Dinner with Helen Thomas, for dmr, lpbk2713 and others who asked
At nearly 92, Helen is noticeably slowing down. She was much more frail this time than in January, and her legendary attention span is starting,slightly, but definitely, starting to shorten. She still retains her sharp wit and political positions, and is more anti-war than ever.
This was the first time my wife had joined us at Helen's favorite restaurant in Washington, Mama Ayesha's on Calvert Street. My wife loved the food, and Helen loved my wife (in those words). I complimented her on her taste, and noted that I shared similar sentiments.
My brother was driving, so drank no alcohol, and I don't do that anyway. Helen was under no such restriction, so when asked if anyone wanted a drink, she said "you bet!" and ordered a vodka tonic. My wife had white wine. I won't go through the menu f what we all had, but it was wonderful as always. As a local celebrity, Helen was seated, along with us, at "her" table, and people were interrupting us just to say hi to her, which we are used to by now.
To those DUers who asked, I DID say hi for you. She remarked, sarcastic as ever, "but I'm toxic and anti-Semitic, haven't they heard?" I reminded her that not everyone had swallowed that line, and she said, "Well maybe it's because they're the Underground." I said I'd be sure to pass that one along, and so I am.
All in all, we had a great time. Helen's house help, a wonderful team of women from Sierra Leone, where my younger daughter had worked with the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal, was not back when we brought her back home. We brought her up to her apartment, and offered to stay until they arrived, but she sent us home, thanking us profusely for taking care of her, and that her help would be home soon. I called her half an hour later to make sure, and Helen said they had called to say they were on their way. My wife, who is a social worker, said it broke her heart to leave Helen alone, but was reassured when Helen said her help would be there any minute. I know them, and they are fiercely loyal to Helen and would never leave her alone for any length of time. This time, there was a wheel chair in her apartment, something I had not seen there last time.
I remember there are a few Helen-haters on DU, and while I respect your views and reasons for them, whether or not I consider them justified, I'd appreciate not having them rehashed on this thread, if you don't mind. This thread is just not about that.
Helen is an American legend, but even legends age. She is grateful for the loyalty of her friends, and we are honored to be among them. We (my brother and I) have known her for over 40 years, and as long as she is around, we will remain her friends.
= new reply since forum marked as read
I'm so glad you had this lovely dinner with her and your wife and brother as well. I can see the scene!
She is a treasure, to be sure.
Thank you for letting us be part of your evening!
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Original message
More pictures - Roses for Helen Thomas
What a thrill it was to meet Helen Thomas today. She was so gracious. She was visbly moved when she walked in the room and saw the roses.
As you know a few days ago DUer Helderheid posted a suggestion that we send roses to Helen Thomas to show our appreciation for her gutsy questioning of the President last week. The suggestion soon became action and dozens of DUers opened their hearts (and wallets/purses), and the money started rolling in. Before she knew it she had enough money to buy 100 dozen roses for Helen Thomas! Be sure to give a standing O to Helderheid - she worked her butt off to make this happen!
The roses were delivered to a conference room near her office. Six volunteers: Rainer, Paula, Malissa (DUer MiniMe), Chris, Neal, and Skip (GOPFighter) spent the afternoon cutting and arrainging them in vases (A big THANK YOU goes to Kristen Collie, Hearst Bureau Manager, who made sure we had everything we needed!). 
Rainer has worked in a florist shop and did a great job showing us how to trin, cut and arrainge the flowers. 
The highlight of the day came at 6:15 when Kristen led Helen into the conference room filled with roses. Helen couldn't beleive it and she kept saying "Thank You, Thank You" and we kept saying "No, Thank YOU!" Then to our delight, Helen stayed and talked to us for almost an hour (talking to Helen is like talking to another DUer. She knows all the issues we discuss here and feels the same as we do. Her heart goes out to all those who have been killed - it really bothers her. I love that woman!
Here are a few pictures...
Malissa (MiniMe), Rainer, and Paula
More at......
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x799674
AND THEN THERE'S THIS!
Roses for Helen
Posted: March 31, 2006 10:34 PM
Al Eisele / Editor at Large of "The Hill"
The roses kept coming - and coming - and coming - to the Hearst Newspapers office in downtown Washington Thursday, until they filled a large conference room to overflowing.
By the time the Federal Express delivery was complete, there were a hundred and eight dozen roses, nearly 1,300 in every color. they were the result of an email campaign to show support for Hearst columnist Helen Thomas after she grilled President Bush about his Iraq policy at last week's White House news conference.
The campaign was the brainchild of Clarity Sanderson, a 31-year-old Democratic activist from Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, who was motivated by the sharp exchange between Thomas and Bush, and an op-ed article Thomas wrote about the exchange in the Salt Lake Tribune.
"Those two things set me off," Sanderson said in a telephone interview Friday.
Sanderson, a work-at-home web designer and mother of two who is co-chair of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, said she saw a note on the website , suggesting that people email Thomas to thank her for asking Bush "the questions all Americans want answered about Iraq."
"I thought, 'Let's take it a step farther," she said, and sent an email asking people to donate to her PayPal account to send roses to Thomas.
That was last Friday and by Monday, she'd received more than $2,200. She ordered the roses and a hundred glass vases from an on-line floral service in San Francisco, Organic Bouquet, and they were delivered on Thursday.
Thomas, the 85-year-old veteran White House journalist whose outspoken criticism of the Bush administration has drawn much hate mail from Bush supporters in recent years, said Friday she was "overwhelmed" by the avalanche of roses.
"It sure beats the brickbats," she said, referring to hundreds of vitriolic emails she's received since last week's encounter with Bush. "Some of them attack you ad hominem and call you a traitor and ask if you're ever been to Iraq," she said. "I think it's the frustration of those who are angry with me and take it out in email. I think there should be a logical debate, but maybe that's not possible during an on-going war."
Thomas shared her roses with Hearst bureau chief Charles Lewis and other colleagues, but sent the bulk of them to wounded military personnel at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
Asked about Bush's response to her pointed question about his Iraq policy, she said, "He could not answer my question. He kept referring to Afghanistan. He never articulated the reasons we're in Iraq. I don't think there's any justification for an unprovoked war against somebody who did nothing against us."
Thomas had received hundreds of supportive email by Friday afternoon, bearing such messages as, "O-M-G...I LOVE THAT LADY!", "We all owe her so much more than roses", "Her little finger has more class than George Bush does", and "Helen Thomas kick ass!"
Sanderson said she's never spoken with Thomas, but received an email from her via Hearst office manager Kristen Collie, who wrote that "Helen asked me to send you the following note:
"Blessed are the peacemakers. The bounty of beautiful roses from such wonderful people has lifted my heart and will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Thank you for caring that others may live."
MORE at.........
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-eisele/roses-for-helen_b_18270.html
I wish I could've been there with you.
When I was girl (I turned 60 last week), my dad on several occasions pointed Helen out to me. Someone who against incredible odds was making it in a man's world, had her own seat in the White House, and was interviewing the President! Dad was real impressed by that. I also remember my dad talking about Helen and Nikita Khrushchev, but I don't remember what it was about.
It's sad to think about that wheel chair, but it's a mobility device that keeps her from the unpleasantness of falling & breaking bones.
Again, thanks for the update, & I hope you get to dine with her again soon.
Edit: I goofed & this ended up being posted 3 times. The two self-deletes below are the duplicates. Sorry about that.
No way you just turned 60.
Dang, if you did then we must have had the most geriatric hot tub in history!
Here's to us oldsters!
Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! It's got alcohol in it! 
How are you, how's the pooch?
Hi there!
All's well, and Ginny is still fine and keeping my elderly parents, also doing fine, company.
And you?
Hanging on. Lucky enough to still have a job, at least for now. No one can be sure about the future. This Saturday I'm going to Puerto Rico for a week. I've never been there so I'm looking forward to the trip. It'll be nice to relax for a few days.
I'm glad that your parents, Ginny and you are all doing well.
Hugs!!!
Helen is much loved by many of us, please let her know how much love there is for her. 
My mom is ten years younger and seems more frail all the time. She's feisty and independent like Helen so the trick is to be there, to be companionable and yet, not to be in the way. You seem to have it down exactly. 
How lucky you are to have a friendship with these fascinating people.
Cher
I always love to read about your time with Helen. It makes me smile.
lucky you, I would love to have a sit down chat with Helen - she sounds like a fun person.
She's one tough and wonderful lady. 
Thanks for sharing.
I've always been one of her admirers, so I was especially impressed when she acknowledged an e-mail I had sent her, telling her how much I enjoyed her book, "Front Row at the White House".
It must be wonderful to know her personally.
I'm going to go back to DU-2 Archives to try to find the photo of Helen with her Roomful of DU Roses!
THOSE WERE THE DAYS...not like this stuff we are living through now. I'll get back and post, if I can find.
DU THREAD about ORGANIZING THE ROSES FOR HELEN...HERE at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x726885
KoKo
55. Democratic Underground Members sent Helen a Roomful of Flowers..see Here:
View profile
Last edited Tue May 22, 2012, 08:19 PM USA/ET - Edit history (2)
FROM DU ARCHIVES:
GOPFighter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Journal Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Thu Mar-30-06 07:55 PM
Original message
More pictures - Roses for Helen Thomas
What a thrill it was to meet Helen Thomas today. She was so gracious. She was visbly moved when she walked in the room and saw the roses.
As you know a few days ago DUer Helderheid posted a suggestion that we send roses to Helen Thomas to show our appreciation for her gutsy questioning of the President last week. The suggestion soon became action and dozens of DUers opened their hearts (and wallets/purses), and the money started rolling in. Before she knew it she had enough money to buy 100 dozen roses for Helen Thomas! Be sure to give a standing O to Helderheid - she worked her butt off to make this happen!
The roses were delivered to a conference room near her office. Six volunteers: Rainer, Paula, Malissa (DUer MiniMe), Chris, Neal, and Skip (GOPFighter) spent the afternoon cutting and arrainging them in vases (A big THANK YOU goes to Kristen Collie, Hearst Bureau Manager, who made sure we had everything we needed!).
Rainer has worked in a florist shop and did a great job showing us how to trin, cut and arrainge the flowers.
The highlight of the day came at 6:15 when Kristen led Helen into the conference room filled with roses. Helen couldn't beleive it and she kept saying "Thank You, Thank You" and we kept saying "No, Thank YOU!" Then to our delight, Helen stayed and talked to us for almost an hour (talking to Helen is like talking to another DUer. She knows all the issues we discuss here and feels the same as we do. Her heart goes out to all those who have been killed - it really bothers her. I love that woman!
Here are a few pictures...
Malissa (MiniMe), Rainer, and Paula
More at......
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x799674
AND THEN THERE'S THIS!
Roses for Helen
Posted: March 31, 2006 10:34 PM
Al Eisele / Editor at Large of "The Hill"
The roses kept coming - and coming - and coming - to the Hearst Newspapers office in downtown Washington Thursday, until they filled a large conference room to overflowing.
By the time the Federal Express delivery was complete, there were a hundred and eight dozen roses, nearly 1,300 in every color. they were the result of an email campaign to show support for Hearst columnist Helen Thomas after she grilled President Bush about his Iraq policy at last week's White House news conference.
The campaign was the brainchild of Clarity Sanderson, a 31-year-old Democratic activist from Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, who was motivated by the sharp exchange between Thomas and Bush, and an op-ed article Thomas wrote about the exchange in the Salt Lake Tribune.
"Those two things set me off," Sanderson said in a telephone interview Friday.
Sanderson, a work-at-home web designer and mother of two who is co-chair of the Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus, said she saw a note on the website , suggesting that people email Thomas to thank her for asking Bush "the questions all Americans want answered about Iraq."
"I thought, 'Let's take it a step farther," she said, and sent an email asking people to donate to her PayPal account to send roses to Thomas.
That was last Friday and by Monday, she'd received more than $2,200. She ordered the roses and a hundred glass vases from an on-line floral service in San Francisco, Organic Bouquet, and they were delivered on Thursday.
Thomas, the 85-year-old veteran White House journalist whose outspoken criticism of the Bush administration has drawn much hate mail from Bush supporters in recent years, said Friday she was "overwhelmed" by the avalanche of roses.
"It sure beats the brickbats," she said, referring to hundreds of vitriolic emails she's received since last week's encounter with Bush. "Some of them attack you ad hominem and call you a traitor and ask if you're ever been to Iraq," she said. "I think it's the frustration of those who are angry with me and take it out in email. I think there should be a logical debate, but maybe that's not possible during an on-going war."
Thomas shared her roses with Hearst bureau chief Charles Lewis and other colleagues, but sent the bulk of them to wounded military personnel at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
Asked about Bush's response to her pointed question about his Iraq policy, she said, "He could not answer my question. He kept referring to Afghanistan. He never articulated the reasons we're in Iraq. I don't think there's any justification for an unprovoked war against somebody who did nothing against us."
Thomas had received hundreds of supportive email by Friday afternoon, bearing such messages as, "O-M-G...I LOVE THAT LADY!", "We all owe her so much more than roses", "Her little finger has more class than George Bush does", and "Helen Thomas kick ass!"
Sanderson said she's never spoken wit
a loving friend in you. You're both lucky.
