Here’s a hearty protein to start with: National Chicken Month. Lotsa ways to celebrate this one from finding new recipes to supporting producers of organic and heritage birds.

It’s also a sweet month: It’s National Honey Month. The Honey Board’s website makes it easy for parents and youngsters to find teaching activities about honey or bees, and some easy recipes.

Now my new food weakness: Mushrooms. September is National Mushroom Month and Kennett Square, Pennsylvania (considered the Mushroom Capital of the World) celebrates with the 24th Annual Mushroom Festival. Maybe one of the best nutritional tidbits about mushrooms is their natural Vitamin D content. With everyone screaming about testing for low Vitamin D levels: Do yourself a favor, enjoy mushrooms.

The list goes on, and some foods are celebrated for a week or a single day. (Starting on the 6th is National Waffle Week). The possibilities for a week or a day’s celebration are only limited by your imagination.

September, a back-to-reality month, is just a warm up for October’s great party: Virginia Wine Month.

We have heard the call and will move forward. I love the idea that this President understands how we must once again regain our leadership role in the world. Americans are obviously ready to help–2 million people standing outside for hours in less than ideal temperatures says it all. They shouted the President’s name and wore a variety of outfits showing their support. My favorite was a t-shirt with the new President’s face adorning a big S, Superman body–this shirt may have said it all. We are looking for a superhero and have found one, our new rock star who happens to be our new President, Barack Obama.

Just saying the name and the title together brings both a smile and a sense of relief. We are under a new administration and the city and the Nation are abuzz with the prospect that things will change. Hope has arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and the world should sleep better knowing that change has come and America is back. We need time but we can attain all our greatness under this leadership.

Listen, world, hear us roar. We are coming back. I plan to sleep well tonight. We can become that great Nation we all want.

Good night.

I may not be there at this moment in time, but I’ve been there: the 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Too many times to count. Yes, have stopped in Wilmington; find the train station in need of a little facelift, but who’s looking at that today. An hour stopover–great, and with a special passenger:  the conductor of vice-president elect Joe Biden’s trips on the Acela. That’s sweet.

Then on to Baltimore where people have been gathering for hours, and finally on to Union Station–my station, my base. I’m with him every step of the way, even though I am inside, just watching and smiling.

Love the morning Newsweek polls. People do have confidence that President-elect Obama can do it. How about those daughters; they told him what he needed to do. It will be great to have young opinionmakers in residence. We need their input and the charming way that daughters can speak to dads. The country needs the vibrancy, the liveliness of a leader who mirrors what we all want for this great country.

What an exciting day. Gotta go. Mighta missed a comment, a chapter of history. Stay tuned.