Hi- my name is Spedwybabs.  I’m a regular at Daily Kos and today I wanted to introduce myself and tout the Netroots Nation Auction and why I’m such a strong supporter of Netroots Nation.

My happy story begins last June when kossack jnhobbs blew into town and I got to meet him face to face.  Jnhobbs is someone I’ve long admired, long before I knew him as a kossack and I was tickled pink to get the chance to actually meet him.  While we were talking that night he asked if I was attending Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh, which is only 6 hours away from me by train.  I wasn’t planning to.  I had been involved in the diary efforts for Netroots for the Troops and WANTED to attend, but considering the dire financial situation of my business (at the time I was co-owner of a very struggling restaurant) I just didn’t think it was going to be possible.

Fast forward to August…miracles (note the plural there) happened and I was on a train to Pittsburgh.  I had but 2 goals in mind:  I HAD to meet Bill in Portland Maine and Common Sense Mainer & I HAD to help pack the carepackages for Netroots for the Troops.

Little did I know how much that weekend would change my life.  While there I met Stranded Wind and within in a few days we had started the Blog Workers Industrial Union, which then led to us starting Progressive PST, a company aimed helping the left side of the aisle use Twitter for all kinds of great endeavors.  We also have been helping a fellow Kossack start a new people powered political action committee, the PeanutButterPAC, and we’ve been off to the races ever since.

In December my creamery closed, after months of agonizing and thinking …it was just time.  And suddenly I had all kinds of time on my hands.  Well anyone who knows me at ALL knows that sitting idle isn’t my thing.  So I dove into building the company and the union and I dove into a variety of political endeavors that are fun- like continuing my work with Netroots for the Troops, serving on the board for the new PeanutButterPAC, working  on the organizing committee for Pennsylvania Progressive Summit and my newest adventure…co-chairing the Netroots Nation Auction.

Now as you might imagine the story comes full circle.  Co-chairing the auction allows me to give back to an event and organization which, while it didn’t intend to, changed my life.

So today it is with intense happiness that I beg you to please go to this link and donate something for us to auction off in our auction which begins on March 10.  There’s no such thing as something too small, too big, or too trivial …and it doesn’t have to be political in nature.  For example, my personal donation is going to be a Soup Recipe in a Box!  If you are the winning bidder on this auction item you will be mailed a box of non perishable items with a small perishable item shopping list AND a recipe for one of my infamous soup recipes.

There’s all kinds of cool things already being offered…Auction Items like for example- an infamous Bill in Portland Maine fun pack.  And there are lots of goodies not yet posted that I KNOW will excite you…but you’ll have to check back often to find out what they are- including some really BIG items that are sure to tickle your fancy.

So please…help us raise money to support Netroots Nation…you never know who’s life will be changed by it this year.

PS- Another way you can help out is by offering to write a Netroots Nation Auction.  It’s easy and fun!  Just email me at spedwybabs at gmail dot com OR reply to my tip jar and we’ll get you all set up!