A mess? for me it became an opportunity.
It's been a while. Life happens, and sometimes things get misplaced or moved on from. Maybe I will be back and maybe not.
Showing posts with label balderdash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label balderdash. Show all posts
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Messes are Inevitable
It's been a while. Life happens, and sometimes things get misplaced or moved on from. Maybe I will be back and maybe not.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
From Enola Gay, "The Modern Manifesto"
http://www.paratusfamilia.com/2017/02/a-modern-manifesto.html
Interesting bit of history.
Interesting bit of history.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Blah and Not So Blah from the North State
We just returned from Northern California and a visit to relatives in the State of Jefferson. It really has a different feeling and thought process than the rest of the state, even the Central Valley. There was 3-4 feet of snow on the ground and it rained 3 of the 6 days we were there. We walked the dogs and talked and generally had a good time under the circumstances.
On the way home I was looking for boots or hiking shoes and stopped in Redding. In the course of trying on and buying a pair of shoes, I had a good conversation with the store owner. He'd moved from southern California 40 years ago and settled here. Besides selling boots and shoes he also kept the dying art of shoe repair alive. It was a nice talk about different work boots, show lasts and the shape of peoples feet. I learned why some shoes fit better because of wear in the world they were built.
We also talked about water and specifically the moving of northern California water south. The topic of representation also came up and the feeling that we in central CA are much like our northern CA brethren in the shared lack of true representation at the state political level.
Maybe a new state should happen.
On the way home I was looking for boots or hiking shoes and stopped in Redding. In the course of trying on and buying a pair of shoes, I had a good conversation with the store owner. He'd moved from southern California 40 years ago and settled here. Besides selling boots and shoes he also kept the dying art of shoe repair alive. It was a nice talk about different work boots, show lasts and the shape of peoples feet. I learned why some shoes fit better because of wear in the world they were built.
We also talked about water and specifically the moving of northern California water south. The topic of representation also came up and the feeling that we in central CA are much like our northern CA brethren in the shared lack of true representation at the state political level.
Maybe a new state should happen.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Into the World
It has become more and more evident that I would prefer to stay at home. To do almost anything at home is better than moving into the world. I wonder if that is part of the reason I am constantly late to functions. Rather be at home than out in the world. We call it "Garver Standard Time" at our house. Less cautious and more honest people call it rude.
This is more curious because I spent more than 30 years in front of a class teaching. Curiouser and couriouser.
But is that what God wants us to do. It seems that some of the best time have been when I ventured into the world not for something to help me, but out to help others. I think that is the point.
This is more curious because I spent more than 30 years in front of a class teaching. Curiouser and couriouser.
But is that what God wants us to do. It seems that some of the best time have been when I ventured into the world not for something to help me, but out to help others. I think that is the point.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
To Tea, or Not to Tea
This morning I made myself a cup of Earl Grey tea. Haven't had a cup of tea in the morning for years, maybe decades. Tea is a night time drink before bed. Maureen makes some for each of us as we watch TV. As I steeped the tea I stated thinking of when I used to drink tea exclusively, no coffee. You could tie this in with the usual winter go into hibernation feeling I get this time of year, but this time there was some nostalgia and the experience of me as a young man learning something new.
College was one new experience after another. I went from a small provincial town to the local county seat to a larger college town 300 miles away at the almost other end of the state. I met many people along the way and some became roommates and lifelong friends. It was within this setting that I was introduced to tea and Red Zinger was the gateway tea.
First off it was red. Not the brown of Grandma's tea. It also didn't have the acidic bite that something like an Earl Grey or a common Lipton's. After that initial introduction to Red Zinger I discovered that the maker, Celestial Seasonings, had many other offerings in so many other flavors and colors. It was a mind blowing experience for this small town young man. I learned much and enjoyed much. I think from time to time about that friend and roommate, GS, that taught me of tea, Midwestern tea with cream and sugar, bagels and cream cheese and all sorts of life rearranging food items.
The tea changed after I met a young woman that changed me in other ways. She and her family were coffee drinkers, and that began another part of my life that continues today. But she also drinks tea, and that makes all the difference.
College was one new experience after another. I went from a small provincial town to the local county seat to a larger college town 300 miles away at the almost other end of the state. I met many people along the way and some became roommates and lifelong friends. It was within this setting that I was introduced to tea and Red Zinger was the gateway tea.
First off it was red. Not the brown of Grandma's tea. It also didn't have the acidic bite that something like an Earl Grey or a common Lipton's. After that initial introduction to Red Zinger I discovered that the maker, Celestial Seasonings, had many other offerings in so many other flavors and colors. It was a mind blowing experience for this small town young man. I learned much and enjoyed much. I think from time to time about that friend and roommate, GS, that taught me of tea, Midwestern tea with cream and sugar, bagels and cream cheese and all sorts of life rearranging food items.
The tea changed after I met a young woman that changed me in other ways. She and her family were coffee drinkers, and that began another part of my life that continues today. But she also drinks tea, and that makes all the difference.
Saturday, December 10, 2016
Presidential History
The last post reminded me of a story regarding Bess Truman, the wife of President Harry Truman. President Truman was from the "Show Me" state of Missouri and had the habit of using the word manure. One day a woman happened to have a chance to meet with Mrs. Truman and asked for a favor. This woman said she didn't like the fact that the president used the word manure, and would Mrs. Truman kindly ask the president to quit using the word.
Mrs. Truman thanked the lady and replied, "As course as the word manure sounded, it was much better to the word the president used to use."
Mrs. Truman thanked the lady and replied, "As course as the word manure sounded, it was much better to the word the president used to use."
Manure vs. Compost
I've been thinking about a few of my daily tasks and how parts of them are different. We have some cats, a few dogs, some laying hens and even a friendly duck. The duck has it's own friend, our disabled hen and they wander separately from the other laying hens. As you might guess with so many animals we have to deal with the issue of manure. Generally I deal with the manure and what happens with it. It certainly is no fun to walk out into the back yard and step in a pile or slip on a gooey mess from the duck and chicken friendship.
I was pondering the differences between the manure from each of the different animals, and how I handle each. It hit me that this task is like life. The cats mostly use a litter box and the dogs use a few areas outside. We dispose of them in the trash. The chickens and duck go in areas within their runs and that gets raked up or shoveled and put into the compost pile to decompose. One is waste and the other is fertilizer. One is a problem and one helps grow food. Kind of like life, you have to learn to separate the good from the not so good.
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thankful For. . .
God
Family, wherever they are.
Food and the wonderful person that prepares it most days
The wonderful people that eat what I prepare as I am trying to become a better cook
The jobs I have
The house I get to inhabit
The mess that is shrinking around the house
Another day to get better and to serve God
Family, wherever they are.
Food and the wonderful person that prepares it most days
The wonderful people that eat what I prepare as I am trying to become a better cook
The jobs I have
The house I get to inhabit
The mess that is shrinking around the house
Another day to get better and to serve God
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Another Trip North
You can sure tell we're not in the Central Valley. The sky is as blue as my shirt.
You don't pour, you shovel. The mask was so I didn't breathe in Portland cement.
My helpers. Actually Maureen is more than a helper in this enterprise, she is a partner in thought and work.
We went north again mostly to do some more work on the pizza oven. We visited with family and enjoyed our time together. After a few days of rain and drizzle we poured the insulating hearth of vermiculite cement. What a strange mixture that was. 5 parts vermiculite to 1 part Portland cement mixed to the consistency of oatmeal. You don't pour, you shovel. Fortunately only four wheelbarrows worth compared to the 30 bags of redimix. Takes about 3 weeks to cure then on to the bricks for the hearth floor and the tunnel or dome of the oven itself. That will be fun.
The strangest event, or it really should be called a blessing was the journey my eye glasses didn't take. We were in the parking lot of a grocery store in Napa with dogs and food, ready for the last half hour of the trip and I realized I didn't have my glasses. We thought through all the possibilities and figured they fell out of the door pocket at one of the three stops along the way. I don't have spare glasses in the correct prescription and I've worn glasses for many years. I anticipated a weekend of headaches and little reading. When the rain extended out stay, I just figured the glasses were a loss and I'd have to go through the process of getting new ones.
We traveled home and stopped at the first two places, gas and food stops across the street from each other. No glasses. We continued south and the last stop was at a rest stop off of the northbound lanes of the highway. We had to travel to an offramp pass the rest stop and I commented that though I was going to turn around and return I wasn't holding out much hope of finding the glasses.
We pulled into the rest stop and we got the dogs out and they got into a tizzy with some other dogs and that put everyone on edge even more. I located a person that looked like a supervisor and asked if there was a lost and found. She said there was and we could go look. She put her hand into the box and pulled out my glasses case and glasses. I thought I was going to cry. Joy over some glass, plastic and metal.
Then I realized the joy is what one gets in trusting that God is still calling the shots.
Friday, September 16, 2016
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Olympic Thoughts
Last night I was watching the Olympics, mostly swimming and volleyball. I was struck by how focused the athletes were. Focused on their goal as they trained to get to the Olympics and then focused on their event. Single minded is the word that came to my thoughts. Some of the backstories on the athletes told stories of how they had been inspired by athletes before them. Stories were told of these young athletes meeting their heroes, and later the heroes encouraging the young athletes as both became Olympic teammates. Passing the knowledge, the torch and the traditions.
Too bad our political leaders can't have that much focus. Instead we try to make political statements using flag carrying as the tool. What's the tradition there?
Too bad our political leaders can't have that much focus. Instead we try to make political statements using flag carrying as the tool. What's the tradition there?
Friday, August 5, 2016
Trip North and PorchFest
We just got back to the heat of the Central Valley, though it wasn't much different than the heat of Napa Valley. Hot is hot. The blessing there is that they cool off at night.
As always on a trip north the food was excellent and the company divine. Each night the first week Tio Juan would come up the hill and Brad and I would eat with him after finishing our work. Friday night we ate at a Brazilian restaurant. No Zika, and plenty of meat. So good.
Saturday Maureen and Laurel came up and on Sunday we all went to an event that was new to us--PorchFest. This is a free music event that is moving across the country. At different places around town bands or singers set up on people's porches and play. There is a schedule published so the listeners can pick and choose different bands to watch. Most people are walking or riding bikes around town eating and drinking their preferred beverage. One big festival of music on the streets of Napa. This is s clip of our favorite band of the day, the Lowatters. Sorry the clip is small; we couldn't get larger files to load.
As always on a trip north the food was excellent and the company divine. Each night the first week Tio Juan would come up the hill and Brad and I would eat with him after finishing our work. Friday night we ate at a Brazilian restaurant. No Zika, and plenty of meat. So good.
Saturday Maureen and Laurel came up and on Sunday we all went to an event that was new to us--PorchFest. This is a free music event that is moving across the country. At different places around town bands or singers set up on people's porches and play. There is a schedule published so the listeners can pick and choose different bands to watch. Most people are walking or riding bikes around town eating and drinking their preferred beverage. One big festival of music on the streets of Napa. This is s clip of our favorite band of the day, the Lowatters. Sorry the clip is small; we couldn't get larger files to load.
On Monday we met the McKeons, Natalie's parents, and did some wine tasting. Tio Juan set us up at Fontanella's Family Vineyards and Jessup. Both nice. The new tasting format of sitting and eating paired cheeses is taking some getting used to. At Fontanella's we got to do some barrel tasting and were told about a program they have where a person gets three versions of cabernet and the client gets to blend them into a cab they prefer. Fontanella's they will bottle a case of wine for you with your blend inside and label outside the bottle. Nice idea, but the wines were good without me trying to muck up what a real winemaker took years learning to do.
We had a good meal in between and a wonderful time with the McKeons. During the Sam and Natalie wedding time in Alaska there were so many things going on there wasn't much time to slow down and talk with John and Margie. The time we spent with them further cemented our thoughts of them being wonderful people and that Sam and Natalie having two sets of good parents. We will look forward to seeing them again.
After the fun of tasting, Maureen and I worked a bit on Tuesday, ate well with each other and left for home on Wednesday. Our parting meal was a great artichoke pizza from Velo Pizza in Napa. It was even good later when we arrived home. Another good time in the northlands.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Odds and Ends, Again
Yesterday was a different day than many of the previous. Son # 2 left to return home to his new wife in the Caribbean. She is taking a summer school class and had to return early. He has been here in limbo because he has a wedding to attend in Michigan this weekend. He left yesterday morning and flew to Chiraq then will drive around Lake Michigan to the wedding. He also is the best man.
For a few weeks now he has been staying with us and it has been nice. He is an excellent cook and we ave benefitted from that, but our food budget has blossomed. Should have been no surprise. It has been a nice surprise. We have been able to get together as a family as much as we can. Having three or all four children and their significant others has been a hoot. Having four plus intelligent adults with different opinions has led to some fun "conversations." I think one S.O. was taken aback one night. Welcome to the G'zoo.
Summer school is over for this year. I feel like a person caught in a blender when I think of school. The money is good at the end, but I sure feel thrashed during the process. Some of the reasons I left teaching such as treating education as a business and not a people business are still evident. Starting class at 7:10 am for students that are repeating a class doesn't seem wise, and then to sit through six hours of schooling? Oy vey! When the six weeks was done everyone was happy for the coming break. Hopefully each student took at least one thing out of the time. We did read some literature that most wouldn't otherwise.
In a repeat of a nearly annual ritual, Son #1 and I are going north to prune grapes next week. Their Tio to the North always has some work for the children and I usually tag along. I think it is important for our children to work in farm labor to understand what it takes to grow their food. Working with Tio's crew also introduces them to another culture and we have become friends with the men. I'll be coming off a weekend of work with Son #3 in the park, so a week or so of farm labor will be interesting.
We also are going north to meet with Son #2's new in-laws. They are traveling to Northern CA for some food and wine. We will meet with them and do some tasting ourselves. That will be fun and a chance for Tio to show off his vineyard to some new people.
Being done with school also means I have time to work on some projects around the house. That I am truly looking forward to doing. I have started the climbing wall. The shop needs much organization. The outside fence and deck near the bbq is now on the front burner. After brewing beer for the first time, and it tasting good, more brewing is on the agenda. Sounds like many things will keep me going.
And that is good.
For a few weeks now he has been staying with us and it has been nice. He is an excellent cook and we ave benefitted from that, but our food budget has blossomed. Should have been no surprise. It has been a nice surprise. We have been able to get together as a family as much as we can. Having three or all four children and their significant others has been a hoot. Having four plus intelligent adults with different opinions has led to some fun "conversations." I think one S.O. was taken aback one night. Welcome to the G'zoo.
Summer school is over for this year. I feel like a person caught in a blender when I think of school. The money is good at the end, but I sure feel thrashed during the process. Some of the reasons I left teaching such as treating education as a business and not a people business are still evident. Starting class at 7:10 am for students that are repeating a class doesn't seem wise, and then to sit through six hours of schooling? Oy vey! When the six weeks was done everyone was happy for the coming break. Hopefully each student took at least one thing out of the time. We did read some literature that most wouldn't otherwise.
In a repeat of a nearly annual ritual, Son #1 and I are going north to prune grapes next week. Their Tio to the North always has some work for the children and I usually tag along. I think it is important for our children to work in farm labor to understand what it takes to grow their food. Working with Tio's crew also introduces them to another culture and we have become friends with the men. I'll be coming off a weekend of work with Son #3 in the park, so a week or so of farm labor will be interesting.
We also are going north to meet with Son #2's new in-laws. They are traveling to Northern CA for some food and wine. We will meet with them and do some tasting ourselves. That will be fun and a chance for Tio to show off his vineyard to some new people.
Being done with school also means I have time to work on some projects around the house. That I am truly looking forward to doing. I have started the climbing wall. The shop needs much organization. The outside fence and deck near the bbq is now on the front burner. After brewing beer for the first time, and it tasting good, more brewing is on the agenda. Sounds like many things will keep me going.
And that is good.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
A Tale of Two Celebrations
This past weekend I was involved to two different celebrations from two different countries.
1 July is Canada Day and that morning a few of our children and I crawled down the rabbit hole of the internet and researched the origins of the day. Interesting reading and discussions ensued. Saturday I had the chance to talk with some Canadians from Ontario visiting the park and we discussed how the holiday was celebrated, including those in Quebec. "They call it Jean Baptiste Day, or something like that," was what I was told.
Monday the 4th I spent working and talking to crowds from many different countries. I listened to talk radio coming down the hill and heard a few patriotic readings. Today the summer school English class tried to read the Declaration of Independence. A few got the gist, but most gave up before even getting to "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in the second paragraph. I guess that is why not many complain when rights are legislated away in this country.
1 July is Canada Day and that morning a few of our children and I crawled down the rabbit hole of the internet and researched the origins of the day. Interesting reading and discussions ensued. Saturday I had the chance to talk with some Canadians from Ontario visiting the park and we discussed how the holiday was celebrated, including those in Quebec. "They call it Jean Baptiste Day, or something like that," was what I was told.
Monday the 4th I spent working and talking to crowds from many different countries. I listened to talk radio coming down the hill and heard a few patriotic readings. Today the summer school English class tried to read the Declaration of Independence. A few got the gist, but most gave up before even getting to "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" in the second paragraph. I guess that is why not many complain when rights are legislated away in this country.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Look What I Saw
My weekend job is in the mountains and this weekend I was rewarded with seeing versions of these two snakes. The first is a California Striped Racer or Whipsnake. The second a Mountain Kingsnake.
One of the other naturalists had to move a rattlesnake, but I didn't see it.
For a guy that is claustrophobic and doesn't really like reptiles, working in a cave this weekend was exciting.
Friday, June 17, 2016
Baseball, Meds, Wedding, Alaska, Summer School and the Cave
I coached what is probably my last time coaching baseball on a Tuesday and missed the Friday game when I was in the hospital for an R & R visit. These are the JV games. It's time to take a break from being the one in charge of a team, though helping others might be in the future. I did help the varsity in their playoff games, and that was a good time even though the last game was a loss. Baseball has been very good to me and I hope I have honored the game and helped others.
The R & R in the hospital? Courtesy of modern medication the doctors think. This is the second time that blood pressure medication has slowed my heart to the point that I black out. The first time I was teaching and woke up laying sideways across a desk. This time I was finishing breakfast and I "awoke" to my family asking what was going on. I had no clue what they were talking about, but soon pieced together the fact that I has momentarily blacked out and I agreed that I should go to the ER. By the way the ER is much better in the morning than at night. No other pesky patients throwing up in the waiting room. The ER doctor is a friend and he with an resident quickly got me to a room. It seems fitting to mention that besides the ER doctor an admitting nurse and two ER nurses were either former athletes or students. I guess my teaching helped someone.
Eventually my GP and cardiologist came to the conclusion that I was over medicated and my heart meds were reduced. I guess that was also why I had been light headed and had dizzy spells for the previous week. Lesson learned. Also makes me think about a situation where society breaks down and I can't get meds. Cardiologist mentioned that it appears post surgery my heart needs to have a slightly higher pressure for me to function. Not bad news if meds are hard to get.
With the dizziness I was told not to drive. Usually not a problem, but we had a 5 hour trip north to help family, then a wedding in Alaska. I'm usually the driver in the family and Maureen had to drive both ways. I'm a horrible co-pilot/navigator. I'm used to reading maps and deciphering to info available on a smart phone is taking some time to learn. Partly because I don't use the app very often and partly because I know where I'm going most of the time, or can use my sense of direction to figure things out. I will admit one of the beauties of the map app is checking where there is traffic problems or road issues, and using that information to change course. So you can imagine the Subie's cockpit conversations as I try to read the phone and direct Maureen on which road to turn on, which lane to be in and to do so in plenty of time to execute the maneuver; all the while with Maureen processing my gibberish and the phone spitting out updates that have to be figured out. We made it up and back alive, but I will tell of a part 2 a bit later.
The good news upon return home is the doctors gave me the okay to drive and I didn't receive a letter from the DMV directing me to stop driving. The letter would involve an appointment and interview with an DMV person to see if I was fit to drive. I had to do that 3 years ago with the first blackout. The big offshoot of this is I got to drive in Alaska and the rental of cars was easier to pull off.
Alaska and wedding? Son number two lives in the Caribbean with his fiancee and they decided to simplify their lives and get married--Yahoo! They decided to do this in Alaska when they were on a vacation with her family. There is so much to write about. Maybe it was a rationalization of mine that because we financially couldn't travel much, looking at books and watching movies could give you a sense of what a location is like. And I still believe that to a certain extent. But actually being in a new place like Alaska gives you so much more than a movie or book can. Everything in Alaska seems BIGGER. The wilderness is so close. We stayed at and Air B-nB in Anchorage and were warned to keep the back gate close so the moose wouldn't wander into the yard. That's wild. I will write another post to give the trip it's due, but it was great and the time together as a family will always be remembered.
The rest of life is normal. I'm teaching summer school during the week and working at the cave in the park on weekends. Again reinforcing the decision to "resign" from teaching but continue to work as a new job. Still a good decision.
The R & R in the hospital? Courtesy of modern medication the doctors think. This is the second time that blood pressure medication has slowed my heart to the point that I black out. The first time I was teaching and woke up laying sideways across a desk. This time I was finishing breakfast and I "awoke" to my family asking what was going on. I had no clue what they were talking about, but soon pieced together the fact that I has momentarily blacked out and I agreed that I should go to the ER. By the way the ER is much better in the morning than at night. No other pesky patients throwing up in the waiting room. The ER doctor is a friend and he with an resident quickly got me to a room. It seems fitting to mention that besides the ER doctor an admitting nurse and two ER nurses were either former athletes or students. I guess my teaching helped someone.
Eventually my GP and cardiologist came to the conclusion that I was over medicated and my heart meds were reduced. I guess that was also why I had been light headed and had dizzy spells for the previous week. Lesson learned. Also makes me think about a situation where society breaks down and I can't get meds. Cardiologist mentioned that it appears post surgery my heart needs to have a slightly higher pressure for me to function. Not bad news if meds are hard to get.
With the dizziness I was told not to drive. Usually not a problem, but we had a 5 hour trip north to help family, then a wedding in Alaska. I'm usually the driver in the family and Maureen had to drive both ways. I'm a horrible co-pilot/navigator. I'm used to reading maps and deciphering to info available on a smart phone is taking some time to learn. Partly because I don't use the app very often and partly because I know where I'm going most of the time, or can use my sense of direction to figure things out. I will admit one of the beauties of the map app is checking where there is traffic problems or road issues, and using that information to change course. So you can imagine the Subie's cockpit conversations as I try to read the phone and direct Maureen on which road to turn on, which lane to be in and to do so in plenty of time to execute the maneuver; all the while with Maureen processing my gibberish and the phone spitting out updates that have to be figured out. We made it up and back alive, but I will tell of a part 2 a bit later.
The good news upon return home is the doctors gave me the okay to drive and I didn't receive a letter from the DMV directing me to stop driving. The letter would involve an appointment and interview with an DMV person to see if I was fit to drive. I had to do that 3 years ago with the first blackout. The big offshoot of this is I got to drive in Alaska and the rental of cars was easier to pull off.
Alaska and wedding? Son number two lives in the Caribbean with his fiancee and they decided to simplify their lives and get married--Yahoo! They decided to do this in Alaska when they were on a vacation with her family. There is so much to write about. Maybe it was a rationalization of mine that because we financially couldn't travel much, looking at books and watching movies could give you a sense of what a location is like. And I still believe that to a certain extent. But actually being in a new place like Alaska gives you so much more than a movie or book can. Everything in Alaska seems BIGGER. The wilderness is so close. We stayed at and Air B-nB in Anchorage and were warned to keep the back gate close so the moose wouldn't wander into the yard. That's wild. I will write another post to give the trip it's due, but it was great and the time together as a family will always be remembered.
The rest of life is normal. I'm teaching summer school during the week and working at the cave in the park on weekends. Again reinforcing the decision to "resign" from teaching but continue to work as a new job. Still a good decision.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Talk About Feeling Disenfranchised
I'm still not over the fact that I get to vote only by mail. I, and the other voters in our house received their "Official" ballots. We have have to a certain date to send them in to be counted, maybe.
Just after our ballots arrived, we talked to a friend that was surprised she received a mail-in ballot. She was especially interested when her husband living at the same address was notified he was voting at the precinct station not by mail. She started digging and found this article about the counting of mail-in ballots. And then a local news story about what is happening to Republicans in California.
Feeling disenfranchised is just the beginning of what I'm thinking now.
Just after our ballots arrived, we talked to a friend that was surprised she received a mail-in ballot. She was especially interested when her husband living at the same address was notified he was voting at the precinct station not by mail. She started digging and found this article about the counting of mail-in ballots. And then a local news story about what is happening to Republicans in California.
Feeling disenfranchised is just the beginning of what I'm thinking now.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Morning Flowers, and Some Food Growing
I thought I'd share what I get to see every morning. This is the view out the front door and out into the front garden. The sun was just coming up so the pictures are a bit hazy. Flowers and vegi's getting ready to by taken out and turned into different plants and vegetables. You have to look close to find the vegetables. Good Stuff!
Friday, April 8, 2016
Voting By Mail and Precinct Update
I eventually decided to call the elections office of the county for an explanation of the new mail-in ballot status. I became even more suspicious when the kind assistant director said that not all precincts in our town will be voting by mail. It turns out that it's more than somewhat based on local politics.
A few years ago two forces appeared locally. There has been a movement to split towns, cities and school districts into voting districts so that all citizens would be fairly represented. In some communities it took lawsuits, others happened as another item on the docket. Our community seemed to favor unification of the school districts as a high priority and in the process of the unification, new district lines were drawn for seven school board members. There was some weird that resulted.
In one case two board members were living next to each other. In the next election one no longer was on the board. There were other cases of more than one member in the same district as well as a few instances of an elementary board member living near a high school board member. When the election dust settled the schools were unified, to the betterment of education, and there are now seven school board members. Some representing some gerrymandered looking districts.
How does this lead to mail-in voting? Each of these new school board districts had to become a new voting precinct, and to qualify for a physical voting precinct there must be 250 registered voters in said precinct. The precinct I live in is one block from the core downtown of our town and at that point is a small sliver of a pizza, but it eventually becomes a large chuck of orange groves and bovine pasture outside of town up into the foothills nearby. In the spring we easily have more cows than people living in District 3.
As I looked at the district map I realized that having seven member areas we had to have seven precincts and some of the precincts will have less voting people than others, even though on paper the same number of inhabitants live in each precinct. Then I started doing some basic Math.
The town I live in has a few more than11,000 residents, and the surrounding rural area has at least another 3,000 people. Of those 14,000 let's says 50% of them are underage and not allowed to vote, so we're at 7,000 potential voters, or 1,000 per precinct. I was told that possibly 2 of the 7 precincts have the required 250 registered voters. So (2 @ > 250 = 500 voters ) + (5 @ < 250 = < 1,250) = < 1,750 registered voters out of 14,000 + or -. Less than 25 % of people deems it important to vote.
One doesn't have to wonder whyAmerica is failing.
A few years ago two forces appeared locally. There has been a movement to split towns, cities and school districts into voting districts so that all citizens would be fairly represented. In some communities it took lawsuits, others happened as another item on the docket. Our community seemed to favor unification of the school districts as a high priority and in the process of the unification, new district lines were drawn for seven school board members. There was some weird that resulted.
In one case two board members were living next to each other. In the next election one no longer was on the board. There were other cases of more than one member in the same district as well as a few instances of an elementary board member living near a high school board member. When the election dust settled the schools were unified, to the betterment of education, and there are now seven school board members. Some representing some gerrymandered looking districts.
How does this lead to mail-in voting? Each of these new school board districts had to become a new voting precinct, and to qualify for a physical voting precinct there must be 250 registered voters in said precinct. The precinct I live in is one block from the core downtown of our town and at that point is a small sliver of a pizza, but it eventually becomes a large chuck of orange groves and bovine pasture outside of town up into the foothills nearby. In the spring we easily have more cows than people living in District 3.
As I looked at the district map I realized that having seven member areas we had to have seven precincts and some of the precincts will have less voting people than others, even though on paper the same number of inhabitants live in each precinct. Then I started doing some basic Math.
The town I live in has a few more than11,000 residents, and the surrounding rural area has at least another 3,000 people. Of those 14,000 let's says 50% of them are underage and not allowed to vote, so we're at 7,000 potential voters, or 1,000 per precinct. I was told that possibly 2 of the 7 precincts have the required 250 registered voters. So (2 @ > 250 = 500 voters ) + (5 @ < 250 = < 1,250) = < 1,750 registered voters out of 14,000 + or -. Less than 25 % of people deems it important to vote.
One doesn't have to wonder whyAmerica is failing.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Is This Really Happening? Voting This Year by Mail
Last week we received a letter from the county elections office stating that out polling place was being closed. We, and everyone that votes in our town of 11,000, will now be sent a ballot 29 days before the election. We are to vote and send in the ballot. Do the red flags start waving, or is it just me?
I have to wonder what is behind this move. I know there has been difficulty getting people to volunteer to work at the polling place, but there always seems to enough workers. It's a place to say hi to people that you don't see often. In this small town it's a pleasant experience.
But have we as a community become insignificant in the county's political eyes? Maybe this is a trend in small towns now, but it doesn't seem right. This just seems ripe for fraud also. Could one family member take all the ballots, fill them out and mail them in? What about mail theft? If I know ballots are coming out I could steal from my neighbors and Chicago vote. Instead of ,"Vote early, and vote often," one could vote often in the privacy of their home.
Lastly it just seems like another way citizens are being marginalized.
I have to wonder what is behind this move. I know there has been difficulty getting people to volunteer to work at the polling place, but there always seems to enough workers. It's a place to say hi to people that you don't see often. In this small town it's a pleasant experience.
But have we as a community become insignificant in the county's political eyes? Maybe this is a trend in small towns now, but it doesn't seem right. This just seems ripe for fraud also. Could one family member take all the ballots, fill them out and mail them in? What about mail theft? If I know ballots are coming out I could steal from my neighbors and Chicago vote. Instead of ,"Vote early, and vote often," one could vote often in the privacy of their home.
Lastly it just seems like another way citizens are being marginalized.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
