Never Goodbye

Many have left us, soon to be forgotten. Others will live on in us for the remaining days we have. Some have impacted us even though we do not directly recall them....their name, face, walk or voice. What matters is that they have left a piece of them inside of us, to help us strive for the best that we can be.

Then there are those who will never be lost to us....name, face, walk or voice. This week we lost a TV star who has left her mark on many of us who struggled to find our voice, our life, ourselves. It was during the 70's and I watched faithfully every episode of Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Richards, a reluctantly assertive woman who chose a career over a family, working in a then man's world, growing in confidence and self-assurance of herself as a woman with a career and friends, who did not desparately pursue marriage as an ultimate goal.

I had always wanted a career and, because of the times, believed I had to get married, raise a family. I watched woman during my formative years and decided quietly that I did not want to raise a family, at least not at the beginning. I don't think I ever shared these feelings with anyone until permission was given by the women's movement and my weekly absorption in the life of Mary Richards.

She was largely responsible for affirmation of my life choices at that time. Through her and others like her I found my voice and my life.

Thank you Mary Tyler Moore. Through your portrayal of Mary Richards you gave me courage through the bumps of life. You will not be forgotten as long as I and others who follow will find voice to whatever choices we decide to make. Our silence has been broken and through us, for future generations of women.

The Early Bird

There it was, crossing the sidewalk, steadily, with certainty, but who know where it was bound?

It was the middle of January and the snowbanks were a foot high. The sidewalk was clear but that small black beetle was trudging determinedly across the clear spot to the other side which was a cement parking lot, melting, icy and bleak indeed.

I stopped on my journey down the walk to observe this small insect slowly crossing in the sunny, wintry, January day. Was it the sun that woke this critter from its safe spot under the snow and grass? I could only wonder, admire the fortitude and speculate on the future for the life that could not, but I hoped would, make it until the warmth of the spring day.

Nature showed itself yesterday. Wonder of wonders! Where, how, when and why? Another mystery of our world.

GOOD LUCK!

First Egg of 2017

There it was, lying in the straw on the coldest day of January! What a surprise for Bob who harvested the lovely blue-green egg. It had been such a long stretch of cold and snow that I didn't think to look in the nest since the hens stopped laying in October. Bob, ever hopeful, found the first one of the new year. Since then we have gathered two more eggs during the bitter cold week of the beginning of January.

What a treat! What faithful chickens! The days may be getting a bit longer, but the cold has stayed cold and colder, but in spite of that our two older hens are busy laying. The three younger ones have not turned out any so far. Let's hear it for experience over youth! Long may they lay!

Most of the snowy days the chickens stay inside of their coop. They do not appreciate the snow but Henny and Penny have begun their job of providing us with fresh, organic eggs.

It's cheers for Henny and Penny during this dreariest of dreary months of the year. Hope springs from the nest of straw in our backyard chicken coop and hope is deeply needed at this time.

Our chickens stick to the path that Bob shoveled for them when they dare to come out into the garden.

The Word from Washington

And so, after all of these years of struggle to keep our very "best of the best" VA facilities in Hot Spring, the decision came from Secretary McDonald, the director of the VA in Washington, that our VA will be closed. There will be bits and pieces left......the call center, the dialysis unit and a clinic, but for most of their health care the veterans from Hot Springs and the surrounding areas will require a longer drive with less personal care.

Since 2011 the community of Hot Springs has fought to save our VA in Hot Springs. It is one of the highest rated VA facilities in the country. Veterans come from all over the country to seek help in the domiciliary. One would think that the decision makers in Washinton would look at the VA ratings and decide to close those that fail to provide quality service. A commitee called Save our VA has been meeting faithfully for over 5 years to keep our VA in Hot Springs and other members of the community came to meetings to strategize, make signs, join protests, listen to our veterans.

Our veterans fought for us. They gave up years of their lives for their country. Now Washington has turned their backs on them. We, in Hot Springs, have not forgotten them. From the beginning we have been the veteran's town. 

"The nation which forgets its defenders will itself be forgotten."

Calvin Coolidge