GretchenM]

I should add that there was no fault on my father's part to engender this separation. It was occasioned by my mother breaking a court order regarding custody, knowing that if we were found, she would have to return us to our father -- almost 2,000 miles away.

Starwise, yes, Cole was absolutely without peer. Thank you for posting a link to the music on Amazon. I'm listening to it on my PC CD player as I type. I got a four-CD version from Reader's Digest. My mother loved Cole and had several of his records, so pretty much all of the songs on the CD set are familiar old friends to me.

[tommix2]

Gretchen, that is so sad. I am so sorry. May the Lord comfort you.

[GretchenM]

Thank you, tommix2. I do feel the good Lord has more to do in restoring this sundered family. I just wrote in a FRmail to Starwise that my father suffered at least as much from this as we did. We can't reclaim those years, but God can, and will, "restore the years the locust has eaten."

I've always marveled at how easily I have been able to relate to God as my Father, despite this.

[GretchenM]

Some of my other favorites from these four CD's:

Fly Me to the Moon
A Blossom Fell
Around the World
Unforgettable (Mona Lisa)
Too Young
When I Fall in Love
Answer Me, My Love
September Song
On the Street Where You Live

[GretchenM]

Oh yes, and "People" --

"People, people who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world;
We're children, needing other children,
And yet letting our grown-up pride
Hide all the need inside,
Acting more like children, than children.

"... No more hunger and thirst,
But first, be a person who needs people. ...

"People who need people
Are the luckiest people in the world!"


And - the enchanting, "The Very Thought of You"

Cole was a sentimentalist! And music was MUSIC in the days when he sang. It had melody and substance and distinguishable, worth-hearing lyrics. ;-)

[tommix2]

Thanks for the link to the music, I just ordered it.
I love the sea too. I have been at sea a lot first in the Navy and then on drill ships for oil exploration. On one voyage off the Canary islands I had a porthole just above the water line that I could watch the flying fish up close. And when we used to sail in through the Sraits on the way to Bremerton at night, after monrhs at sea sense of smell is keen and I could smell the coniferous trees at the blower in the engine room blowing fresh air from above and tell we were close to land. You have mail.

[kitkat]

***Have you seen the Pacific before, in person? ***

Yes, just a few years ago. Santa Monica. What a beautiful beach. I have a heart thing and thought I must be crazy to go to southern California in August because of the humidity. Yet, I climbed all the way down those six million stairs to the beach, and back up again while breathing freely in the salt-dried air. Got back home up north and almost passed out when I left the air-conditioned air port.

I was at Cerritos for a concert, and found that even that far from the ocean the air was so much more breathable than up north. Who knew?

And, maple twirlers are the abundant seeds from maple trees. They have long, crescent-shaped tails and fall from the trees like little helicopters.

[Renaldo]

AP reported in relation to this event,

"Before church, the president, clad in a tan cowboy hat, moseyed around the Rose Garden area, his dog, Barney, in tow."
(Link to article)

C'mon, are there no pictures of that???

[Mo1]

LOL!!! .. Too funny

Thanks for the Dose!!

[mrs tiggywinkle]

Such precious photos, Starwise. Thank you for posting them. Our President and First Lady are wonderful with the children, aren't they? Warms my heart.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

Oh Gretchen...prayerful hugs to you.

The relationship with my father was dealt with quite similarly by my mother, I'm sad to say. I was 8 when they divorced and 10 when my mother moved us 2k miles away. My mother had to 'ok' any letters I sent to him, and we weren't allowed to call or receive calls from him. I saw him for 2 hours when I was 16 then when I was 26 and he didn't recognize me. We now have a sweetly close relationship in his golden years. Thank you, Lord.

[mrs tiggywinkle]

**We can't reclaim those years, but God can, and will, "restore the years the locust has eaten." **

Amen to that!!!

[ride the whirlwind]

I adore that picture in 126. Was this a school group? When I was a child, we never had field trips like this! Not even close.

It's no wonder that you love the sea, Gretchen. Your story (and mrs tiggywinkle's) are touching.

[homemom]

***It is not a new dress, therefore probably not a return of the bow period in her clothing.***

Well THAT is a relief!

The fact still is, the First Lady looks beautiful no matter what she wears, and whether or not there are misplaced bows on it. :-)

[Pippin]

Navy won, 42-13, finishing the regular season with nine wins for the first time since 1963.

YAY! NAVY beet the pants off ARMY!!!!:O)

[snugs]

Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers will keep you informed he gets his results on the 21st.

[snugs]

**Prayers for good test results for your dad!

Has the new medication started helping your mum?**

Thanks for your prayers for dad he gets his results on the 21st.

The new medication IMHO is making mum a lot calmer just as confused but I think calmer.

Once again thanks

[Wolfstar]

To Eltons credit, I read that he said he was leaving his politics at the door and was "thrilled" to meet the president.

Right. What else could he say and still keep a shred of personal credibility with at least 61,000,000 Americans.

[homemom]

I don't know anything about the medication, so don't know how long it takes to work, etc. But if it's making her calmer that's a big improvement, both for hear peace of mind and those around her.

Glad to "see" you!