Posting Like Crazy!

So I'm writing another post to be published on Friday. Just a quick little not because I know that it will be a crazy day with Halloween and all. So I was noticing how many posts I have published this month. 20 posts I think. It made me wonder about how many times I posted in previous Octobers. Well the answer is not much! In 2007 I managed 4 posts. In 2006 I had yet to begin my online blog.



I'm looking forward to writing everyday for the month of November. I have a book of writing prompts that I began using to add to an autobiographical piece to this journal that I call Reflections. The prompts are intended to create a collection of writing that would be passed down to my children one day. I'm hoping to include some entries in November from this book.



Peace!


Oh and Happy Halloween!

Women Against Sarah Palin

More Politics

Well last night I spent two hours working a phone bank as a Stand for Children volunteer to inform and identify 'no' votes for question 1 on the MA ballot on Nov 4th. It was an interesting couple of hours. I have phone banked once before and I'll be honest and say I don't enjoy cold calling people. In fact it is my least favorite activity that I do for Stand. Last night's phone bank however was very well organized. The script was well written and easy to follow. I called 65 phone numbers, but only made contact with 15 or so individuals. I left many messages. I only encountered a few negative individuals thankfully. The other people I spoke to were either like minded or they were individuals who did not have any understanding of the question.

One funny story from last night...I called a particular number and asked to speak to "Amy Smith". The young man who answered the phone gave a business name and said that he was a "Smith" but their was no "Amy Smith". He was pleasant and I apologized for taking up his time. So maybe 8 phone numbers later I ended up dialing a number looking for "Suzy Smith". Don't you know it is the same man on the other end of the phone from the same company. He recognized my voice and asked "Didn't you just call a few minutes ago?" I apologized again and commented on how strange it was to have two names connected with his number that were not related to him. So at that point I asked him if I could share some information with him about question 1 and did he know anything about the question. He said he didn't but he was more interested in question 2( decriminalize personal possession of pot). I promptly replied that I wasn't calling about that question and went on about question 1. Anyway to make an even longer story a little bit shorter...the conversation ended with the gentleman sharing with me that prior to our conversation he didn't know about question one and that after our conversation he decided he would vote no. Then he asked if he could count on my 'yes' vote on question 2. Quite a conversation.

So after the evening of making phone calls I've decided that phone banking isn't so bad.

Peace!

Working Mom Guilt

So you'll never guess where I am today! Any ideas? I'll give you a hint...look back at Monday's post only switch children. Yes it is true I am home with another sick child. 'N' is up in my bed resting and watching TV.

Let me back up a bit; he actually didn't feel well yesterday, but Tuesday is the beginning of my work week so I felt like I needed to be at work. I don't have an extended network to help out in such situations. He didn't have a fever yet he felt sick; congestion, sneezing, big head etc., It didn't seem like he was sick enough to not go to school, so I told him to try to make it through the day and that he could go to the nurse and she would call me and I would come and get him if he couldn't get through the day. He was not happy with me but I felt like he should go to school. After dropping him off at school I felt the inevitable guilt that I knew I would feel. If I were a stay at home mom I would have had him stay home. Unfortunately I am not a stay at home mom. So all day at work I was expecting to get a call from the school nurse. No call came so I thought great I'm in the clear. Well, as usual I called home to check in as I drove home from school. R gave me the heads up that 'N' was in a bad mood. He was right. Evidently in the afternoon 'N' went to the nurse but because he did not have a fever they would not call me. So much for my " If you don't feel well go to the nurse and they'll call me." line!

So he was up all night with congestion, cough etc. Here I sit with a sick child on the couch and a case of 'teacher' guilt because I know how busy school is without a teacher calling in sick. It's a no win situation.

Here's hoping tomorrow is better.

Peace!

Hollywood East!

Well our town has been going through an ongoing debate about the possible development of a movie studio village. Over the past year two sites have been investigated. The first site that was more off the beaten path turned out to have significant title issues and did not work out. The second site however is much more accessible and will be more easily developed. It is actually currently an 18 hole golf coarse. We have many in our town so we won't miss this golf coarse. Town planners and powers that be have been struggling as they figure out how to strike a deal with the company who has made the Hollywood East proposal. As a town we voted on a non binding question to inform decision makers. The vote overwhelmingly turned out 'yes'. Well last night the town meeting representatives honored the popular vote and voted in the measure to allow the project to proceed. I watched the meeting live. It was quite impressive. In these harsh economic times this project inspires hope. The only snag I see is question 1. If question 1 goes through a significant portion of the state funding will most likely disappear. We'll see what happens next Tuesday!

Peace!

Sick Day

So it has been a sick weekend at my house. 'n' has been down and out since Friday night. She started with a little sniffle and sore throat and it developed into major congestion, headache, runny nose, sore throat. No fever thankfully! Saturday she spent 12 hours on the couch. No kidding she literally was resting on the coach from 7am until 7pm and then she went to bed. She felt a bit better Sunday and was up and about. She probably should have spent the day on the couch because by bedtime she felt yucky again. So today we are spending the day at home, no school or errands just lots of rest, hot lemonade and more rest.

I'm hoping that she feels better by the end of the day and that I don't catch what she has!

I trust you are all well.

Peace!

National Blog Posting Month

So I have decided to to join the NaBlPoMo.  I am going to commit to one post a day on this blog.  I have set up a page at www.nablpomo.com and will explore this page more in depth later.  Developing a daily writing practice has been a goal of mine for some time for many reasons.  Setting a good example for my children is important and setting aside time for myself is also very important.  I'm hoping that I will be able to accomplish both of these things during the month of November. (and beyond)  Wish me good luck. 

Now I'm off to work on some artistic endeavors with 'n'.  Flexing that creative muscle has been long overdue!

Peace!

Questions on Question One

So J at one of my favorite blogs asked a thoughtful question regarding Ballot Question One that is on the November 4th ballot here in Massachusetts. 

 For those of you who don't know about this question I'll sum it up for you.  A 'yes' vote on the question would repeal the state income tax, effectively cutting the state's budget by 40 percent.  The dollar amount lost would be about 12 billion dollars.  Even if all state employees were let go that would only account for one third of the cuts necessary to make up for such a drastic cut. 

So back to the question at hand.  J wanted to know where the yes folks thought the money would come from if this question passes.   So when asked; the proponents of this question say that there is fat in the budget.  When pressed further they are unable to come up with specific places to trim the 'fat'.  I have been reading comments in our local papers and many of the yes folks say that the legislature will just ignore this question if it goes through anyway and that the schools and emergency services will get their money no matter what.  This question is actually a binding question.  That means that as of January, if passes, the income tax will be reduced to 2.65% and then as of January 2010 the income tax will be eliminated.  So the roll out of the bill is over two years yet the cost is the same.  It would take a super majority to overturn the vote.  If it goes through it is doubtful that the politicians would take that step.

I worry that our most vulnerable populations will be effected: the children, the elderly, the lower middle class, the poor.  The yes folks claim that the average person will get over $3,000.00 in their pocket. Unfortunately that figure reflects people who make over $200,000.00.  The average salary in my town is about $60,000 so clearly the people in my community will not reap the benefits.  

For those of you interested see what you could do with our budget.  Where would you find the 12 billion dollars?  Check out this link

 http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/specials/budget-game/

What do you think?

You Tube

So go check out the video from our Community Meeting on Vote No for Question One!



It is so cool to be able to create, manage and upload video

Let me know what you think of the footage!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAOilkJXi-4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojcx4GzmAIQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPLbCYaSFcw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMl1Ba3-SRA

Stand for Children-Vote No on One

So you heard that we have a new computer!  It is awesome and I have spent way too much time figuring it out today.  I have a lot to learn, but it seems simple enough so far.  The video program is great.  I have, with R's help, edited, uploaded and copied to disc the meeting we had on Oct 15th at the Loring Center.  I will be posting the You Tube links later.  It is quite time consuming but very rewarding.  

I am looking forward to catching up with a friend next Tuesday; she is another member of Stand for Children who is stepping down due to other obligations.  We carpooled to the MA Leadership Network meetings last year and had the chance to get to know each other a bit better.  She is a lovely person with a beautiful family.  I am looking forward to spending some time with her over tea on Tuesday.  I've been missing her at our MLN meetings this year but I totally understand that her family must come first.  That is actually the beauty of Stand, because they get it too.

Well I'm going back to YouTube.  I hope to have links to share soon.

Peace!

from 

a Mama for Obama

PS Isn't it great that Colin Powell has endorsed Obama?  I am so excited!  There is hope!!!!

New Computer

Hey everyone! We just bought a new computer. It is an apple imac. Never had an imac before or an apple of any kind but so far I like it, especially the keyboard. It is flat and sleek and all the computer components are inside the monitor. Very cool. We purchased it so R can do more with his camera and editing. We are hoping to be the hometown of 'Hollywood East' and R wants to be prepared if there are any jobs available. I think I am going to like it for photo editing for school and home pictures.
Well I'm off to explore the new computer. So exciting. (did I say that I'm a little excited?)

Peace & Hope

from a 

Mama for Obama!

Next...

So the colonscopy went fine. The prep wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, thank goodness. Fasting for a few days prior probably helped.

I think the hardest part was waiting to go in for the 11:30 check in at the hospital. I was hungry! Anyway the meds worked well. I was asleep for the entire time. My results were great. No polyps so I don't have to go back for 5 years.

Now on to the next thing.

Tomorrow I am facilitating a community meeting on the local ballot question. I am very excited to get through the meeting and see what kind of turnout we might have. Hopefully we will inspire some folks to join us in phone banking and raising visibility for the vote no campaign.

If you want more information check out this link:

https://www.stand.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=918

The Prep!

So just thought I'd let you all know that I'm doing a colonoscopy prep today. It's a family history thing. I'm a little nervous. I know it's not really a big deal but I don't do well with the unknown or change so ...

I'll let you know how everything comes out!

We're Not Going Back

Let's move forward together! Please watch this clip and let me know what you think.







Peace!

On Political Mud Slinging

Another interesting video.

Dear John

I just found this on the blog Down With Tyranny! I had to share it with everyone.

Dad Update

So I haven't posted a Dad update in a while so I thought I would take a break from the stress and anxiety of the financial market, presidential race and local question one to delve into the stress and anxiety of my elder care experience.





I'll back up a bit...at Dad's last appointment he was tentatively diagnosed with fistulizing Chrohns disease. For at least a year and a half Dad has been dealing with chronic fistulas. He was operated on a year ago for a pilinidal cyst that also developed. That particular wound took a very long time to heal. Anyway I won't go into the gory details. I will say however, that a year ago I made the suggestion to the doctor(whom I do not care for) that perhaps Dad had Chrohns. He poo pooed the idea and proceeded to keep Dad on various antibiotics for the duration of the past year and had us come in for follow ups every 14 days. Now that I write this down I am amazed at the scope of this past year! That is at least 17 appointments that are booked for two 20 minute sessions. His co pay is only $10 but I can only imagine how much the doctor is charging the insurance company. Sorry I digress...





Back to today...Dad had to go into the hospital for a small bowel series. The appointment was for 9:30. The timing of the appointment meant that I had to go to Dad's last night after work and make sure he took a shower and chose clothes to wear today. We picked him up at 8:30 and then dropped the kids off at school. Dad and I made it to the hospital in plenty of time and even found a good parking spot. We went in and I was armed with plenty of Stand for Children, and school work to keep me busy. Well he was called by a lovely nurse to go back to prep for the test and shortly after the nurse came back to the waiting area. She informed me that the test could take anywhere from 1 hour to 6-8 hours depending on how well he digested the barium. She gave me the option to go and do errands. I told her that I felt bad just leaving him at the hospital but she pretty much insisted that I go along. I'm guessing she sees a lot of younger adults bringing in their aging parents. So along I went. In the end the test only took 3 hours. Much better than 8 hours in the hospital. According to Dad the tech said everything looked good. I'm not sure about this as I always thought that the techs weren't supposed to divulge what they might see on an xray. During my 3 hours I drove home and made a follow up appointment for Dad with his Dr. so we'll hear the results and see how the new meds are working.

It is a challenge to stand by and observe as your parent ages. For the first time in a long time I looked at Dad last Thursday and he just looked so old. When I talk to him on the phone I picture the Dad I know from my 20's...someone who is strong, capable and proud. The voice doesn't match the reality. It is the reality and the life that I am living. Mother to young children and caretaker of an elderly parent. The sandwich generation I think we are called. Maybe I'm the pickle? or the mayo holding it all together? Definitely the mayo.

Peace

from

a Mama for Obama

SNL on Palin and Biden

Check this out! too funny!

Local State Politics

I have been so overly focused on the economy and the Presidential election that I have not talked about a huge issue that we are facing locally. A group of individuals in our state who are anti large government gathered enough signatures to put a question on the presidential ballot. The question is a binding referendum that would repeal the state income tax. In 2002 this same group had the same question on the ballot and it nearly won with 45% of the voters voting yes. If this were to go through we would loose 40 % of our state revenue! 12.7 billion dollars would be gone. How could any budget survive such a cut. The effects of this cut would be widely felt. Education would take a huge hit. The impact would include larger class sizes, teacher layoffs, and perhaps even school closings. Our roads and bridges will go into further disrepair. Our police, fire and ambulance services would be cut. The thought of all of these things happening on top of the already volatile financial market sickens me! I will be speaking at the Loring Center next Wednesday at a community meeting to inform local voters as to the devastating effects this will have should it go through. One of the things that the 'vote no' people have been saying is that this is a reckless idea and I totally agree. It is more than reckless it puts our families in harms way.
Let's hope that voter's really think about this vote and make the right decision!

At 100 She Will Vote For Change

So I found this video over at http://www.timegoesby.net/weblog/ . As I watched this video I was struck by the fact that this woman in her late 90's is actively intersted in creating change in our country and that she believes Obama and Biden will bring us change. I have often wondered over the last weeks how open minded the older voters will be as we go to the poles on November 4th. If Lillian is any indication I need not worry!





Peace!

from

a Mama for Obama

Fems for Dems!

So I'm heading out to a debate watch party tonight. Chocolate, wine, good company and political discussion. I'm so curious to see the outcome of tonight's debate. I'm also eagerly awaiting results on the bailout bill. I just heard on CNN that a significant part of the buyout package is actually bailing out foreign investors and that their is a sections completely devoted to China? I don't quite understand what that is all about. I guess we will all just have to wait and see.


Peace!