Voting Legacy

I was reading the Shelbyville Sentinel-News Friday which had printed the ballot for the various precincts in Shelby County. I was glad to see it because there are so many local races that we've never voted in before. But seeing the ballot reminded me of my parents, Arthur and Una Garrison, who set such a civic example for my brother and me.

Before every election, the two of them would sit down with the Sunday Tampa Tribune, which printed the ballot just before the election on Tuesday. Together, they would go through each race and talk about it. They didn't do it to synchronize their votes--although they usually voted the same way--but to share knowledge about the candidates and races.

They never made a big deal of it; thus, I never really thought much about it. Looking back, however, I realize what an impact this had on me. They modeled voting responsibility. There was never a question of voting or not voting; that was a given. They also modeled thoughtful voting and attention to local, state, and national issues. I can't say that their political views took root in my mind. But they taught me through their example to be politically aware and responsible, never to turn over that responsibility to others to decide for me.

So, thanks, Mom and Dad. I wish you were still here (although I know you wouldn't be voting my way).

Cyclones, oh my!

"A tornado reportedly touched down in Louisville, Ky., as the thunderstorms blew through around 11:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday."




Just a few minutes after that, we heard the sirens sounding the tornado warning. My first class was just ending, so I began ushering them into the small inside room adjacent to our classroom. Meanwhile, in the glass-enclosed (on two sides) lobby, others were clustered around the TV showing the radar, disregarding warnings to move to inside rooms.

While some were mostly curious, others were terrified. I found two young women huddled in the corner of one of the women's restrooms, who asked me fearfully when I came in: "Is it all-clear yet?"

The warning lasted about an hour. Needless to say, afternoon classes were not well-attended.

October in Kentucky

Beautiful Sunday afternoon in Kentucky. Although it looks like fall, it doesn't feel much like it. Incredibly, the high temperature yesterday was 80 degress F! We haven't even had a single frost yet.

This picture reminds me of last Sunday afternoon when Bob, Joan, and I went to Shaker Village nearby. Such a peaceful place and I love it especially in the fall. For the first time we took the riverboat trip, about an hour roundtrip between two of the locks. Because of the locks, the river in that stretch is more like a lake and very sparsely populated with people--animals, too, but all we saw were little schools of fish, some turtles sunning themselves on fallen logs, and one bold Great Blue heron who made a dramatic pass across the river right in front of us.

This railroad bridge spans the river just south (I think) of the riverboat landing. While we were loading people aboard, we were treated to several freight trains crossing the bridge as we watched.




















We went to Louisville late yesterday afternoon to do some errands in the big city. Since we were going, we decided to go out to eat and invited mel and Mark to go with us. We went to a restaurant in an older part of the city called Butchertown, just east of downtown, which got its name as you might expect. The restaurant is called The Blind Pig, "home of swine dining in Butchertown". Despite that, it was a classy, casual place, and we had some really good food.

I just put a beef stew in the oven to slow-cook. Now I'm going back to make a homemade pasta sauce with our own tomatoes, which are still producing at a regular rate. They've slowed down some because the days are getting shorter, but without a frost, they're still chugging along.

Somos contentos.