On the road again. . Hip, hip hooray!

Inertia has taken over my partner of 44 years, but I'm in Michigan with my friend, Tracy. We had a great evening at the home of the Prewetts. S'mores, pumpkin pie, birds, girls, games, and bugs. How good can it get?!?

We were talking earthquakes and so I took us to the USGS site. Didn't realize we've had 14 earthquakes since Tuesday less than 23 miles from our house. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/37.39.-79.-77_eqs.php Brrrr. Giving me the willies again.

Identified the screech owl call we heard outside. And the caterpillar one of the girls found. Time for bed. . nine hours and two countries today. Nighty, night.

Be still my beating heart..

"Be still my beating heart.. " No, not the sight of my beloved husband, but the violent shaking of our home set off the wild beating! At 1:51 today, a 5.9 earthquake happened with the epicenter shallow and 23 miles from us. It was really disconcerting. Cell phones are down to allow for emergency responder traffic, the local 911 is jammed, but the land lines and power seem to be fine. In fact, after checking on the neighbors and lake level, I called Mom and she wondered why her computer was shaking earlier. She's fine. But she and my neighbor had a first time experience after 87 years. Poor Dotty was really shook. And already, the normal neighborhood noises have returned. John has experienced an earthquake before in Japan and remained the calmest of us all, but we were all gathered outside.

Paul called us. . .Kaylene had felt it. . and when she saw where it was let him know that we were close to the epicenter. And, the TV news has suddenly switched from the fall of Tripoli and Mohmar Ghaddafi to a more local story. Our dams seem to be okay (whew!!) and it appears that the nuclear power plants less than 20 miles from the epicenter are okay too. . . double whew! The reactors shut down automatically.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0005ild.php Info on the earthquake

Oh, and by the way, a hurricane is on the way. It's been a VERY interesting couple of months.

PS I no sooner wrote this when we had a small aftershock!!!

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE

When I was a little kid, I remember going to the circus. I was fascinated by the trapeze artist and the high wire act. The beautiful men and women in their spangled costumes would balance carefully across the shiny wire, bouncing on occasion and always nearly falling at some point to the oohs and aaahs of the audience. And soaring high overhead, with an ugly net below, would float the trapeze artists, barely hanging by their heels and catching each other after high flying somersaults. They were wonderful.

And as of my birthday last Thursday, I have become one of those high wire walkers. At the Lake Monticello Board of Directors’ meeting I was appointed to fill out the unfinished two year term of a board member who resigned just before the election. As God would have it, the meeting was on my 64^th birthday. There were some nice things said about me by the current board and I got winks from several of them as they voted. And the audience, including the broadcast crew, broke into applause.

What does that have to do with walking the high wire? Well, as a Board member, I have to remember constantly that I am only one of seven votes and that the Board sets policy, it should not micromanage. And also, I have to be very careful not to tell staff members what to do because even though I have a vote on approved budget and staffing numbers, I am not their boss. . the General Manager is their boss. As always, I need very much to remember that Lake Monticello is a small town. . one needs to be very careful to only say nice things. And I also should be very careful not to appear snooty, or changed, or less than honest because there is now a bigger microscope on what I do and say. And not that I even use hair curlers, I need to be more careful of my appearance in public my visibility has increased.

One disappointment is that as a Board member, I can no longer vote on the committee I’ve chaired for the past seven years. The good news is that we should have a full slate by the next meeting. The bad news is that even though the wonderful guys on my committee work very hard, they don’t know many of the things I’ve taken care of behind the scenes. I confess to worrying just a little. The good news is that I can attend some or all of the meetings even though I can’t vote. The bad news is that I may not be able to help homeowners with drainage problems as I have in the past. That is pending the lawyer’s opinion. . . I think.

I have to remember who I am in the Lord, and who I am NOT. It is sad, but sometimes folks act like they are more important after achieving a public office. I’ve had several people say to me, “Don’t change the way you are.” And that is indeed a tough job.

So pardon me while I pick up my balancing beam. I need to work on some budget items.

Alas. . .

Well, the votes were counted on Saturday and I did not win one of the three seats up for election. I came in fourth. It is a disappointment. And my good friend, Leighton, who has worked very hard for LMOA and was a wonderful leader on the Board of Directors from 2007 to 2010 came in behind me. . I really feel badly about that. And it raises some real concerns:

1) Did those quiet folks who want a great community and positive influences, and expressed support for us neglect to fill out their ballots?

2) Was this a raising up of the negativity that seems to be sweeping the news media? I understand even though they didn't put it in their campaign materials, these candidates talked of lowering the dues the majority of us worked hard to raise two years ago.

3) Was I wrong in not standing up and "making a stink" about violations of regulations and policies during the election? Remember my post of June 12?? "But if you feel that way, they protest, why don't you rise up and make that an issue?? Why don't you report those signs, or let the other voters know about it? Why not? And then I tell them, "I stand by my convictions. . . but I don't convict other people with them." "

But along with the disappointment are many positives and reassurances:

1) 529 homeowners, many of whom I know as quality people who are hard workers for the community, voted for me. And many of them gave me great encouragement, thanked me for running, and supported me in other ways.

2) Throughout the several weeks before the results were posted, God brought verses to mind such as Jeremiah 29:11 and especially Psalm 56:3. And I had great peace about the outcome. I know that being on the Board of Directors is not necessary to define my character, my worth, or my reputation. My value is in Jesus.

3) I know that I have nothing to be ashamed of in my campaign. Not only did I follow man's rules and regulations, most of the time I feel that I followed God's rules. And I thank Him for keeping my mouth shut some times when I wanted to blurt out the wrong things.

4) And there is still a chance that I will end up on the Board of directors.

And so life goes on. Right now I am faced with some decisions, so I value your prayer for me that I would follow God's will. And always thank you when you remember me to our Father.

The Joys of Dirt

I heard on TV lately, that some researchers hypothesize that the increase in allergies in children might possibly be due to our more sterile lifestyle in the past few years. They also postulate that children might have more food allergies because mothers and fathers are very sensitive to the POSSIBILITIES of allergies, and are thus more likely to limit the foods their children get even more than they used to.

I found all this interesting as I think back to when my own kids were small. Those of us who read Rachel Carson knew of dangers of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. I remember growing our own vegetables and some fruit and reading the Organic Gardening magazine cover to cover. I also remember being told to introduce foods slowly, but I remember Paul gumming pizza on his first birthday (He didn't get any teeth until he was 13 months old. . and they were great when they came in!). I never used pesticides. . Paul still remembers picking potato bugs off the plants for a penny apiece. The apples went to the cider mill worms and all because the extra protein was a small price to pay to avoid Alar. We even got our beef from our neighbors. . also great fans of organic gardening practices. If I could have gotten organic chicken, I would have. And we were quite happy to use our well water and have flouride treatments at the dentist' office.

My kids played in the dirt in the garden (I did fence the cats out of the tractor tire sand box). I treasure a picture I have of Laura and Paul just brown from head to toe after a busy day playing "Land of the Lost" in the corn patch. I'd bring the trucks and graders down, and they'd play in the corn where it was shadier while I picked beans, or pulled weeds, or did whatever else was necessary. I also love the picture I have of Abram playing with his Dad's old trucks (the same ones, I might add) and covered head to toe in dirt as well.

Of course, all this discussion of dirt causes me to look at my house. Gulp. Time to vacuum and dust again. And the pile of laundry isn't getting any smaller. Thank heavens John has given attention to the dishes. We complain about getting dirty, yet the truth is, you can't have clean without getting into the dirt to get it out. And dirt is all around us. The best dirt is called soil, but it's on the ground, in the air, and in the water. We have to give it attention at times.

All this is to say that dirt gets a bad rap! That dirt all over me in the picture above is from the Rivanna River recently when we did "Clean the Bay" day. My buddy and I made quite a haul out of the river, including an eight foot sewer pipe wrapped in especially aggravating wire. We even made the television news. If you check out this link, I'm telling everyone to get involved. http://www.nbc29.com/story/14839960/volunteers-clean-up-as-part-of-clean-the-bay-day

My recommendation is to take the time to get your hands. . and whatever else. . dirty. It's a great way to make the world a better place to be.

A Volunteer's Day

June 21, 2011

Another day, another couple volunteer hours. Two for MNs via Stream watch. Had a great time in the office with Rose, Clementine (her dog) and Becky Minor. After some file work, I got up to go to the bathroom and the door opened. It seemed it was a couple from Oregon looking for information about the Moorman's River which his ancestors had settled with a plantation a couple hundred years ago. . their name was Moorman. (You just can't make this stuff up!!) They are river keepers on the Columbia River where John and I were four years ago. And they had been on 4H Way . . where the camp I work at is. . . so they were happy to get the camp phone number and caretaker's name from me. And they were also happy to learn that there is a wonderful overlook in Shenandoah National Park that looks all down the Moorman River valley. "So, are you going to the Albemarle County Historical Society?"

"That's our next stop. . .do you know where it is?"

"Oh, yes, I spend time there every fall for the Spirit Walk. You want to talk to the librarian, Miss Margeret. She knows where to find everything you need to know. . . .Do you need to speak to the Fluvanna County Historian, too? How do you get there from here? Well, you turn right when you go out the door, .. . ." You get the picture.

"You want to know where Fluvanna, Albemarle and Louisa Counties come together. Let me mark that for you on this Rivanna River Watershed map. You'll need to get off I-64 at this exit, take this road and this road. . . . . " What a hoot!

And after all that fun, I got to use the microscope to look at bugs. It just doesn't get any better than that!!

Unless of course it was this morning at Vacation Bible School. Poor planning! My former students won't believe it, but we ran out of activities to do and the kids got smarmy. So we started making up games. In the middle of the "most sit ups contest" I looked out the door and said, "Quick!! Look religious. . the pastor is coming." He came in and proceeded to do push ups with claps. That's when we decided it was time to go outside and run a "Dress and Strip" relay. The kids had to go one at a time and put on grocery bag boots, a T-shirt, lei and hat, strip it off and run back. I left the pastor to field the parent phone calls. And since there were still five minutes, told them to have a 'screaming meemee fit' which they proceeded to do. . fortunately well away from the church. If you were driving on I-64 and heard screams at 11:45, don't worry. It was us. What a great group of kids! And what great fun. If you're thinking of us, you might say a prayer for them and for the leaders.

So, hope you are having fun today. Someone today told me I needed to write an autobiography. I'm not sure the world is ready for that!!

Signs, wildlife, other politics

It is wonderful to have friends. . . people who care about you and want to help you. I have wonderful friends here at Lake Monticello who would like to see me succeed in the campaign to be on the LMOA Board of Directors. It is a precious thing, and I value each and every one of them.

Several of these wonderful friends have come to me in great concern about my signs. I ordered a 100 of them. . it was almost the same price as ordering 50. . and I confess I have some in my car and far too many in my front yard. These dear friends want me to have my signs at the gates where other candidates have plastered their signs and I have no signs. You need to understand that those of us who live within the gates have to go by those signs either coming or going, and that 80% of the resident population see those signs on a daily basis.

And I have had to thank my dear friends for their concern and inform them that there is a Fluvanna County regulation against having signs in the county right-of-ways. One of my dear friends even went to see the Sherrif's department to determine if this was true. Bless his heart. "Yes, it's true," said the deputy, "but we don't have time to enforce it. No one will charge the candidate or even remove the signs. And your friend may lose the election because of it." Alas for my dear friend, I had to turn down his offer to immediately put one of my signs out there for me. You see, I don't believe that you run for a public office where you commit to following the rules and regulations of the place where you live by disobeying the laws of that place.

But if you feel that way, they protest, why don't you rise up and make that an issue?? Why don't you report those signs, or let the other voters know about it? Why not? And then I tell them, "I stand by my convictions. . . but I don't convict other people with them."

And yesterday, telling this to my friend, I got a hug and a kiss. "And that's why we're voting for you." You know, it doesn't get much better than that. I'd rather be elected for my convictions and my efforts than for how loud I shout, or how angry or malicious I am. If that is the only way to be elected, than I shall serve my community another way.

Yesterday was one of the serving days. I spent the morning at the Tufton Pond by the new handicapped accessible fishing pier helping with the annual kid's fishing day. What fun!! The girls caught more fish than the boys. Little kids who had never held a pole experienced putting their hook in the water and hoping for a bite. And I had the great responsibility of handing out coloring sheets, gummy worms and goldfish crackers. . . and whatever else needed done. Hot, but fun. Fun, that is, until it was discovered that the grip for the hot dogs was not working. Hope I dashed for a new tank of gas, but alas, there were more serious problems and we sent some hot dogs home raw and had a great deal left over. The biggest disappointment of the day. . except for the kids that didn't catch a fish, that is.

After that I dashed home to change my shirt, nuke my hot dog, and run around looking at the annual garden tour. We have a beautification corps. . all volunteers. . here at the lake that plant and take care of all the gardens at the lake. When you consider the beaches, the golf course, and the other public areas, it covers a lot of territory. They do a great job. I've only been able to help them a few times, but it is phenomenal the time and effort that it put forth. Kudos to them!

In all the candidate things happening, one of the other candidates has established a blog site just for the election. Very interesting. One of the issues we have all been asked about is wildlife. . and they mean the deer kind, not the Saturday night kind. I read the candidate's blog. You should know the other candidate has been chair of the very rancorous at times Wildlife Committee and has taken strong stands pro deer. . . to the point where I have had a couple people express much anger toward the person not only for their stand, but their actions on the committee. I read the blog on wildlife. . basically it never, ever revealed how that candidate would vote if the issue of killing the deer were on the table. It was excellent political evasion.

Wanting people to vote for me for my convictions, not for my ability to dance around an issue or a commitment, here is what I wrote to someone asking me that question: I've taught biology for over 30 years. I believe that predators have a place in nature, and that without any predators here, the deer which are sick, weak or injured endure suffering and spread their ills to other deer because there is no natural thinning of them. Also, the under story of the forest is very stressed and the animals (including some wonderful birds) that depend on those under story plants cannot live here. Vegetation which controls erosion and sediment into our lake is stripped away by the deer, clouding the lake water and increasing the E.coli levels. Therefore, as much as I enjoy watching wildlife, I feel the bow hunting is a win/win/win. The deer win because the weak deer are usually thinned and they all have more food available. The home owners win because the natural under story and other desired plants are saved and hopefully the disease carrying tick population is reduced in a safe way. The hungry win because the venison goes to hungry and homeless folk.

If you are reading my blog because you are trying to decide who to vote for, I ask you to look carefully at all of the candidates. Look at their record of service to the community in a number of ways. Ask if they are a one issue candidate, or if they would be looking out for the community as a whole. Do you want to listen to that person for the next three years? Do you want someone with a record of true commitment?

And last, but not least, I ask you if you have any questions, feel free to call me. I am more than willing to talk to you and answer them. You need to vote your conscience. . as I will.