a reluctant chair

i still have slots to fill at polling places in District D with Democrats who will stand and hand out sample ballots to voters....not a fun job on what is normally a cold and/or rainy day. I would love to find someone to take this job; i pray that someone will want this job. I could just quit; i hate doing that without knowing someone will help; however, that is how i ended up with the job! Qigong last night was a workout - hopefully healing this last reminents of cold.

snake in the sink

we are not sure just how this baby snake got into the sink, but it is now outside, hopefully finding a warm hole for the winter. I seem to have caught the flu, but am feeling almost completely well after day and half of sleep - disturbed by sciatica more than anything. The very sore throat and chest congestion was alleviated quickly with homeopathic remedy - walked up to get my Sunday paper in this brittle sunny day.

George dies

Yesterday afternoon we buried our dog; George a beagle showed up in the hollow when I was in New Orleans caring for my mother who was dying of cancer. John didn't tell me until I came home; and though he had wanted a beagle to go rabbit hunting with him, it was Skippy (my puli and the last of a line of pulik raised in the hollow) who nurtured George. Skippy and George went rabbit hunting, neither would go with John and a gun! George was 14 in human years and had a habit of deficating by paths in front of houses - she often went up to the blue house in need of company we suppose. I have three cats, but they can't touch the space a dog sleeps in the soul.

ach do

"We are the Saudi Arabia of coal"
"the cost of burning less carbon may be greater water pollution"
not charging market rates for water, agriculture uses tons of water as do coal fired power plants (for cooling) - carbon and water have been too cheap. NY Times reporter's series, "toxic water. Charles Dohig (?) the safe drinking water act has fallen apart; it fails to address the increasing number of chemicals which get into our water systems - and there is too much arsenic that IS still regulated! EPA should be better at releasing the contents of public water. water filters do help especially with city water because of chlorination process (which can cause bladder cancer).
If using a well, it is suggested to test water once a year!
ach do
ach do
from Terry Gross interview 9/19/09

Apathy and inertia

I realized this weekend that I am unfortunately not alone suffering from election inertia; oh, i plan to vote on Nov. 3 for governor - in fact, as de facto (i think that is how i should describe the fact that no one else in District stepped forward to be chair) head of District D, I will visit all 5 of the polling places and hand out literature and try to coax others to help. But when my sick dog got sicker yesterday afternoon, I was delighted to stay home to care for George and forego the Demo Dinner - almost everyone I had asked to ride with me had other plans. We worked so hard for Obama just one year ago; I suspect we've little election energy remaining. And locally there are hired workers calling and canvasing which depletes my sense of being necessary. And it is cold....

papa John and DD

Great news for Andi; yippee, her car loan payments are going to be less then half what she was having to pay! cheers! When John came home, DD and I went to see him and Papa John picked up DD for the first time - they're like old friends now! We had fun while baba and amma saw WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.

cat in a pot

Katrina is disturbing the flowers, but they're annuals and not expected to thrive indoors! we may get snow tonight! I am scheduled to baby sit this afternoon, while Mindy and Baldwin go to the movies; that will lighten up my day. Nothing much to report, burned the assemblage of weekly paper and fed the chickens old bread. George is looking poorly, from the groundhog i guess. John's off to Roanoke to help Andi secure better financing on her car - sure hope all goes well with that!

yet another rain full day

Someone in Qigong class last night mentioned how we'd suddenly caught a dose of Seattle weather - how true - hopefully temporary lapse! Even though I only make one class a week, Qigong has I feel made a difference in my health - in spite of the rainy weather, I don't have a painful sinus headache. Generally looser body movement, though still working on shoulders.

sunshine on a rainy day

i was expecting some sunshine, but DD and I went out into the grey morning to walk through the garden, say hi to the chickens and pick some marigolds. the marigolds were in water for awhile, until it was just too tempting to see if they made a sound when mashed together like cymbals. we read some books and a magazine from Save the Bay (grown up things have such an important and fascinating look). we helped Papa John finish his eggs and applesauce. Then we had to go out side after the ordeal of diaper change; lucky for us the rain held off until DD was home and napping.

chickens in the coop by 7PM

The days shorten; of course the chickens confirm this - it only seems more sudden than it is. I know it is October! I often light my wonderful ceramic pumpkin that Amy and Corinne and Celeste and Calista gave me. When the sun came out this afternoon, the maples in the woods grew more vivid yellow and orange. I must go shut the chicken's door and take in the bird feeder which the deer love to raid at night, along with chomps of my impatients and roses.

Honey and Cinnamon

From a seminar by Robin Murphy, ND in Blacksburg this past weekend: honey and cinnamon have various and wide medicinal uses: strengthen immune system, kill influenza germs, remove pimples, helps digest food, lower cholesterol, stop pain of arthritis and more. For colds take one tablespoon honey (warmed) with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. To add to tea, first make a paste of honey and cinnamon (1 Tbs honey to 1 sm. teas. cinnamon).
Another amazing natural medicine is CHIA SEED - which IS the seed used in the "chia pets" to sprout on the terracotta base!! look online at : getchia.com or rawfoodworld.com . This superfood from south America bestows endurance and staves off hunger and thirst - "Indian running food."

the chair

DD and her baba; DD sitting in a chair for small folk that i brought back from my dad's - one of two that my sister and I used.

morning fun

DD down to stomp about, gleening in garden for soy beans to feed the chickens, checking out the studio deck and swinging on the front porch. Of course, we helped papa John eat his breakfast and gobbled up a few grapes.

missed a frost

Delight, my impatients survived! Strange story night before last which no one has tongue to speak of: opossum head near the chicken coop. Was it a message from coyotes who have been heard in the area?
we've a tiger in the hollow now too! Halloween costume for the tiniest among us. hope to have a picture soon.
Fun in Roanoke yesterday with Andi; went to the Taubman museum - amazing space with Cinderella staircase. Liked the show by Judith Schaechter who works in stained glass, tho she totally breaks out of any preconceived ideas of subject for such medium! Pae Whites's large exhibit was impressive; what he does with light is almost other worldly.
Am planning to make a papier mache mother, i see the face as near Muriel Rukeyser; I am hoping that we do get to do a show.