Wow---it has been a long time. What a difference a year makes! When I first started blogging in May, the economy was in a downward spiral, the Middle East looked like it was going to erupt, and gas was flirting with $4/gallon. It seems like a totally different world only a year later. Gas is now $2.19 (as of yesterday), we have a new President--a historic President who is committed to change and redefining America and our place in the world. The economy has bled millions of jobs, and Americans are hurting, but we have an indomitable spirit that has been reinvigorated by the hope that President Obama has brought and continues to bring to our country. It is time for Americans to think again about the bright possibilities that lie ahead for our country--all of the potential that we have, and the good that we can do when we are united together for the common cause of rebuilding our country and shaping a new world. I know it sounds like college-age enthusiasm and naivety, but sometimes, you just have to believe that things can and will get better.