Yesterday's rant took it out of me

Today, this morning, facing this screen, I've got nothing.

I predict that will change if I just keep on typing.

My husband's son and his family will be here tomorrow. My plan yesterday was to spend the day cleaning and toddler-proofing the house and spend the evening at the Democratic women's meeting. That way I could make some treats and grocery-shop today.

You know what they say about plans.

Tish Chafin poses with Miss Betty, one
of the hardest-working Democratic women
I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I got a call at 9:30 from a plugged-in Democratic woman who'd just learned that Tish Chafin, a candidate for WV Supreme Court Justice, was on her way to our county, and could I show up here and take her there and introduce her to them and …

Turns out I didn't have to be the shepherd, thank goodness. I'm not so great at that. But I suited up, showed up and took a lot of photos, some of which are on Facebook. If you tag and post a photo of a politician, it will be seen by a lot of people.

I got home in time to fix a simple supper ('cause you know that's really important for us ladies, having time to make dinner), then headed back to town for the evening meeting.

At which exactly seven women showed up.

I'm discouraged. Here we are, less than three weeks from a critical election, and I can't get a quorum to show up at a meeting. My husband didn't really help matters when he asked, upon my return, if I'd said or done anything to turn people away. That's been going through my mind ever since.

Have I? I'd like to think not. The last time we had good attendance was May. I blamed busy summer schedules on the lack of enthusiasm in June, July and August. September should have been back to normal, but it wasn't. And this month – with so little time left – well, I don't know what to think.

Thank goodness for the core group who do show up and get things done.

I announced we would not be meeting in November or December (traditionally we do not meet then), but that in January we would collect dues for 2013 and elect new officers. I'll let the new president set her own agenda. I'd like to be involved, but I sure don't want to be in charge.

October 18 - Made you smile today

Our Appalachian sunrises always make me smile. 

Vote, damn it

The voter registration deadline has come and gone in West Virginia. If you didn't register, you can't vote, and don't come crying to me later when your government isn't doing what you want it to do.

If you are registered, don't throw that right away by staying home November 6. There are enough politicians and state legislatures out there already trying to take that right away. They don't need your help, they need you to oppose them.

Voting rights should be EXPANDED, not restricted, no matter your political persuasion. You think your vote doesn't count? There's really only one contest where it could be argued that it doesn't, and that's the Top Job, where the Supreme Court Electoral College determines the winner. (In the current political climate, I question what one wins.)

Every other candidate and issue on the ballot wins or loses because you made the effort to cast a ballot.

Yes, you.

As both of you know, I don't watch much television. I've learned that I'm a happier, saner, nicer person when I don't watch the news, and it's been a while since I've had a favorite, can't-miss program. HBO's The Newsroom would be the most recent qualifier. The West Wing is probably the last. I watch sports – that's my reality TV.  I watched the Democratic convention and I've tuned in to all of the debates.

During campaign season, it's not the programming itself that sends me into apoplectic fits, it's the commercials. Here in West Virginia it appears that the candidates for U.S. Senator and for governor of West Virginia are all running against President Obama.

All. Of. Them.

The Republicans are lumping the Democrats in with the President because, well, they're Democrats, while the Democrats are distancing themselves from him – "I'll stand up to anybody" is one of their oft-repeated and memorable lines – in the name of coal. (Here's a hint, guys: Your war on coal and "Obama's job-killing EPA" is misguided. Natural gas is coal's cleaner, cheaper competition. Nixon – yes, Nixon – started the EPA.)

It's easier than ever – at least for now – to cast a ballot. (It's much more difficult to register, however. Thank you, Patriot Act. And first-time voters may have to show some form of identification at the polls.) With early voting, you can't use the "I'm too busy the first Tuesday in November" excuse any longer. In my county, voting booths are set up in the courthouse beginning next Wednesday and continuing through the Saturday before Election Day.

So vote, damn it.

One more thing: I've heard more than a few people say they'll vote, all right, but they're not going to vote for [fill-in-the-office-of-your-choice – President, Senator or Governor].

I can't tell you what to do when it's just you and that screen. Actually I can, but you don't have to listen to or follow my advice. That's what secret ballots are all about. You can even tell me to my face that you're going to scratch the rooster, but when it comes right down to it, I'll never know whether you did or not.

But if you don't vote for [fill-in-the-office-of-your-choice] you might as well just vote for the other guy. If your candidate doesn't win, you have no way of influencing him/her once s/he takes the oath.

As recently as a month ago, I was one of those. I've been, um, enlightened. I'll hold my nose and vote a straight ticket. I then plan to bombard my Senator and Governor (because West Virginia is, in the end, a blue state until you start talking about the Electoral College) with letters and phone calls and e-mails, reminding them that I'm a constituent, too.

I don't work in a coal mine. I drink water from a well. My government needs to remember that voters like me outnumber coal miners by a wide margin. President Obama's Nixon's "job-killing EPA" is supposed to make the air safe to breathe and the water safe to drink. I think my representatives need to be reminded of that.

(And yes, I know they're not really standing up for miners. It's the coal company owners who fill their campaign coffers. But I'll play along until they take the oath of office.)

October 17 - Fruit

An artsy-fartsy shot of the ripening Meyer lemons.

He's baaaaaack

No doubt about it, my President showed up for last night's second Presidential debate. I'm not sure who was standing in for him a couple weeks ago.

Watching it as part of a group was a lot of fun. I thought I'd miss having Facebook and Twitter in the palm of my hand, and I'll admit I did a teensy bit. But I didn't want to spend the evening with my head in a gadget. My screen time was spent watching the debate on television like everyone else, with occasional peeks at the phone. The internet connection wasn't great, and it was more frustrating than not to try to keep up. So I didn't.

Surely was a late night, though, much later than what I'm used to. My schedule is more like that of an infant or toddler – or an Amish. I'm up with the sun and the lights are out early. Like a toddler, I napped yesterday afternoon (instead of mowing). That was a helpful strategy for a long day.

Compared to the last campaign season, enthusiasm this year is way, way down. It's been disappointing to not have many members show up for Democratic women's club meetings. Four years ago our meetings were standing-room-only. This year we're lucky to have a quorum. People aren't exactly queuing up to volunteer to make phone calls. No one is knocking on doors except for local candidates.

But I think (hope?) last night's debate will change some minds and generate some excitement with three weeks to go before Election Day. There are campaign buttons to make and a headquarters office to staff and phone calls to make. We women do more than make cookies for events. We care, we work and WE VOTE.

Our next women's meeting is tomorrow night.

I'll let you know how it goes.

October 16 - Something you wrote

Something I wrote – and have been writing – for several years now.
Thanks for reading, you guys are the best!

Nearly solved my e-mail problem permanently

You know, if you don't have your password written down or saved someplace, you could be cut off from e-mail for-freaking-ever!

Google notified me yesterday that someone from Peru tried to get into my account, and suggested I needed to change my password. So I did. But that messed up all the Google accounts on my phone and I had, oh, about five seconds of panic before I realized that not getting e-mail on my phone would really be a blessing.

Then, of course, I updated my password and all is well and connected in my little electronic universe.

Since I cleared out the inbox a couple days ago I've been spending 10 minutes twice a day keeping up with it. That's all it takes. I'm not sure why it's so hard to do that when I'm not at home. I'm taking a short trip in a couple weeks, and will try to schedule that itty bitty bit of screen time into my days away.

Hope to finish mowing today. I also have to plant some garlic before it's too late, and I have some pink lilies to put in the landscape bed. Unfortunately, the spot I'd hoped to put them in is still lush with pink marguerites; I hate pulling those out when they're still so pretty. If I don't, though, I'm not sure when I'll get the lilies in.

Moving on …

My husband and I have definitely decided we're having an election-night party. Election enthusiasm is down considerably from four years ago – not ours, but that of some of our friends. Winnie, I'll be thinking of you as you attend your friend's get-together. We do the geeky map thing, as well. Last time we even provided clipboards and markers. We're going to a debate party tonight. With just three weeks until Election Day, I'd better switch into GOTV – and party-planning – mode.