Mary Lou Hoover can do and does do everything! Nothing is beyond her capabilities.

Her credentials are lengthy. Most prominent is Girls’ Night Out. A couple of years ago, Mary Lou thought women needed a place to meet and network. From a first meeting in a living room with a handful of ladies, it has grown into huge numbers. The ladies meet one night a month. However, in much larger quarters.

Mary Lou has also been a Fantasy Fest Queen. 2007. A tough race to the title and an even more arduous job the year following.

She is involved with Helpline. She is fund raiser and coordinator for the organization.

Mary Lou recently acquired an added interest in suicides. She came up with some figures that indicate a big time need for additional assistance in order to prevent suicides. In 2012, there were 4 homicides and 19 suicides in the Florida Keys. In 2013, there were 2 homicides and 32 suicides. Clear evidence that help is needed.

Mary Lou is working to have Helpline add to its suicide awareness efforts. A worthy and needed endeavor. She will succeed. It is in her nature to succeed. She is a woman who gets things done.

My blog talk radio show was last night. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. For those of you who may have missed and would like to listen, the show is archived and also available on Facebook and You Tube.

Post show comments indicated that my critical comments re the Keystone Pipeline and Immigration issues garnered the most interest.

My thrust was it has been 6 years that Keystone has been waiting for a vote. The final vote was last night. It took an effort of political expediency to bring about the vote. With regard to immigration, the issue has been bouncing around for 6 years also. A vote could not be reached. Now the President says he is going to move by Executive Order.

Not the way to run a government! We should not have to wait six years to get an up or down vote on the important issues of the day.

Can you believe the weather? The Key West weather. It dropped to 61 last night. It is 63 degrees as I write. The high today will be 69. Wow! Cold! A long pants day.

I will hear from many of you regarding the previous paragraph. Especially my friends up north. Where it is really cold! Tom Dixon e-mailed to tell me they already have four feet of snow in Buffalo, with more coming today. Temperatures across upstate New York are in their 20’s. So too most of the rest of the nation. This morning’s weather report says the Florida panhandle will be below freezing later today and tonight.

And not even Thanksgiving yet!

Today is the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln delivered the famous speech on this day in 1863. It was less than 300 words.

Two things I would like to share with you re the Gettysburg Address.

The first is that Lincoln wrote his speech on a ripped off portion of a brown paper bag as he rode to Gettysburg. His lunch had been in the bag. He used a stub pencil to write.

When Lincoln completed  delivering his speech, applause were minimal. There was no off the wall reaction to his words. It was subsequent to the speech that the speech’s special qualities were noted.

It continues to be a sad day at Lisa’s. Jake is still sick. Lisa continues to take him to the vet every day. They still do not know what is wrong with him. He is being tested for everything.

Poor Jake!

Enjoy your day!