PESD? Post-Election Stress Disorder

Image courtesy vox_efx, creative commons

As I write this, the presidential election is still undecided. Which is fine. The Republicans have campaigned for 17 months now...there ought to be a law against that!
When I wake up tomorrow morning, we will have a new President-elect, and frankly I don't care who it is because both the major party candidates nauseated me.
I voted for a small third-party that I was actually excited about, that I believe(d) in, and may try to get involved at the local level at some point. That was important to me--voting for something, rather than against.

If tomorrow morning you wake up in agony at the thought of our new president, ignore it. Better yet, put that energy into your community. Fill blessing bags for the homeless to carry in your car. Go to a parks commission meeting. Tutor a struggling student. Learn the names of the trees in your neighborhood. Know your watershed. Help a neighbor rake leaves. Learn your neighbor's names! Join a civic group. Buy some coffee for the teachers in the nearest school. Volunteer to watch children of the single parent down the street for two hours.

The point is..forget Washington, D.C., they've already forgotten you by Wednesday. Real change is going to happen in homes, churches and synagogues, schools, neighborhood groups, watershed organizations, Boy Scout troops, you name it. Slogans created by a focus group mean nothing. The time and treasure you put in to building your neighborhood are where it's at. It may not be sexy, but so what?

Challenge yourself. In what incremental way can you make your block a better place?

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Good reads of 2009

I haven't made a list like this in a while, and I believe I discussed most of these on the blog as I finished them, but I thought I'd make a handy short-hand list for you and me. These are only in the order I read them and do not indicate any preference. The Open Door * Frederica Mathewes-Green The Children of Hurin * J.R.R. Tolkien The Omnivore's Dilemma * Michael Pollan Agrarianism and the Good Society: Land, Culture, Conflict, and Hope * Eric T. Freyfogle Wonderful Fool * Shusaku Endo Up the Rouge: Paddling Detroit's Hidden River * Joel Thurtell and Patricia Beck Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction: Christianity and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation * Rodney Clapp (I started the following in December, but I haven't finished them--so far they are excellent: Love and Hate in Jamestown * David A. Price and The Picture of Dorian Gray * Oscar Wilde) Try one of these--let me know.

Worth Quoting

There are but three social arrangements which can replace Capitalism: Slavery, Socialism, and Property. --Hilaire Belloc ...

The Completely Unsexy Adventures of Constructing a Driveway

Yesterday marked the third phase in our attempt to create a homestead at the Martin Hollow. We now have a gravel driveway. Does this mean wild bacchanalia there? In a word: no. It simply saves me about 400 feet in walking when I'm carrying various tools designed to destroy decontextualized organisms, e.g. autumn olive and garlic mustard. It is also the beginning of our footprint on the land and it helps us to visualize where the house and garage will eventually be placed. The above are two views of the approach from our road which ends in a cul-de-sac (and a large pond just beyond that) to my right (north). Here's a closer view after the gravel has been added (above). This view is from the road facing south. Notice the culvert next the shovel? I told you this wouldn't be sexy. Just below is another view from the road looking northwest. You can see the bobcat tractor in the distance. This (to the left)...

I Am Not Hamlet

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