Election Day

The storm was fast and furious but we survived. I usually go into the one room of the house, Dave's office, that has only one window. I take the dogs with me...HA! as if I could escape them... and find a television program that's LOUD. Then we watch television until the storm passes by and nerves have got us all ready for bed.

Today is election day. Our House Representative, Jackie Stump, is resigning due to health problems. He and my Dad served on a state committee dealing with Veterans Cemeteries. Both Dad and I found Mr. Stump to be a good and gracious representative. He'll be missed greatly as well as being remembered in prayer.

There are four men running for this office; today we vote. For me, voting is a privilege and I've yet to not vote in any election. Too many men and women have died to afford me this privilege and I take it very seriously.

It's raining again but the temp is in the 40's F and that makes it chilly but nice. This is not January weather and *real* January weather waits right around the corner to shake us out of our doldrums. The horses are covered in mud, that's one way they insulate themselves against the chill, and the sheep are grazing peacefully. They, with their long wooly coats, aren't bothered at all by the chill. In fact, they much prefer the chill of the colder months.

Yesterday I finished a scarf design for the 2007 Knitting Pattern a Day calendar. Their website is www.accordpublishing.com/knitting;knitting.htm . Today, I'll e-mail the photo and pattern to Pauline; there are also a couple of other patterns I need to send her. The calendar is a joyful little box with each day having a separate pattern with photo. In 2006 my offering was a child's hat called Bebe A-Go-Go on October 19th. It's a cute little hat and Sophie, my brown Shetland ewe, modeled it for me. If the weather abates, I'll have Sophie or Carly model this red scarf for me as well.

Yesterday I also knit up a couple of hats for the afghans for Afghans project. They are trying to get 500 hats on 500 little heads by end of January. If you're interested, please visit their website at www.afghansforafghans.org ; it's a great project. Just think, in one half of one day you can put a warm, woolen hat on a child's head. What a small blessing to give, what a great blessing to receive...or do I have that backwards?

There are several packages and letters I must mail today; I'm trying to beat the postage increase on Sunday. My barn chores have been done for this morning and I'm waiting for better weather - hope springs eternal - so I can set out another round bale of hay for the mares. The sheep have almost finished eating the Christmas tree needles and I need to find them a few more trees. I need to set out minerals for both sheep and horses; birdseed for the feeder and am tempted to gather in the Christmas decorations. I generally wait until Twelth Night which is Friday but have the yen to start this week unencumbered by knowing there are chores ahead of me I could tend to now.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the West Virginia miners who are trapped underground. Our prayers include their families and the rescue crews. Family lores has it my Daddy's people came to this country from the coal mines of Wales and my Dad started out as a coal miner before moving to central VA. But, his Daddy and brother, cousins, friends and other family members stayed in the West Virginia coal fields/mines. My cousin was part of a crew that was in a mine explosion and they were, eventually, thought to be dead and the mine sealed with all bodies inside. My favorite Uncle died while on the job and various kin folk are disabled due to mining accidents. It can be a violent job; fraught with perils and dangers both above and below ground. If the work of our men folk have always been the coal mines then the work of our women folk have always been prayer.

The tradition continues.