Monthly Archives: October 2013

#dearcongress and mr. president

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Taken by my friend Amy. Obviously this guy needs spell check and has a lot to say, but it seems to sum up the stupidity Americans are currently being forced to deal with

Taken by my friend Amy. Obviously this guy needs spell check and has a lot to say, but it seems to sum up the stupidity Americans are currently being forced to deal with

#DearCongress and Mr. President,

Hi it’s me, the average American. I am Republican but don’t blame me for the current brand of Republicans as I think a Tea Party is best for little girls, teddy bears and dolls.

(And I am fresh out of pink ties and hankies for the ever tearful John Boehner and wow, I should have taken that photo of him smoking cigarettes and drinking red wine when he came to PA to stump for Gerlach in August 2010.)

You all claim it started over Obamacare. Well…Democrats you can’t blame everything you don’t like on Republicans, and Republicans you can’t blame it all on Obamacare. And while you puff, preen, and posture, we are still waiting for you to do what? Oh yes demand reform on the part of the insurance companies. While you all fight, they just get richer and nothing changes.

Anyway, I don’t care if you are Republicans and Democrats, I am over, yes o-v-e-r this Government Shut Down. It was a dumb ass idea that should have remained a Walter Mitty moment that never, ever happened.

We hold the following truth to be self-evident: we didn’t elect any of you people for this. And while you puff, preen, and posture on Capitol Hill, with an occasional scripted quip from the White House, ordinary people suffer. And pay for your mess.

Also, this whole idea of government shut down has roots in a guy from the Carter administration named Benjamin Civiletti. (Just thought I would toss that in there)

Now people are freaking out about the US defaulting on debt and investor confidence is shaken seriously by the government shut down. Well wow, what took them so long?

And when we are talking debt and stuff Mr. President and Congress, can we quote Mr. President before he was President?

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasi…ng America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”

~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

America does deserve better. And I think any politician taking part in this farce known as government shut down should be voted out of office. I guess my sentiment is not so unusual because I noticed my Congressman Jim Gerlach has stepped away from the pack, hasn’t he? He joins Meehan, Dent and Fitzpatrick, right?

I want to believe in our party system of Republicans and Democrats but I do not see any of them doing what they should. I see both parties as having been marginalized by extremists, extremism, corruption, and special interests. And it doesn’t matter what any of us regular folk believe or want. The only ones BOTH parties of elected officials in Washington listen to are the super rich , well connected, and the very powerful. The proverbial political king makers. No one else matters.

You have closed our parks and monuments. Including Valley Forge Park. Public roads run through the park, will we get fined for being on public roads? Apparently you are fining everyone else who goes to land technically owned by the people. Maybe you should fine all the deer too?

VF closedI find it ironic that you can pay the park rangers to fine runners like John Bell of Chadds Ford, but you can’t get back to the business of government? Mr. Bell has now retained a lawyer and will fight the $100 ticket in Federal Court and who can blame him, except we all will end up paying for all litigation that this government shut down results in, won’t we?

Which brings me to the heart of the matter. I have to ask Mr. President and Congress why this government shut down is not a tax-free event? After all, we as every day Americans have nothing to do with this and I think this should be like when Comcast and Verizon and PECO screw up and they have to adjust your bill. Why not adjust our tax bills accordingly? I see no reason why we should pay for your foolishness anymore then we already have to.

And let’s talk salary and benefits Mr. President and Congress ok? I pay my own health benefits. As Americans, we all pay for YOU as a collective. That’s a great deal being a politician. You can declare war on each other and do less than you usually do, and we have to pay for it. You aren’t living up to your job descriptions and if you were in corporate America you would be what? Oh yes, oh my, you would be fired.

The Government Shutdown stinks. Why should we all be paying because you can’t get along? Has it ever occurred to you or do you care that you make us all embarrassed to be an American at this point on some level?

How can we take pride in a government that is no better than a bunch of kids fighting on the playground?

With all due respect #DearCongress and President Obama? GROW UP. Running this country needs to stop being about the agendas of politicians and special interest groups from BOTH parties.

Let’s end this #AmericanHorrorStory .

Love,

Me

elverson

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simple gifts…from the garden

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I love fall gifts from the garden. Like the flowers I cut this morning in advance of the rain which is coming. Days like this make me think of the old Shaker song “Simple Gifts”. You will find the lyrics below the photo

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Simple Gifts Lyrics

Joseph Brackett (1797- 1882)
Shaker song

‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain’d,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be asham’d,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.

‘Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
‘Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of others what we try to live each day,
Then we’ll all live together and we’ll all learn to say,

‘Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
‘Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of “me”,
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we’ll all live together with a love that is real.

The Earth is our mother and the fullness thereof,
Her streets, her slums, as well as stars above.
Salvation is here where we laugh, where we cry,
Where we seek and love, where we live and die.

When true liberty is found,
By fear and by hate we will no more be bound.
In love and in light we will find our new birth
And in peace and freedom, redeem the Earth.

‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be fair,
‘Tis a gift to wake and breathe the morning air.
And each day we walk on the path that we choose,
‘Tis a gift we pray we never shall lose.

intolerable cruelty: northumberland county

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rayne1

Northumberland County was formed in 1772 from parts of Lancaster, Berks, Bedford, Cumberland, and Northampton Counties and named for the county of Northumberland in northern England. It’s pretty darn rural.

But they apparently also shoot dogs first there and ask questions later.

waynevI don’t know anyone in Northumberland County, certainly don’t know this family named McNett who just lost their dog to a trigger happy gent named Wayne Van Blargan, but I am going to post about it anyway.  The similarities between this and what happened to Argus and Fiona at the hands of Gabe Pilotti are just too creepy.

And this Van Blargan guy doesn’t even have the excuse of livestock,  he just mowed this dog down and shot her in the back from 15 feet away. No reports of the dog attacking anything or being a menace.  Just shot in the back which means much like the late great Fiona, this dog, named Rayne, was probably running away from this guy.
kids and dog

Rayne, a rescue German Shepherd, and family pet to four little children was only out 15 minutes.  You know, pretty much like Argus and Fiona?

I am sick over this.  I am tired of dogs just being shot basically for the hell of it in Pennsylvania.  Only up there in Northumberland County is truly Pennsyltucky and I am afraid if there is not a public hue and cry that the judge might not care so much.

blood trailThis poor dog doesn’t sound like she got out much and she deserved better. This poor dog triggered the outside lights at this house where this Van Blargan stays so he can’t say he did not know what he was shooting, can he?

They say charges   will be filed against Van Blargan before District Judge Richard Cashman of Milton, PA . Milton PA is 50 miles north of Harrisburg, PA.  The name of the town where this German Shepherd named Rayne was shot is called Watsontown and at the time of its formation this tiny borough was named for brothel owner John Watson. I don’t even think they have 3000 residents. It is supposed to be served by this local paper called Standard Journal but apparently this isn’t newsworthy to them.

However, other media outlets are interested and I think Argus & Fiona would like it if people paid it forward to now get Justice for Rayne.  Pilotti gets sentenced later this month in Chester County, and you know how long it took the Bock family to get there.  So if you are an animal lover, please pass this story along.

This shows the GLARING and ABSOLUTE need for better dog laws in PA.  And this is not a gun rights issue, it’s a time to deal with fools who shoot dogs issue.

While Governor Tom Corbett is wasting our taxpayer dollars running around Pennsylvania in a homophobic anti-gay marriage snit, he could actually be doing productive things like protecting our dogs in Pennsylvania.

I also urge everyone to contact Attorney General Kathleen Kane and demand her office get involved in helping protect dogs in PA.  And contact your state representatives and state senators to write the bills that could become laws to protect PA dogs.

Lynda Schlegel Culver is the state rep that serves the township (Delaware) where Rayne was shot. John R. Gordner is the State Senator. Follow the hyper links for their contact information and flood their offices with a demand for action.  And contact your own elected officials.  There are too many parents having to explain to kids why family pets who were in perfect health aren’t coming home.

Dog’s Shooting Death Leaves Family Heartbroken

Posted on: 6:00 am, September 25, 2013, by

DELAWARE TOWNSHIP – A family in Northumberland County does not understand why their neighbor went to extremes and shot and killed their dog.

The German Shepherd wandered into the neighbor’s yard near Watsontown when it was shot.

The McNett family took in Rayne a few months ago as a rescue dog.

Not until early Wednesday morning did they have a problem with their neighbor who police said shot and killed Rayne, leaving the family heartbroken.

Kristy McNett remembered the last moments she saw the family pet before Rayne was shot and killed overnight near her home in the Watsontown area.

“About 15 minutes later I heard a couple of gunshots, and I heard the dog bark. I knew it wasn’t good,” said McNett.

Rayne got loose and wandered into a neighbor’s yard…. The dog set off motion lights, and investigators said Wayne van Blargan shot twice from a distance of 15 feet, killing the McNett family pet.

“I don’t know why. I don’t know what went on in his head to make him do that,” said McNett

examiner.com : Northumberland County family left devastated after neighbor shot family dog

September 26, 2013

Kristy McNett’s affectionate German shepherd accidentally slipped out of the family home on Wednesday near the Watsontown area of Pennsylvania and was allegedly shot by the next door neighbor according to a report by wnep.com.

McNett’s family, which includes four children, are absolutely heartbroken after Rayne, a dog they rescued just a few months prior, was shot at close range from a distance in the back, from  not more than 15 feet.

Family Dog Shot, Killed Created on Wed, Sep 25, 2013  by Britt Swartzlander

tucked away and ever so awesome

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I love books. Real books. And Libraries.  And look what I found tucked away on High Street in West Chester? How cool is THIS? West Chester’s Little Free Library! It is little things like this, tucked in unexpected places, which makes downtown West Chester so truly awesome! I would personally love to see more of these “Little Free Libraries” in other places. What a genius idea!

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acorn cottage style: a serendipitious find

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IMG_3627After Latino Luncheon I decided to wander around West Chester a little more.  I haven’t lived in Chester County that long and I am just getting to know a town that I last was acquainted with many, many moons ago.

IMG_3625So I came out of Iron Hill and colors in a window across the street caught my eye…that and an utterly gorgeous antique settee recovered in this amazing linen fabric. Inside, the store is a treasure trove of beautiful things.

What store had I happened upon?  Acorn Cottage Style on West Gay Street.  The owner Zena Croydon.  And given the fabulous staging and colors in the store I wasn’t surprised in the least to discover she was also an artist.

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This store is amazing.  There are so many beautiful things.  I have begun a wish list   in my head of things I just loved.

Acorn Cottage Home has a website and can also be found on Facebook.

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a very cool lunch bunch

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I discovered this great thing today: Latino Luncheon which  began 12 years ago in West Chester with just a handful of people. What a remarkable and nice bunch of people.

They are this Latino based networking/community group with their finger on the pulse of Chester County. It is not just Latinos, but it is also truly multi-cultural.  Latino Luncheon is as per one member “open to all Latinos and those who love them.”

I have had many Latino friends over the years and met some fabulous Latina community activists when part of Save Ardmore Coalition and we were fighting eminent domain for private gain in Ardmore and elsewhere. Mary Cortes of Cramer Hill Camden and the late Rosemary Cubas of Philadelphia come to mind in particular. (I also have a Cuban Uncle, although I do not recall ever seeing much of his Latino side save for his fondness for Café Bustelo.)

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Anyway, this collective holds a monthly luncheon at Iron Hill in West Chester and you can sign up via their Meet Up page. They raise awareness for issues affecting the community and even give out  some scholarships – in other words they do good deeds and enjoy each other’s company. I can’t tell you how nice it was to be in a room of positive people who celebrate each other.

IMG_3561State Representative Duane Milne and State Senator Andy Dinniman attended along with a lot of lawyers and school board and judicial candidates.  (Well it is election season, after all.)

I was introduced to the group by Maureen Martinez. Maureen is on the Planning Commission in East Whiteland and running for Supervisor.  Maureen’s IMG_3570husband is Cuban, so she is very keen on the issues facing Latinos in Chester County and elsewhere.

Andy Dinniman presented a proclamation and remarked that the Latino community is becoming a force to be reckoned with in Chester County.

Dinniman also discussed a version of American Dream Act is coming to PA and both political parties support it. Bi-Partisan – anyone graduating from a PA high school will be eligible for in state tuition costs.

IMG_3588Everyone went around table introducing themselves. We heard from amazing men and women, and even found out that one of the Main Line Today Power Women of 2013 was a founding member of this group – Nelly Jiménez-Arévalo.

And they presented a scholarship check to an amazing young woman named Elenie Gonzalez.

Chester County OIC is a non-profit organization with offices in West Chester and Phoenixville dedicated to providing FREE adult basic literacy education and life skills programs that prepare individuals for employment leading to economic self-sufficiency. In operation since 1979, CCOIC helps over 800 adult learners per year.
Joyce is part of the slate of candidates running for West Chester Area School Board called Better Direction for West Chester. I totally enjoyed meeting her and well, West Chester Area School Board would be lucky to get someone like her.  Any school board would, so here is hoping voters check her out.

I had never met PA State Representative Duane Milne before and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I always enjoy seeing PA State Senator Andy Dinniman and we chatted Chester County SPCA and other things.

But I have to tell you I was nervous going to a luncheon where I only knew a couple of people and now I look forward to going to another one.  It has been a very long time since I met such a caring and welcoming bunch of people who  had some amazing careers and were completely without pretense or artifice.  They care because it is simply the right thing to do. We could all take a page out of their book.

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For more information on Latino Luncheon, check out their Meet Up, Facebook Latino Luncheon – Chester County PA , and Twitter

Next time I will bring a grown-up camera to get some really great shots for these nice people!

Also a shout out is in order to Iron Hill Brewery – I love that they host these community endeavors so graciously and nicely!

now that’s italian

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So I got my weekly email from the East Goshen Farmers Market and they said they had this chef/author coming. So I checked her out at the market, and maybe it is just an Italian thing, but so fun!!!

The book is called Gravy Wars and it is by Lorraine Ranalli. Part cookbook, part memoir, and all fun! If you know anyone who is Italian, especially Philadelphia Italian, they will love it! Even if you are not Italian….you will love it!

If you belong to a book or cooking club, I would ask her to come- she is that fun! And besides, a few recipes better than mama makes ? Nothing wrong with that either!

http://www.gravywars.com

Ciao!