last day of September, 2012

post #105, some mish mash amid the variety of daily life:

        First I want to add a thought to my mild but sincere plea last week for all of us citizens to use our treasured brains and not be bought by advertisements.  Besides the obvious crie de coeur for everyone to vote this year, I also hope it was clearly implied that we need a lot more women in the US Senate.  As for that big leadership job up for grabs, give me someone who THINKS, who is well informed (like in "reads a lot" and "enjoys complex ideas"), and who is willing to take sensible risks on our behalf.  I am not talking perfection here, but I am really curious what President Obama could do in a second term now that he has learned the ropes!!  What an unnecessary shame that many Americans haven't yet gotten past the color of his skin.

White is hard to get right in a photo, so I am happy here.  

But when it comes to skin, color is just a random cover for our amazing human bodies.

         This weekend I have been a small part of the 42nd annual SORGHUM FESTIVAL in West Liberty. The making of sorghum molasses is demonstrated in the city park.  The town still shows the ravages of the tornado I wrote about in the spring, here.  But the festival is a tradition and, this year, an affirmation of community spirit.   Here are several photos I took -- using my Panasonic Lumix during Friday's rain, my iPhone and my Canon on Saturday afternoon and this Sunday evening, during the closing up.  I wasn't able to be there during the parade yesterday.  The dexterity that went into the planning to fit everything in  -- between construction and rubble -- is truly amazing.  Bravo, West Liberty!!

From behind, on the left, the never unfinished and now condemned new justice center, the old courthouse and the bank.

The bank on the back left, the food vendors and stage area, and the tent cover for Main Street, with booths for artists and crafters.

The stage, in use, and, again, the totally destroyed bank, even though it is not yet demolished.

the other side of Main Street, new buildings in progress, holes still remaining in the block.

Art is an essential part of the recovery.  This banner shows that same side of Main Street above as it used to look or could look after additional rebuilding? 

       Oh, and I had a routine colonoscopy last week.  As I waited in the OR to receive my napping meds, I was totally aware of how expensive this procedure would be without insurance.  There were those monitoring machines, and two nurses and a doctor and the support staff that prepared me and asked questions about my health history and took my vital signs, etc.  (And I didn't even get to see that little camera the doctor uses -- which would put my gear to shame, I am sure.)  I was distinctly aware how privileged I was not to have to go through this while also worrying about how to pay for it.  It's truly distressing that not everyone has insurance yet to undergo this checkup that is so widely recommended to be done every ten years.  All went well for me, by the way, though that news is not why I have chosen to share that particular day's main event.  


     So, as October begins, and the leaves here begin to turn, we found something unusual last week -- unexpected redbuds.  Usually they show their pink early in the spring.  Go figure.  The branch had been trimmed, and then photographed.  More on fall next week!