Revisions, Politics, and Shop Talk

I've been revising the blog a little bit. I love the picture I put just below the title. I think it captures some of the beauty we can see and experience here in our neck of the woods. I have another picture which I love more but because of my terrible file saving system I can't seem to remember where it is in 'My Pictures'. If I stumble across it you'll be the first to know. There will more changes and hopefully improvements over the next couple of days.

One area I've neglected terribly is Shop Talk. Honestly there hasn't been much Shop to Talk about lately. I put the writing on the back burner for pretty much all of August. I did submit my baseball article to two more magazines and am waiting to hear from either or both of them. It's going on three weeks since I mailed them out and according to the submission guidelines, it can take up to 4 months to hear back. I did some research the other day at our library on a man named Thomas Allen. He's known in these parts as "The Fighting Parson" because he fought in a pivotal Revolutionary War battle in Bennington, VT. Apparently he marched to battle wearing his Parson attire and folks just starting referring to him as "The Fighting Parson." Strangely, not many folks around here have ever heard of him. I had the privilege of reading a few of his journal entries and was just blown away by the matter of factness he wrote with. There was a sense of compassion in his writings too. He wrote about seeing a comrade's foot be blown off and seeing prisoners of war be killed - but there was an underlying empathy that I can't really describe. There's something so special about seeing a man's handwriting on yellowed paper that's over 200 years old. To think that I got the tiniest glimpse into his life, wow. The only problem with this man as a topic for an article is that I have NO IDEA how to narrow it down so that my focus is tight and specific. What is it I want to say about Thomas Allen? What do I want kids to learn about him from my article? How deep into the history of the Revolution do I need to get to make my point? Why is he so fascinating to me? Somehow I feel compelled to write about him but I don't know what to write. These are the troubles that plague me!!! I've decided to put a bit more energy into an article I wrote on Whoopie Pies. The first draft is done and needs some polishing. I think I'll be getting that one into shape this week.

The first week of school is behind us and we are settling into a routine. I won't say it feels 'normal' yet to send Allison to school. I know that it will eventually but for now it's still strange. She's excited to go back to school tomorrow and has even decided that she wants to buy her lunch. Today at church she saw a girl from her class! I'm so glad that she had an opportunity to connect with someone from school outside of the classroom.

I keep feeling the need to express some political opinions here on the blog. I will keep this brief. Obama blew it big time with his interview at the Saddleback church. His answer to the abortion question was a pathetic something or other about how it was "above his pay grade" to answer such a thing. Apparently now that he's had time to think about it he's come back to say that "intended to say" something else. Excuse me while I go THROW UP! Clearly the man doesn't do well when put on the spot or under pressure. Can the Commander in Chief afford the luxury of thinking through his answers or decisions for several days or weeks before coming up with what he truly "intends"? I think not.

Tomorrow is a bit of a sad/happy day for me. I've lived in minivan world for the better part of my married life. We've owned three of them. This one, a Honda Odyssey, is my favorite and I LOVE it with all my heart. It has never let me down, ever. I can fit TONS of stuff in it and lots of people too. I remember moving from Maine with that thing stuffed full of suitcases, houseplants, snacks for the road, two hamsters, and three kids. But, our time together has come to an end. Our lease is up and I have to give it back. I thought about getting another van but I think I'm ready for something different. So yesterday we bought an SUV. It's a used Acura MDX. It's really pretty and has room for all of us. Not as much room as my van but it'll do just fine. We pick it up tomorrow. It better be as good to me as my Honda! Stay tuned.