The Ann Dunham Water Garden

My mother, Ann Dunham, was the biggest influence on my life, and helped shape me into the person I am today.

I’m proud to share that the Water Garden at the Obama Presidential Center will be named in her honor. pic.twitter.com/p7oAnH66eo

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 4, 2022

The Ann Dunham Water Garden will be a special place for visitors and members of the community to reflect. It will also feature an incredible new sculpture by Maya Lin, whose work I've long admired.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 4, 2022

Thanks to the members of our Obama Alumni family whose generosity helped bring this incredible project to life. I can’t wait for you to see it.

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 4, 2022

Barack and I are excited to share that the Water Garden at the Obama Presidential Center will be dedicated to his mother, Ann Dunham, and include a beautiful piece by Maya Lin. We are so grateful to our Obama Alumni for this incredible gift. ❤️ https://t.co/fRdDukT88G

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) August 4, 2022

Husband-In-Chief

The Most Influential Women

For a special cover, former President Barack Obama reflects on the most influential women in his life and his new memoir, A Promised Land.

Oh, and do you recognize that jacket? (Hint: It’s the same one he sunk a three-pointer in two weeks ago). https://t.co/0mKkR2K7t8 pic.twitter.com/XAECT0KXci

— InStyle (@InStyle) November 19, 2020

What’s the most badass thing about Michelle, Malia, and Sasha? “They all have multiple badass qualities,” Obama says. “[People] probably are less aware of what it’s like to work out with Michelle when she’s really in her groove... There's force there." https://t.co/aU0RBipofC

— InStyle (@InStyle) November 19, 2020

In an excerpt from the first chapter of his memoir, Obama introduces us to his family and life in Hawaii: “The thought of me not going to college was never entertained. But no one in my family would ever have suggested I might hold public office someday.” https://t.co/WIrcrEFUxq pic.twitter.com/rbrfbFHacf

— InStyle (@InStyle) November 19, 2020

We celebrate @barackobama’s, ‘A Promised Land,’ with this special cover. We asked Obama to wear the jacket he sank the three pointer in while campaigning with Biden. He was surprised: “I’ve got better jackets.” When reminded, he grinned. “I showed some swag in that one.” @instyle pic.twitter.com/yhhje1JHix

— Laura Brown (@laurabrown99) November 19, 2020

Chat Away

https://twitter.com/sfpelosi/status/869212844746604546

“Our Phenomenal Mothers” by TOD’s HZ

Hello TODers,

I just had to share this BEAUTIFUL poem by our very own HZ that is tucked in one of the last comments on my post from yesterday. Get out the Kleenex tissues first. Reflect. Enjoy

*****************************************************************************

Our Phenomenal Mothers

by HZ

~~~

I find quiet time when my soul is fighting off the floods of discouragement.
I then try to quiet my space with music, a seat in the library and music room.
I look up at one of the precious photos of my mother sitting at my piano when she came out to visit me long before she left me here on this earth.
~~~

Then I smile and try to remember what songs hymns she was playing that particular time. I feel some peace coming over my body when I think of those songs.
I then look over at a very special photo of my loving brother and see him as he is in his career and remembering how our mother and father worked so hard to make sure that we had the opportunities to grace the halls of some great educational settings. But then I cry a little because I remember how she worked so hard to make that happen for us.
~~~

I remember seeing her precious feet so swollen after standing in a family’s kitchen, bathroom, sunroom, pool house, washing, and cleaning and then preparing all of their meals and all of their holiday dinners and parties. And feel the salty tears slowly running down my cheeks as I say, “Thank you God for this beautiful and precious lady, our mother who did all of this for us.
~~~

Then I look around and see the many blessings that I have received because she wore those uniforms to conform to the rules of that family’s rules while she knew one day she would not have to do it any longer; but she would not take a penny more or less for that journey to make sure she paved the road so her baby son and daughters could walk down many less rugged roads in the future.
~~~

Then I feel my space getting peaceful and more lovely because of the fountain of memories of this phenominal woman who gave so much to her children so that they may dream big dreams; work hard in school; read a lot and learn about how other mothers were trying to do the same for their precious children.
~~~

Then my quiet space becomes sweeter and sweeter because of where I chose to sit, be quiet, listen to the whispers of God reminding me of how some of those days were born so that I could sit and give thanks as I journey at the tender age of almost seventy with pride, joy, and thanksgiving.
~~~

My tears are streaming with such speed that I do not want them to stop because they remind me of what a precious, beautiful, peaceful, hardworking, and loving mother and father I had in my life.
~~~

So these distractions moving around our great President and First Lady remind me daily of how President Obama must have his quiet time and allow the tears to flow while he remembers how hard his precious mother worked to raise, and exposed all of her goodness to Maya and PBO.
~~~

What loving and Phenomenal Mothers we all had and maybe some still do in our space; well

give them a hug, if they are still with you;
give them a call;
give them a hand written note on some lovely stationery
give them a lovely walk downtown and have a nice quiet lunch;
give them a lovely journey with some of the most lovely and fun notes about how they spent time with you;
~~~

And most of all, just give them a moment where you tell them how much you appreciate their worn out shoes to walk places where others did not dare walk for you. Just take the time, if it is possible to reach out and do one of these or one of your own choosing.
~~~

I wish I had all of the thoughts my precious mother, especially, thought as she walked to that job for all those years just to take care of her dear children. ‘Our Phenomenal Mothers.’
~~~

 ****

I went on line and found a lovely place where one can personally create a lovely garden flag with your personal touch on it in remembrance of your mother. I did one for our mother. Her favorite colors, and it will be placed in the lovely and special rose that I found and purchased today. I am so elated to have it arrive before my brother makes his next trip out here; if he can get away from his very, very important position, it will be a lovely moment for both of us. What a time we will have to share.
I know PBO does these types of loving acts of love with his sister since their mother is no longer with him. What moments those have to be for them.

Let us keep each other in our beautiful places of goodness as we go into another week. We were blessed with a wonderful week with our President, First Lady, and VPOTUS and SLOTUS. Thank you Chips and TOD Family. This place is such a sweet and respectful haven of knowledge, and great support for PBO.

HZ

‘through her eyes’

President Barack Obama walks with his daughter Sasha after a visit to the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii January 1, 2012 in Honolulu. From 3rd left: The President’s daughter Malia, wife Michelle, niece Savita Ng, brother-in-law Konrad Ng with his daughter Suhailia, and sister Maya Soetoro-Ng.

****

After visiting his grandfather’s grave here, President Obama took his family to the East-West Center, which is hosting an exhibit on his mother’s anthropological work.

“Through Her Eyes: Ann Dunham’s Field Work in Indonesia” includes photos and artifacts from the years she spent conducting research there.

****

President Barack Obama and the First Family leave the National Memorial of the Pacific at Punchbowl after visiting his grandfather’s grave

in touch

President Obama visiting Gabrielle Giffords, January 2011.

Thank you Loriah – the photo is a screen-grab from:

Original video here

Thank you Halo

****

A visitor looks at photographs taken during fieldwork in Indonesia by S. Ann Dunham, President Barack Obama’s late mother, during an exhibition at a gallery at the East West Center on the University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus, November 9

****

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama talk with Irish President Mary McAleese and Dr. Martin McAleese during a courtesy call in the Drawing Room at the President’s residence in Dublin, Ireland, May 23, 2011

Oh, any excuse to take a trip down this memory lane:

Today is President Mary McAleese’s last day in office – she served 14 years (14!) as Irish president.

****

Sun Times: Today, in her keynote address to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Steps Up: Hiring our Heroes event, First Lady Michelle Obama announced that the International Franchise Association (IFA) which represents 1,100 franchises has committed to hiring 80,000 veterans and military spouses by 2014. 5,000 jobs of this commitment are promised to wounded warriors.

Mrs. Obama also announced that the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) – which Dr. Jill Biden helped launch at the Chamber of Commerce last summer and which includes nearly 100 companies and organizations – has committed to employ 20,000 military spouses. These organizations include companies like Microsoft, Home Depot and Citi and franchises like UPS, Guidant Financial and Data Doctors. Together, the commitment by the International Franchise Association and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership represents a commitment to hire 100,000 veterans, wounded warriors and military spouses by 2014.

More Here

First lady Michelle Obama shakes hands after speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce fourth annual event on hiring military veterans, Nov. 10

****

Andrew Sullivan

Thanks rikyrah

****

Statement by the President on the State Department’s Keystone XL Pipeline Announcement

November 10, 2011

I support the State Department’s announcement today regarding the need to seek additional information about the Keystone XL Pipeline proposal.  Because this permit decision could affect the health and safety of the American people as well as the environment, and because a number of concerns have been raised through a public process, we should take the time to ensure that all questions are properly addressed and all the potential impacts are properly understood.

The final decision should be guided by an open, transparent process that is informed by the best available science and the voices of the American people.  At the same time, my administration will build on the unprecedented progress we’ve made towards strengthening our nation’s energy security, from responsibly expanding domestic oil and gas production to nearly doubling the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks, to continued progress in the development of a clean energy economy.

a mother’s story

Times reporter Janny Scott talks about her book on the life of Barack Obama’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham.

‘he’s used to it’

Jakarta, Indonesia, 1971

The Atlantic: ……After lunch, the group took a walk, with Barry running ahead. A flock of Indonesian children began lobbing rocks in his direction. They ducked behind a wall and shouted racial epithets. He seemed unfazed, dancing around as though playing dodge ball “with unseen players,” [fellow American and friend Elizabeth] Bryant said. Ann [Barack Obama’s mother] did not react. Assuming she must not have understood the words, Bryant offered to intervene. “No, he’s O.K.,” Ann said. “He’s used to it.”

‘obama’s young mother abroad’

NYT: The photograph (note: not the one above) showed the son, but my eye gravitated toward the mother. That first glimpse was surprising — the stout, pale-skinned woman in sturdy sandals, standing squarely a half-step ahead of the lithe, darker-skinned figure to her left. His elas­tic-band body bespoke discipline, even asceticism. Her form was well padded, territory ceded long ago to the pleasures of appetite and the forces of anatomical destiny. He had the studied casualness of a catalog model, in khakis, at home in the viewfinder. She met the camera head-on, dressed in hand-loomed textile dyed indigo, a silver earring half-hidden in the cascading curtain of her dark hair. She carried her chin a few degrees higher than most. His right hand rested on her shoulder, lightly. The photograph, taken on a Manhattan rooftop in August 1987 and e-mailed to me 20 years later, was a revelation and a puzzle. The man was Barack Obama at 26, the community organizer from Chicago on a visit to New York. The woman was Stanley Ann Dunham, his mother. It was impossible not to be struck by the similarities, and the dissimilarities, between them. It was impossible not to question the stereotype to which she had been expediently reduced: the white woman from Kansas……

Read the full article here

Thank you so much for the link Brezzdee, it’s magic!