A memorable Halloween

Wonderful Halloween! Between 60 and 70 Trick-or-Treaters. Happy faces, some frightened by my “eye in the water glass” and Nedra’s pet spider on her shoulder.  Obama-Christie love fest in New Jersey and Romney’s fake donation drive made this one of the bright spots of autumn. We must remember those who were lost in Hurricane Sandy’s fury. Better days may lay ahead.

 

A Chipmunk's Autumn Treat

 

 

“I’ve got to find seeds and nuts for the winter. I feel its bite when I wake up from a night that gets longer than the one before,” thought little Chiquita Chipmunk shivering a bit this late bright afternoon in October. She was out and about, running from her nest under the porch to the bird feeder and back. Those Who Live Upstairs put out a new supply of sunflower seeds every day, along with fresh water.

The trees had shed most of their leaves and covered the lawn with patches of gold and crimson, orange and auburn. Leaves! Yes, she realized, “I need leaves for my nest.” Her home was a far corner of the crawl space below the porch. The windows of that room could be opened when the weather was warm and closed when it was frigid. She crammed several crinkly leaves in her pouches and hurried to the small entrance. In she dove to deposit the leaves and out she came to get more. She lost track of how many leaves she packed around her bed. They lay heaped in a pile twice as tall as she. She jumped into the middle to pack them down into a fluffy mattress. Her bed was now dark and very cozy.

As she was about to jump out into the laughing fragrant air she heard the sliding door of the porch open. She peeped out and saw Those Who Live Above come out and walk to their chairs with a low table between. As they sat she saw they had a large paper bag that they placed on the table. Whole peanuts! These were Chiquita’s favorite food. If she had two for breakfast, two for lunch and two for dinner she could do very nicely in the middle of winter.

Out she scampered toward the two who had now brought out handfuls of lumpy treats. Very quietly, the lady held a peanut close to the ground. Chiquita took the treat and quickly stuffed it into her left cheek pouch. The man now held one out and she grabbed it and stuffed it into her right cheek pouch. She ran as fast as she could to her lair and placed the peanuts in a pile near her bed. She returned to the patient twosome again and again.

The mellow sky turned its tawny early evening shades. She had gathered enough peanuts for many comfortable meals in the pleasant darkness of her little palace. Perhaps tomorrow Those Who Live Above would bring more peanuts. Chiquita waited as darkness brought her peaceful sleep.

 

 

Getting in the spirit...

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Canadian Consulate General visits CMU to discuss Proposal 6

From Sarah Delia:

As the Nov. 6 election approaches, Canadian Consulate General Roy Norton will visit Park Library Auditorium from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29, to discuss the implications behind a vote for or against Proposal 6. Proposal 6 would amend the state constitution to require voter approval before a new international bridge or tunnel for motor vehicles is constructed. As part of his presentation, Norton will answer questions from the audience to help voters make an informed decision at the polls.

Submitted by: Roger Coles, College of Graduate Studies, phone 6099, coles1rl@cmich.edu.

Is that a turkey, a politician, or a fungus on the stump?

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Gone but not forgotten

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Nature's maroon and gold

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A final drink before the freeze...

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Voices for Planend Parenthood at Central Michigan University.

Hello! 

 My name is Marie Reimers and I am the vice-president of Vox: Voices for Planend Parenthood at Central Michigan University...

Vox is hosting a guest speaker on October 22d at 7:00 pm in the Park Library Auditorium, and we think that some of your members might be interested. Jan Wilberg is renowned social activist who had an illegal abortion while she was a student at CMU. Jan wrote about her experience on Salon.com and her post garnered more that 100,000 views. Her essay is a flashback to another time, when abortion was illegal and hard to obtain. She tells her story to remind the public why safe and legal abortion is crucial to women. 

After Jan speaks there will be an opportunity for other women to tell their abortion stories in a safe and welcoming environment. Anyone who makes the space feel unsafe or unwelcoming will be asked to leave by campus security. 1 in 3 women will have an abortion in her lifetime. Abortion is a commonplace procedure, and it is time that we remove the stigma surrounding it. 

I have attached the flier for our event. I would love if you could forward this email and the flier to your members. 

If you have any other questions please let me know. You can contact me at this email or by phone at 989-751-1494. 

Thank you, 

Marie Reimers 

Vice-President 

Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood 
Central Michigan University 

Autumn stag

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My glasses are watching

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Ivy waiting for the frost

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Voter Guides available

From Theresa Turner:

 

Hello Everyone,

We have received shipment of the state voter guides AND our local voter guides.  We also have available flyers promoting
Vote 411.

So far the guides have been delivered to: Veterans Memorial Library and branches
                                                            Commission on Aging
                                                            SAC Center
                                                            Rics Supermarket
                                                            The Brass Restaurant
                                                            Flour Uprising
(The Bookshelf also has them: Ed.)
There are still quite a few guides left.  (The state guides are in packages of 100) 
If you could pick up guides/flyers to deliver to various places around the county that would be great.
The guides and flyers are on my front porch at 608 S Kinney, easily accessible.

PLEASE "REPLY TO ALL" TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHERE DELIVERIES HAVE BEEN MADE.

Thanks for your help.




Theresa
www.gardensbyt.etsy.com
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any"   -Alice Walker

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS

VOTER SERVICE 2012

OCTOBER 18

COUNTY COMMISSION CANDIDATES

6:30 TO 7:30

(1 MINUTE INTRO; 1 MINUTE FINAL STATEMENT)

approx 50 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS 

Tom Riley (D)          Distict 3

Roger Trudell  (R)   District 3

Jim Horton (R)         District 4

Jennifer Turner (D)  District 4  (will not attend)

 STATE HOUSE CANDIDATES

7:45 TO 8:45

(2 MINUTE INTRO; 2 MINUTE FINAL STATEMENT)

approx 50 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS

 

Kevin Cotter (R)

Adam Lawrence (D)

MODERATOR:  Samantha Minnis

SCREENERS:     Sarah Delia, Betty Clason, Marilyn Bidwell

TIMERS:            Cil Lorand,  Diane Current

QUESTION COLLECTOR:  Cindy Miles

OCTOBER 25

BOARD OF EDUCATION

7:00 TO 8:00

(1 MINUTE INTRO; 1 MINUTE FINAL)

approx 50 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS

Wynne Winslow

Jeffrey S Wigand

Sheila Murphy

Patty Strong

MODERATOR:  Samantha Minnis

SCREENERS:    Betty Clason, Sue Horgan, Cindy Miles

TIMERS;            Cil Lorand, Marilyn Bidwell

QUESTION COLLECTOR;  Diane Current

BALLOT PROPOSALS POWER POINT PRESENTATION

Begins at 8:15 pm

Presented by Sarah Delia, President, League of Women

Voters, Mt Pleasant Area

All events will be held in the City Commission Chambers at Mt Pleasant City Hall, 320 W. Broadway St

 

  

Barking up the right tree

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