Welcome, Say Hello!

[Matt Pamental]

Hi Joelle & fellow Leguminati!

I’m Matt, and I live in Knoxville, TN. I live here with my wife, mother-in-law, two nearly-adult boys, and our dog Roxie (black & tan something–probably hound, given our whereabouts, but definitely has the energy of a Rottie!), and two cats, Reo (roll the ‘R’, rhymes with “Day-o”) and Henry.

Hope everyone is managing their wellbeing, and I’m looking forward to chatting & getting to know folks!

Matt

[Chelsea R]

Hi Matt!

I’m in Nashville

[Matt Pamental]

Hi Chelsea- good to know other Tennesseans in the group!

[Margie Brown]

Hi Matt! I was there a long, long time ago- for The World’s Fair. What a lovely area.

[Melissa]

Hey everyone! My name is Melissa. I live in Woonsocket Rhode Island with my husband and our dog Bookie. I am excited to see how this platform takes shape. You all give me hope and a sense of I am not completely losing my mind! Thank you!!!

[Matt Pamental]

Hi Melissa!

My mom lives in Wickford, RI. No dog though (but my brother in Rumford has two collies he lets her “borrow” on occasion).

Nice to meet you!

[Melissa]

Nice to meet you too Matt! Love that part of RI!

[Margie Brown]

Hi! What kind of dog? They all have such interesting personalities.

[Heather]

Hello fellow Leguminati. I’m Heather from Los Angeles where I live with my wife and our three dogs Mando, Leia, and Waylon. Very happy for this safe space but I will likely mostly lurk.

[Margie Brown]

Hi! I never realized how many choose to lurk (for various reasons), but it became a cornerstone of my effort at rural outreach on social media. I lived in a deeply red area where social media was full of “everybody thinks x,” and I decided to push back on that. The lurkers came out of the woodwork to thank me. I was stopped at the grocery stores, restaurants, community events, and even in places out of town by people I did not know. Like I said, there are a lot of reasons people do not post or respond – and I don’t even ask why – but some have told me, and their encouragement has given me motivation to keep it up. All that to say, “I get it, and I am glad you are here with us!”

[Heather – she/her]

Yay for Heathers!

Hi, I’m the other end of the country (but am a 5th generation Californian) in Bucks County, PA. I’m an elected poll worker, literature podcaster, mother of two LGBTQIA Lads (term approved by them both), Wife of a beautiful writer, Andrew, and looking for more Things To Do to help fix the world.

Also hoping I’m not violating anything b/c I can’t find the community guidelines I promised to read! 🙁

[Heather – she/her]

Yay for Heathers!
While I’m a 5th Generation Californian, I’m currently living in Bucks County, PA.
I’m an elected poll worker, 19-years-and-counting literature podcaster, mother of two marvelous LGBTQIA Lads (term approved by both), and wife of Andrew, the most beautiful writer I’ve ever known, and constantly looking for Things To Do to help heal the world.

Also, looking for the Community Guidelines I promised to read when I signed up–anyone have a link?

[Joelle]

Hi Heather! Your comment was posted, but hidden because you had several links in it (I’m guessing?). I must be a system thing, I’ll see if I can override it. But I approved your comments.

Here is the link you requested. Thanks for mentioning that, I meant to put it in the footer of the site, too.

[Chelsea R]

Hi I am Chelsea. I’m in Nashville. I live with my husband Ian and our cat, Harry.

Excited we have this new place to chat. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard for this to happen.

[Margie Brown]

Hi Chelsea! I hope to make it to Nashville at some point. I admit, I would have the tourist lens.

[Kimberly Brown]

Hi my Leguminati Friends!

I’m Kim and am a (South) Jersey Girl born and bred. I live in a left-leaning county, but work for and in a red county. Scary times. I have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. Drawing, photography, baking and traveling by motorcycle are what I like to do when I’m not spending time with my family. So glad to be here amongst so many like-minded people. Thanks to everyone at MSW for developing this safe space for us. Now let’s all get into some good trouble! 😊

[Margie Brown]

Hi! I love “Good trouble.” That term was new to me when I became involved in politics in 2017. I feel like I missed a lot of history that I should have known.

[Betsy M]

Hi!  where in Jersey?  I live near Cherry Hill and work a bit southeast from there.

[Kimberly Brown]

Hi Betsy! I live in Marlton and commute to Mays Landing for work.

[Becky]

HELLO!

I’m Becky and live in deep red East Texas with my husband, 1 dog (Roxie, a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois mix), and 2 black cats (Miss Kitty & Onyx). We have 2 grown sons, one DIL, & 4 grandkids.

I keep my sanity by crafting with my Cricut, doing counted cross-stitch, listening to podcasts, and eating chocolate.

I tend to be more of a lurker than a poster, but will try to do better about posting.

Thanks for this new platform 🫘

[Margie Brown]

<p style=”text-align: left;”>Hi, Becky! Lurkers are needed too. It’s good to have allies, especially chocolate-loving ones!</p>

[vanessa (she/her)]

Hello, fellow Beans crew! To Joelle, AG, and all the other magnificent folks on the MSW team, thank you for all that you do.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Vanessa! Isn’t this exciting? I am so happy they go this rolling. I’m just saying “Hi” to everyone!

[vanessa (she/her)]

Hi! 👋

[Michelle]

Howdy!! It’s so lovely to have a place to be together. I’m Michelle from SoCal and delighted to be here.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Michelle! Former short-term Californian here. I’m a bit jealous of your state – but it was too far from “home.” I loved my time there. SoCal was our vacation destination when we lived in Fremont.
Happy you are here!

[Mrs Boots]

Hello! I’m Brenda and I’m very excited for this site!!

I’m from Utah (sorry about Senator Mike Lee, the embarrassment). I’m married to an incredible man, who is a Veteran, and have 2 adult daughters, one adult granddaughter and 1 3 year old grandson.

I’m a retired nurse who worked in the Behavioral Health and some Veteran communities, both inpatient and outpatient.

Thanks to the wonderful Beans team for this new site and all the wonderful podcasts 💙💙💙

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Brenda! Glad to meet you. I camped in the Uinta Mountains. I always meant to come back to ski. Maybe someday soon.

Happy you are here.

[Mrs Boots]

The Uintah’s are beautiful! Hope you can make it back. There are so many wonderful, scenic parts of the state to see

[SeaSalt]

Hi, Legumnati!

I’m SeaSalt – and I’m proud to say Tim Walz used to be our congressperson before he left that forsaken body to become our governor! Joelle – thanks so much for putting this together.

[Margie Brown]

Hi SeaSalt! That would have been so affirming to have Tim Walz as a representative. I can only imagine. I grew up in such a red area.  I’m glad you are here to share some of that feel-good vibe that had to rub off on you!

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Margie Brown.

[Mike Grattan]

Hi everyone! Just checking in to say Hi from Salinas, CA. Looking forward to some great conversations in our new community!

Mike

@mike_grattan.bsky.social

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Mike!
We used to live in Fremont, CA. Salinas is definitely beautiful country.

[Stacie]

Hello! I’m Stacie and my life improved drastically when I discovered Jack, then Aisle 45, and finally The Daily Beans. I look forward to the shows so much and I am comforted to know that there are so many of us. We are the majority! I live in Duluth, Minnesota, the most beautiful place on Earth.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Stacie!
Yes, we are the majority! It is so affirming to get to know like-minded people from everywhere.

[Joelle]

hi Stacie! Welcome to Behind the Beans! 🙂 We have another ‘Hello!’ topic thread already started so I’m going to merge this. We’re happy you’re here!

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Joelle.
• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Joelle.

[Stacie]

Thank you!

[Vivian]

Hi all. Vivian here.
I live in the Chicago metro area with my husband. All our children are grown and we are mostly retired. The dogs in our life belong to our children but they do know us as those people who bring meat scraps to them.
I have listened to AG’s pods for a very long time and they help me understand and process the craziness and the legal remedies needed.
I will not give up.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Vivian!
I have granddoggies too – 5! It’s good to meet a kindred spirit – and a fighter!

[Lynne Hanses]

Hello! Thanks for putting this space together. I am Lynne, living in Aurora, CO. I am proudly owned by my dog, Nelly, and my cat,Emma. I tend to purk more than comment, but you all may see me from time to time.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Lynne!
Most of us are owned by a cat or a dog. It takes a special person to be proudly owned by both. My legs are still sore from my doodle sleeping on them last night!
Lurkers are valued community members. Glad you are here!

[Lori Moore]

Hi! Lori from Columbus, OH here. Thank you for this new connection tool. Happy to be here.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Lori! Glad you are here. I never realized Columbus was such a tech center until my sister-in-law moved there. I hope they are still getting the chips act funding for the Intel plant!

[Breathe]

Hello! Breathe from Chicagoland here. Just learning this new site.

Proud Antifascist.  Beans helps keep me informed  and entertained.

 

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Breathe! I don’t know if your name is based on the song, but it is one of my favorites!

When I was running for office, a Trumper asked me if Antifa should be considered a terrorist group. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Dori Oberg]

Hello everyone!

Currently freezing my arse off in Twin Cities MN.

 

Thank you for the edit option

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Dori Oberg.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Dori!
Good to meet you. Stay warm! Swearing is allowed here (News, with swearing…Daily Beans, Daily Beans)!

[supercast661]

Hello!

Super bummed that 5 places away got Supercast666.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Supercast 661!
My receipts always come out 6.66. Coincidence?

[Psalm Ray]

When I was a cashier, I remember a couple of times a customer’s bill came up as $6.66. I’d always read out the total, and to me it’s just another number. One guy became upset and said he wished I hadn’t said it out loud. Another freaked out and started looking around for something to buy, like a pack of gum, so it wouldn’t be that total.

I later transferred to the deli, where we would mark down our rotisserie chickens in the evening. Once whem one of my coworkers marked down a chicken, it came up as $6.66. It’s done by the computer and we have no control over it. My two coworkers that evening thought it was funny and called it the demon chicken. We waited to see if anyone would buy it, but it wasn’t very busy and no one did.

[Margie Brown]

Hello!

I’m from Pennsylvania, and I’m still active in political groups there, but I live in Florida because kids located here, and I have grandchildren. I still work at Pitt Bradford half time: in person in the fall semester and online in the spring. I live in NY state (just a skip across the border) while I am there. That’s three states. I have also lived in Fremont, CA.

I help take care of my parents and my grandchildren while in Florida. My husband retired after suffering from long COVID, but he has worked on and off since then. We have our two year old goldendoodle, Milly; she keeps us young and active.

An interesting tidbit about my perspective is that I find a lot of personal connections. That may be a small town perspective, but it’s almost spooky for me. To be clear, I am not superstitious. I would love to live in a world where a deontological philosophy could prevail, but I see myself as more utilitarian at this point in our country.

I love all Democrats who are sincere, even if I don’t agree with their strategies. I’m not going to participate in cutting any Dem down. Not in this environment.

I have so many concerns – and they are very personal. My youngest daughter is expecting her second child in July (In Florida!). She had an emergency c-section with her first-born. It was scary. I told the doctor, “She’s MY baby. Her life comes first!”’ Now she wants to try to deliver her second naturally. I will be on pins and needles until July 22.

Now Pennsylvania & New York: They have closed maternity wards in county after county in PA. The closest to where we live is an overcrowded one star hospital in an area with weather that could prevent transfers to cities that can provide life-saving emergency care. To be clear, most of these counties are also without hospitals. People have died. Now the mortality rate for women and babies will be affected too.

I feel like a nomad, and I am not happy with Florida, but at least there are several hospitals close by in this area. And it’s a pretty liberal area in Florida, so my day to day experience is more pleasant.

However, I do see more from here about the sinister Conservatarian take over of our institutions. At least it’s obvious here. I felt like I was gaslighted as a public school teacher in Pennsylvania.

I have gone on too much! Anyway, happy to be here and connect with you all in a place that is uncluttered!

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Margie Brown.

[MarjiZee]

Hi there, Margie!  I’m also Marji (different spelling, same pronunciation) and I also live in New York (in Ulster County, not all that far from northeastern PA)!

Glad to be here in this safe space for learning and mutual support!

[Margie Brown]

Hi, MarjiZee!
Thanks for the warm reception. Several plot twists here: Margie is short for Margaret, so my name uses a hard g. I’m in the Twin Tiers (NWPA, SWNY).  But as big as the country is, you are still not that far! We probably see the same issues in both parts of the state. Good to meet you!

[MarjiZee]

Wow! So your name is pronounced “mar-ghee”?  I’ve never met a person who pronounces their name that way!!!!  Very cool!

My name is short for Marjorie, and most folks spell the shortened version with a -gie, as your name is spelled.  That made no sense to me for my name, so I changed it when I was a kid. (Also, it helps folks not call me “marge,” which is nails-on-a-chalkboard to me!)

Anyway, it’s wonderful to meet you!  Looking forward to getting to know you and everyone here more and more! ♥

[Stephen Marsh]

North FL peeps over here.

[Susan Jacobson]

Hi I’m Susan. I am a director at a large university in Florida. My cousin and I have been discussing buying some land in a rural part of the country just in case things go to hell in a hand basket. Thoughts?

[Margie Brown]

Hello! Happy to meet you.

[Julie McPherson]

Hello

I’m Julie from Edinburgh, UK. I’ve been listening since the kitchen table days. Lovely to meet you all again.

X

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Julie! I got into MSW a bit late, but I was hooked! Good to see you here!

[Judie]

Hi, I’m Judie from Miami Beach, but in the (long long) process of moving to Rockville MD, where my kids and grandkids are.

Glad to be here, and thanks Joelle for getting us up and running!

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Judie! I am in Delray. I did the opposite move from PA to be with my grandkids. I hope your move goes smoothly. Maryland has to be more liberal than Florida – though immediate location counts for a lot too!

[Judie]

Hi, Margie!

I know some folks in Delray.

Miami Dade used to be reliably blue, but that has slipped over recent years, as I’m sure you know.

Maryland is definitely more liberal in Montgomery County where I am. There are at least a few of the Leguminati around here, though I haven’t met them in person, only communicated with them online.

 

[Evan Johns]

My fellow legume lovers! Yay! Glad this is here. I’m only slightly younger than AG and living in East Alabama (trying to escape) currently with my wife, kids 2 cats (Moo& Zara) dog (Pippen), and the bird who hates me, Pickle.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Evan!
Where would you go? I think we are all in the same boat.

[IrishGoddess]

Hey Hello How Ya Doin’!

Checking in from Grand Junction, CO – if there are any other Western Slope Leguminati on here, would love to hook up with you.

[Margie Brown]

Hi, Irish Goddess! Happy you are here. I love Colorado. Great skiing with sunshine!

[MarjiZee]

Hi folks! I’m glad to be here!!  Thank you, Joelle, for all the hard work you put into creating this space for us! It’s a big relief!!!

I live in the eastern Catskills region of NY state (not too far from the village of Woodstock).  I’m a performing musician (guitar and voice) and I live in a small repurposed church that was originally built in the 1800s and turned into the sweetest home by my partner, Alfredo. We live here with our two kitties, Pip and Ollie, who own us, body and soul.

Thank you, Allison, for making this happen with your bestie!!!  Ever grateful for you and all the leguminati!

[Larry Singer]

hello everyone! Dr. Larry from Irvine California. I’m excited for this new site. I hope it’s easier to navigate conversations 🙂

[Patricia Butcheck]

Hello! Philly Beans gal here. Nice to meet everyone. Thank you for creating this space for us.

[Valerie]

Hi Joelle and leguminati!

I’m so impressed, Joelle, at all the work you’ve put in to this network. Thank you for your hard work!
I’m Valerie, I am from Colorado but have lived in the UK for the last 18 or so years (three of them in London, the rest in Edinburgh), and I’m a kitchen table listener, owned by two cats, Pablo and Olaf, both Voids/House Panthers). Hope everyone is keeping their spirits up and looking after each other. Hope to see you around here! 🙂

[Elkay23]

Hello! Thank you all for creating this space. I’m Lois Schmidt from Facebook and real life, Elkay23 or Elkay everywhere else. I named my first dog, a registered St. Bernard, Elkay’s Regina Ginger when I was 12. I chose Elkay (my first & middle initials) as my screen name for social media (except FB for some reason), and I created my avatar when that movie came out (I was learning Photoshop). I’ve aged quite a bit since then, but the avatar never will! I’m a Spiritual Traveler, an Amateur Photographer and a retired Graphic Designer.

[Moopsy]

Hello! I’ve been listening since the kitchen table days and a big fan.

I’m currently in Houston but in the process of moving back to Albuquerque. Can’t wait to move back to a blue state!

Any fellow New Mexicans?

[Kathy Goldschmidt]

Hello! I’m a nomad traveling in an RV with my husband, two teens, and our sweet dog, Raya. Currently in Florida, but heading west at the end of April.

Retired now, but spent my career working for and with Congress doing capacity building, legislative tech and communications, and congressional modernization work. How’d all that work out? Sigh.

Now trying to find my resistance niche through the Leguminati, Quakers, Indivisible, or all of them and more.

Glad to have this platform and all of you here!

[Cindy B]

Kia ora beans whanau (meaning: hi Beans family = in te reo Māori)
I’m from Aotearoa NZ where I live in a tiny village west of Auckland, near a black sand beach and with my collie doggo Pearl, who’s now nearly ten years old. I can’t believe how fast that time went from when she was little.
Pearl came into my life around six months after Donald came down that escalator
Sine then we’ve gone through covid when we had the Best Prime Minister Ever but then the nasty MAGA stuff arrived over here via the Canadian border Convoy and then our government changed, and we’ve got one now that wants to be as MAGA as possible
… anyway I’m here for this page it’s so lovely and thank you Joelle for building it. Just WOW

[Peggy Goodman Moody]

Hi Everyone,

So glad to have a safe space here. I’ve been listening since the kitchen table days but don’t post much at all on FB. I live in the Bluegrass of Ky and am a blue dot here for sure, but at least we have amazing Andy Beshear as our governor. I’m trying to find a niche for more Good Trouble since it’s really hard in this state—it seems like the Dems here are disorganized and feeling a bit hopeless. Maybe that’s a bit true everywhere now, though. I live with my husband and have a son, daughter-in-law, and 3 year old grandson close by. My cat and grandson are my lovely distraction from this hellscape we are in!

[Shaggy Historian]

Howdy, everybody!

Glad to see this idea finally come to fruition. We had a tough day in Kansas today with the legislature overriding the Governor’s veto of SB 63 which bans all gender affirming care for trans children and REQUIRES professional discipline of medical professionals who attempt it, including loss of licensing, insurance, and so on.

Thank goodness for communities like this!

Cheers,

 

Eric

[Trudy Campbell]

Hello everyone,
I’m a physical therapist, originally from Mass, now living in south FL. Kitchen table listener.
Trudy

[Brent Michael Kelley]

Howdy, Friends! It’s your old pal Brent from up in Northern Wisconsin.

I’ll be honest, I barely listen to podcasts anymore. I was a Steph-Head since 2005, and I barely even turn her on anymore. I just can’t bear to hear that man’s name, let alone his voice. I’m starting to shuffle back to the community, though. Glad Behind the Beans is open. I might not have the stomach to listen, but I can certainly use some like-minded friends. This may come as a shock, but Northern Wisconsin is a pretty red area. It can feel pretty lonely sometimes.

I am also an independent author with 6 published books that some of you will might enjoy. If you like Tom Waits, he’s the inspiration for my pal Chuggie, the permanently-drunk embodiment of Drought on a monster-filled world called Mag Mell. If you like YA comedy-horror, Keep Away From Psycho Joe is fun and silly and appropriate for most ages. If you like dystopian political horror, my novella Cruce Roosters was written in response to the orange turd’s first trip to the White House and NOT appropriate for most ages.

Give a shout if you want to talk about creative stuff or weird dogs!

[NomiLovesWorld]

Hi All. I’m a longtime Leguminati, currently living in the belly of the beast. I would love to connect w other Legume-inclined allies/parents of trans people. It’s a weird time here, even in CA. It’s so rare to hear news sources talk about the human cost of these shameful new EO’s. I’m grateful to AG & DG for keeping it real. Hard times, friends. This is a lovely gift. Thank you.

[Alexandra]

Hi everyone! I’m Alex from a small groovy purple town in reddish Morris County NJ. Ever since January 6 2021 I’ve been hooked on MSW’s podcasts to help make whatever sense there is to make of this whole nightmare. SOOO grateful to the whole crew for making it real.

And now this! Too good to be true, and what a mountain of labor! Congratulations to all involved, and thank you for opening the doors. You ROCK! I probably won’t say much but it’s a huge comfort to know this place exists and I’ll be a supporter as long as humanly possible.

[Dr. David]

Hi all! I’m David, family doctor living in Los Angeles with my boyfriend and our Belgian Shepard Kosh!

[Nancie McCraw]

Thank you Joelle. This is amazing.

Nancie here. Mother of cats and one human. I am a software engineer and cloud architect turn federal contractor capture manager, which means I may find myself with time on my hands and skills to share if you need back up.

As long as the cats don’t mind.

[JimHarper3]

Love the tag line “Community. With swearing.”

Originally from Illinois, I’ve lived in a small college town in Upstate New York now for close to a half century. We finally got a Democrat back as our Rep. in the House (after too long with a Republicorp rep). Now all I can do is keep nagging my two Democrat Senators and House Member to fight even harder.

Glad to see everyone here.

[Helen Intile]

Hi Everyone – I’m Helen. I live in West Linn, Oregon (about 12 miles south of Portland). I’m excited to meet everyone and to get to know this beautiful new app. This is so fantastic.

[Tanya Fuller]

Hi everyone!  So excited for this new space. I’m in the Charleston, SC area.  We are stuck with Graham and Scott, but thankfully I’m just in Clyburn’s district.  Unfortunately can’t avoid Nancy Mace though.  I listen to all the MSW shows for a little bit of sanity.   Very thankful to have another way to connect with the leguminati!

[Barbara]

Saying hello and a super huge THANK YOU for making this site a reality

[Lisa K]

Hi all! I’m Lisa and I live with my husband, daughter, and parrot in Malibu, CA. I’ve been so stressed between the fires, floods, and earthquakes – never mind the dismantling of our government. I’m grateful for a place to hang with like minded souls!

[Steve Strom]

Greetings from Portland Maine.

Been a listener since 2020. Been a patron since later that year.

I’ve been voting since 1980, when Carter was my choice. That was the beginning of a couple of decades of disagreements with my dad about politics.

[Mitch Seipt]

Greetings from Purcellville, Virginia! I’m married to an amazing woman, father to three really strange humans, and servant to two doggos and one cat. I’m a career educator and currently serve as a middle school assistant principal.

So grateful to be a part of this wonderful community. AG, Dana, and the Leguminati are the ones who help me to maintain my hope and optimism that we are going to get through this together.

• This reply was modified 2 months, 1 week ago by Mitch Seipt.

[Maria Branch]

Thank you Joelle and AG for setting all of this up! I’m Maria from GA (sorry, I tried!) I’m retired (prob a mistake 😳)and spend my time caregiving out of town family – both mom and MIL in 90s! I love crafting, sewing and listening to podcasts. My neighbor and I are starting a “victory garden” so we will have food security. So new hobby started. I’m happy to have a safe place with like minded people. I’m worried about the future for my adult children and they are too. Love all of the MSW podcasts and listen to several others daily for real news.

[Alexandra Miletta]

Ciao from bella Roma! Thank you AG and Joelle for creating this space just for us. I moved here in 2017 with my then 89-year-old mother who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s a year early. She had the courage to sell the house and move with 2 suitcases each to start a marvelous adventure. I had been miserable in my career as a teacher educator in NY and wanted to give her an end of life as marvelous as my idyllic childhood. I am bilingual/bicultural have lived, studied, worked, and travelled in Italy and my father grew up in Rome. My parents were married here. My mother passed peacefully in 2022. Since then I published a book for beginning teachers, Teach with Confidence, with Rowman & Littlefield, and am excited to join you all!

[Grandy]

Hello from beautiful Fairview NC (near Asheville)!  I live with my favorite-of-all-time cat Toby in a basement apartment 😔 with a fabulous view 😁.  So excited to see where this new hangout spot goes. Thank you to Joelle, AG, and all the staff at MSW Media for making it happen.

[Betsy M]

Hello new friends!  I’m an ESL teacher in South Jersey, not far from Philadelphia.  I listen on my commute and am an original Beanie Baby.  Love to loom knit and create quilling art!

[Stephen Marsh]

Hi everybody, Stephen from Florida. I just applied for a job in Georgia and decided to stay at home in Florida. Looking forward to seeing the site and the organizing.

[Amy Powarzynski]

Hey ya’ll! I am Amy. I’ve been a patron since the kitchen table days. I run my small-town library.

[Joey Merc]

Greetings from central Massachusetts. I’m Joe. I run an IT Consulting firm, play some drums and tiny bit of guitar, like wine probably more than I should, am a proud Dad to four amazing kids, and have an amazing partner who is also a member of the Leguminati.

Very glad to be here with y’all. Thank you to AG and Joelle for this amazing site and to MSW Media for all the amazing work you/they do!

[Sue Kristoff]

Hi! I’m also in central MA. Nice to meet you!

-Sue K.

[Nick The Frick]

Hey all! I’m a huge fan of the 🫘, I post on FB using #Leguminati all the time.

 

This is a revolution!

[Charissa P]

Hiya everybody!

I’m Charissa (kuh-REE-suh) from a little purple dot in Oklahoma. My days are in the office of an English Department at a state university. I do some acting & I sing some. I like languages & wish I could go back in time & tell me to take alllllllll the classes, but I won’t give up. Right now I’m refreshing Spanish, dredging up ancient French, and continuing to move forward millimeter by millimeter on Korean. Eventually I hope to get ASL remembered, but I hit menopause in the middle of classes and can’t remember a single thing.

I grew up in a deep red, very patriotic family, very actively involved in politics. I was at HW’s inauguration becausey grandmother was one of his electors. I burned my voter ID card when the GOP put DOMA on their party platform, then spending time volunteering in prison & having my world expanded working in the (wildly varied) English Department & spending time with folks from other countries have all dragged me so far out of that party I couldn’t have gone back even before it went full MAGA.

I tend to see the best in people and I’m one of those annoying folks who would rather see someone learn about a bigger world around them than get shamed or beaten. I understand that a bully only understands meeting equal and opposite force, but I believe love is the most powerful force accessible to humans. Juuuust above music & storytelling.

[Jenni]

Good morning – Native San Diegan here living in the DMV. Thanks for all the effort to make this space!

[Kate]

Hi! It’s lovely to meet you all.

I’m Cathy, but have been Kate on internet forums since 1988.  I’m married with three kids who are all various shades on the LGBTQ+ rainbow. My trans man son’s spouse is enby who grew up in a very strict Islamic Pakistani family. We all live in Canberra, Australia.

The reason we in Aus are interested in US politics is that the decisions made in Washington impact all of us worldwide.

Love & hugs to you all. Stay sane x

[Rachael Priestley]

Hello all!! I’m Rachael, I live in the metro Atlanta area with my husband, teenage son, and a menagerie of pets (including Rosario Pawson!). I’m a stressed out Fed scientist and am sooooo happy to have this safe space to connect with everyone!

[Saralee Etter]

Hello, everyone! I’m so glad to have found the Leguminati family here on this new site!

I live near Columbus, Ohio with my husband Terry, our son Clayton, and cat Glinda. I discovered the Mueller She Wrote podcast not long after the kitchen table days and have listened regularly since then to all the MSW pods.

Our town is rural and republican, but my family is not, so I’m thankful to have you all to turn to these days.

[Brianne]

Hi all! Glad to have finally made it here!

I’m Brianne, in Rapid City, SD (soooo sorry about Gestapo Barbie 😞). I live with my husband and our zoo: three beagles, two cats and an African Grey parrot. I work as an accountant, don’t have many friends and really don’t fit in with anyone I know here. It’s tiring.

I’m not sure when I started listening to the pod, but I think it was sometime in 2017. Seems like a lifetime ago. Thank you so much for creating this space! I’ve been extremely bad about doomscrolling this week and really need to wean myself off the socials, or at least cut back drastically on my usage. This will be a great place to stay connected.

[Cindi Lynch]

Delighted to have finally made it here – I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone! Maintaining sanity by working, remotely going to school part-time, and then spending the remainder of my day with my dogs, cats, the neighbors’ large animals (I’m their adopted Nanna — providing carrots and other treats) and photographing the beauty around me. Trees, rocks, and clouds are my best friends next to the four-legged critters in my life.

[Anne Craig]

HI everyone!
I have arrived, weeeeeee!!!
So lovely to see you all here.
Feel free to send a friend request, to vent, to reach out if you need a laugh, a smile or an ear to bend.
Love you all <3
Anne

[Sue Kristoff]

Hi! I’m Sue K from Massachusetts. I’m a mom to two boys (men-children, really, ages 21 and 19). I’m production manager for a manufacturing company here in MA. I like science fiction and fantasy, board games, video games, and my new old lady hobby of jigsaw puzzling. I’m also working on my health, currently doing gym stuff three times a week.

Love to you all!

[Sue Barker]

Hi everyone! Another Sue has entered the chat, lol. I’m Sue B – living near Pittsburgh, PA. I’m retired, my daughter and her trans wife live nearby. Two teenage grandchildren (grandson and trans granddaughter). When not doom-scrolling (my latest hobby, apparently), I weave, making towels and scarves etc. I’m owned by a demanding Corgi named Wilbur.

Happy to be here, happy to meet you all!

[Kellie]

Hello all!!  Took me a minute to get signed in, but I made it 🙂

I’m Kellie, from deep red Indiana – though my country is blue (though it feels purple some days). I am SUPER proud to have been able to vote for Mayor Pete as my Mayor when he was here though!

I’m thankful to have found the Beans community as a safe space and get to know other likeminded folks.

I am a caregiver to my Mom (78) who lives with me, and a crazy cat lady by choice.  We have two dilate calico’s Dot and Sophie.  They are named for Dorothy and Sophia from Golden Girls.  Honestly, we think Dot is really more of a Rose, but we go with it.

Looking forward to interacting with folks and getting out of my introvert shell (I try, I promise!)

Kellie

• This reply was modified 2 months ago by Kellie.

[Erynne von Olnhausen]

Hi!! So happy to see so many names I recognize! You might know me as Montgomery over on Facebook, but thats my dog’s name. I’m Erynne, from Spokane, WA, a blue dot in a red district in a blue state, and I’m the human mama of two ridiculous dogs named Watson and Montgomery, the spouse of a Navy veteran (former SOF), and I work in the ID theft protection/cybersecurity industry doing benefits for companies.

Can I just say, one of the things I’ve always loved about this community is the variety of backgrounds and interests, and how deeply empathetic and curious and intellectual everyone is?? Absolutely love it.

[Joanne Carpenter]

Greetings, earthlings.  I’m a proud Minnesotan, out lesbian, pot head lite, motorcycle ridin’ member of the leguminati. My immediate family is all red and it makes me very sad.  I’m hoping to make some good trouble with people as long as I don’t have to run. Chumbawamba once sang “Nothing ever burns down by itself, every fire needs a little bit of help.” I’m not advocating arson, but we can light a different kind of fire and I’m here for that.

[Brooke Aldrich]

Brooke here! I’m a US citizen (and as of 2024 also a UK citizen) living in rural Cornwall in the UK. I listen to Daily Beans religiously.

I’m so incredibly worried about so much… But one thing that is really going to impact me directly is the so- called SAVE Act. It’s going to cost me the ability to vote.

Happy to be here with all of you and hope you can be patient with me as I trust to figure out how this thing works!

[Kelli Hardacker]

Hello,
I’m Kelli, mom of a neuro-spicy 14 year old girl and an even more neuro-spicy 9 year old boy. Recently learned that I am neuro-spicy as well through their diagnosis! I’ve been married to my husband for almost 17 years, together for 21. We live in North San Diego county on our wanna be farm of 3 dogs, 2 cats, 2 bunnies and a pond full of koi and goldfish. I love hiking, photography, and graphic design. My day job is working as a VP of Marketing for a private markets firm. Been listening to MSW Media podcasts since the kitchen table days and am a mod here and in the FB group.

[Mister Midnight]

Hey, everyone! I’m a career military officer living in Washington State (on the rainy side). I’m not much of a poster online – I am not good at this social media thing. Or maybe I’m just looking for antisocial media?

I like to get out into communities, fix problems, and protest. I think it’s critical to make sure that our voices are heard, and that the MAGAts and Muskovites don’t get the mistaken impression that they’ll have it all their own way. Nice to meet you all!

MM

[Tom Hail]

Hi, I’m Tom from California’s Santa Cruz mountains. I live with my wife Liz and a 5 pound toothless Yorkie.  We are both retired but busy with side gigs of various sorts. We are both infuriated with Mump and their minions. I’ve been an AG fan since the Jaleesa/Jordan days decades ago.

[Katie Crawford]

Hi! I’m Katie. I live in Chicagoland with my husband, 5 kids, 2 Great Danes, 2 cats, and a turtle. I’m very happy to be here!

[Joelle]

Hi, don’t mind me, just checking to make sure comments are going through. 🙂

[Joanne Carpenter]

I haven’t seen any.

 

[Bethany]

Hi Fellow Leguminati! I’m Bethany from Kansas. I grew up in Indiana, and moved to KS in 2019. I never know what to say in these “get to know you” type posts. haha! I’m the proud momma of Janore (my Chihuahua), who you may have seen in the good news photos a few times. She is my ESA, and I’m so thankful for her.

I’m quite nerdy, and play D&D every weekend (I’m the DM!). I play with excel/google sheets for fun in my free time (not kidding). I currently get to work from home as a “Problem Solver and Happiness Maker”(yes, that is my job title). I spend a lot of my free time crafting, too. I spin my own yarn, knit, and sew. I also, however, live with a chronic never ending migraine, so I don’t get to do those things as much as I used to. I’m also neurospicy, and love seeing that so many of us are!

Happy to see so many names I recognize on here from the FB group, and happy to have this platform to get away from FB/Meta.

[Annap]

Hello all! I’m Anna I live outside Seattle after moving here from NC when my spouse retired from his 25 year military career.  We have two adult kids, one is trans and one has autism.  I’m working on getting my trans kid to move to the west coast with us.

My mom lives with us and is also a Blue voter. My in-laws are not but for now we just don’t discuss politics bc it is better for my mental health. Also they don’t live with us.

im glad to have this off Facebook bc im working on getting all my pictures and getting out of there

[Your Mom]

Hello, I’m Paige but you might see me on the socials as Your Mom. It was (and kind of still is) a running joke with my 3 daughters.

We lost our dog in October and I think we will be getting another one soon. Two of my daughters are graduating in May, one with a BA and one with an MBA. The third daughter is getting married in August. They exhaust me.

[Deb Morris]

Hello and welcome to the day after the most disgusting Oval Office meeting in the history of the USA. I’m a mom of 4 daughters and a son (who is disabled), and dog mom to Mia, the coolest dog pal I’ve ever had. Looking forward to a few college graduations this spring (BA and DPT) and the hopeful righting of the democracy ship.