3 days in June

We sent around this video at work.  I thought it was interesting, and frankly, it has re-energized me to work on flood projects.  I’ve gotten burnt out lately and haven’t done as much as I had hoped with flood relief, but I’m feeling renewed now and it’s time to get my town fixed up!

3 days in June

It happened!

Finally, it happened.  We got an egg!  And then another one!  Two.  Perhaps two of the most expensive eggs in history, but hopefully the price per egg will keep coming down.

Other than the dog kennel I bought the chickens they have been a ridiculously inexpensive “pet” (or animal) to have here at home.  Much less than the purebred terrier we bought 10 years ago.  Not to mention vet bills, fixing her, etc.

And we got eggs from it.  Sweet!

And, urban chickens made Newsweek recently.

Hope!

It’s official, Barack Obama will be the next President of the United States.  I’m pretty excited about the future, but perhaps for a different reason than most.

The media has been focused on his victory as a triumph for black people, and how he is the final culmination of all the effort put forth by those great Civil Rights leaders in the past.  And they’re right, sort of.  It is a great moment for race in America, if you think race matters in America.  I for one, don’t think it does.  Maybe that’s because I’m white and I haven’t experienced race issues, but for all the talking I’ve done, reading I’ve done and people I’ve listened to I’ve only heard race mentioned in this Presidential race by 2 kinds of people; The Media and people I would term as a little bit country (personified by a white guy of about 60 with a drawl and usually some stubble on his face).

No one else gives a shit about race.

The thing I found the most inspiring about Obama’s victory last night was that it was a victory for the little guy.  It can best be summed up by the first three words of the Constitution.  We the People.

We the People took back our political process from lobbyists and corporate interests.

We the People beat back the GOP and Clinton political machines.

We the People voted with our feet, our volunteerism and our small checks that WE were ready for change.

We the People said NO MORE!  Our country will not be controlled by those with the deepest pockets.  We WILL NOT ALLOW this to happen anymore.

We the People decided that we had hope.  Hope for our future.  Hope that we could take back our country.  And Hope that we would be victorious.

WE were.  WE ARE.

We the People need to make sure this fruit doesn’t die on the vine.  We need to feed and nurture it make it grow. We need to make it grow so future generations don’t have to go through what we’ve gone through in the recent past, and what we’ll be experiencing in the near future.

Ben Franklin was asked way back in 1787 as he left the Continental Congress if we had a republic or a monarchy

“A republic, if you can keep it” he responded.  A republic, if you can keep it.

America, it’s time to keep it.  It’s time to stay involved.  It’s time to earn it.  WE have to pay back these founding fathers now with our action.  Don’t let this enthusiasm die.  Feed it and make it grow.

Together, WE CAN.  Together, WE WILL.

Where am I?

I have to tell you, I’m having a hard time finding the time to write.  Mostly because I’ve been wanting to stay in my reading chair next to the corn stove, but I’ve been writing stories for Hen and Harvest and Groovy Green, as well as trying to read through a plethora of books to do book reviews.  Follow the links from my links area to go over there and see what I’ve been writing, or watching if it’s a video.

Here’s a video of a friend of mine talking about the flooded areas in Cedar Rapids. You all might be tired of flood talk, but I think this backs up how devastating this flood was to this population here in Cedar Rapids.  It was definitely something that affected the lower income portion of our fair city.

By the way, here’s a link to a video of some flooded neighborhoods.  This video is a little old, but some areas of the city still look this way.  If the area was especially hard hit the neighborhoods can look awful because the residents aren’t allowed to rebuilt, or can’t if their house was destroyed, so the neighborhoods go on being deserted for the time being.

Below is a picture of pumpkin carving.  I feel like such a loser that I have a house full of local foods, but we had to buy our pumpkin at the store because we couldn’t find the time for a pumpkin patch trip.  I know, how pathetic.

Here’s the whole troop getting ready to go out hunting for corn syrup and other manufactured treats.

Ours are the Spiderman and the knight on the left here.  I’m anti-buying a Halloween costume, but Grandma takes them to Goodwill (2nd hand store) and gets them one.  From the left we have a Batman, another Knight and Stormtrooper.  Captain something or other.  I can’t remember who.

I should probably spend some time talking about what’s going on in the financial world, but I don’t have the energy for that right now.  I’m esconced in it all day every day and thinking about it more drains me sometimes.

I’m going to run but hopefully I’ll get back here sooner than I did last time.