JWG's Done and Not Begun Zwerglipatch January 16, 2011 6:26p.m. EST

As René prepares a supper of East India’s most popular fish curry (he is using Alaskan Cod), I am in our Library after a day of writing, work, taking inventory, watching old Disney cartoons (“The Three Little Pigs” and a few others), going up in the Attic, and answering a query from our friend, Gary, in Cape Town, South Africa, about my take on First lady Barbara Bush as a person.

About Barbara, who I don’t dislike as much as her husband and sons, I answered that her last foray in the news stating her opinion about how Sarah Palin is “bad for America” is reason to like this woman who had the courage to say what, I do hope, most of this Country really thinks about that woman who abandoned her People in Alaska.

Barbara Bush, when she had the chance to speak, was akin to Betty Ford — she spoke her mind. I admired her for this. I did not always agree with her words, but, there seemed to be not a single person, well, very few, in Washington, at that time, I could trust. Barbara was Grandma.

Our First Ladies have always fascinated me more than their husbands. I am glad that The United States Mint is creating gold coins to honor them all. Sadly, being a half-ounce gold coin, very few people will ever see them. Thus, once again, the women behind the men are put on the back burner to simmer. I await a full boil.