Memphis Democrat Column Week of 11/3/08
Tony here with the Rabbit news. The weather has been beautiful here the last few days with clear skies and highs in the low seventies. Its probably summer's last gasp so we are out savoring the warmth while we can, while also taking in what Missouri offers in fall colors.
It's election-eve as I write this and I for one am on edge waiting for the big day. I've been out canvassing in Memphis, knocking on doors trying to get out the vote. Its been fun to get out and meet some more of our neighbors in the county and I hope we'll see high turnout this year.
The Rabbits will descend on our polling place in Rutledge tomorrow morning. If there are long lines it will be our own fault as Rutledge normally sees only a hundred voters or so. I can't express how great it is to live in a place with great election workers and low population which makes it very easy to vote. I love that the County Clerk even proactively sends someone to the hospital to get absentee votes from any patients who won't make it to the polls on election day. Now that's service -- Thanks Betty!
On Tuesday, at our weekly potluck with Sandhill and Red Earth Farms we had Jeff Behrens from the Extension Council, Paul Campbell of the County Commissioners, and Betty Lodewegen, our County Clerk, attend to give a pitch for the 1/2 cent sales tax increase that is on our ballot tomorrow. We left much better informed about how the tax would affect us and would help fund the Extension Council and all its great programs. I'm hopeful it will pass tomorrow.
On Halloween we had our annual progressive party, with the community traipsing about from one house to another. There were treats and ghost stories and dancing and beverages. We even performed a ceremony to rid Liat's house of the monsters that have been invading it of late (monsters of the small rodent variety that is). There was even a flaming pumpkin Morgan set up at the Carleton's which had smoke and flames shooting from eyes and mouth, all from burning straw. It was quite impressive. Costumes included Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mother Teresa, a very convincing pirate, some dead stockbrokers, and an IMac G3. While most of us stayed home for the party, some of the kids went trick-or-treating in Memphis and stayed for a Halloween party in town.
We also celebrated the Mexican tradition Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is a holiday where people honor loved ones who have passed on. We had an altar with candles and photos or mementos of those we have lost and then shared stories on Sunday. It seems like a tradition we're likely to repeat as the act of sharing memories of grief and loss with your community seems quite powerful.
On Friday morning we had a big work party to clean out part of the machine shed to create a space to park some of our vehicles during the winter. We had a big crew moving windows, wool (we use it for insulation), straw bales, reused lumber, and all manner of stuff to make room. Some stuff was new but for me it was gratifying to finally cleared out the last of some reused oak flooring I we put there 10 years ago.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is a nonprofit and a residential community that demonstrates ecological sustainability in Rutledge, MO. Due to the extended nice weather we will have one final Saturday tour of the year on November 8th at 1pm. For more information, please give us a call at (660) 883-5511, or check out our website at http://www.dancingrabbit.org.
It's election-eve as I write this and I for one am on edge waiting for the big day. I've been out canvassing in Memphis, knocking on doors trying to get out the vote. Its been fun to get out and meet some more of our neighbors in the county and I hope we'll see high turnout this year.
The Rabbits will descend on our polling place in Rutledge tomorrow morning. If there are long lines it will be our own fault as Rutledge normally sees only a hundred voters or so. I can't express how great it is to live in a place with great election workers and low population which makes it very easy to vote. I love that the County Clerk even proactively sends someone to the hospital to get absentee votes from any patients who won't make it to the polls on election day. Now that's service -- Thanks Betty!
On Tuesday, at our weekly potluck with Sandhill and Red Earth Farms we had Jeff Behrens from the Extension Council, Paul Campbell of the County Commissioners, and Betty Lodewegen, our County Clerk, attend to give a pitch for the 1/2 cent sales tax increase that is on our ballot tomorrow. We left much better informed about how the tax would affect us and would help fund the Extension Council and all its great programs. I'm hopeful it will pass tomorrow.
On Halloween we had our annual progressive party, with the community traipsing about from one house to another. There were treats and ghost stories and dancing and beverages. We even performed a ceremony to rid Liat's house of the monsters that have been invading it of late (monsters of the small rodent variety that is). There was even a flaming pumpkin Morgan set up at the Carleton's which had smoke and flames shooting from eyes and mouth, all from burning straw. It was quite impressive. Costumes included Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks, Mother Teresa, a very convincing pirate, some dead stockbrokers, and an IMac G3. While most of us stayed home for the party, some of the kids went trick-or-treating in Memphis and stayed for a Halloween party in town.
We also celebrated the Mexican tradition Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, which is a holiday where people honor loved ones who have passed on. We had an altar with candles and photos or mementos of those we have lost and then shared stories on Sunday. It seems like a tradition we're likely to repeat as the act of sharing memories of grief and loss with your community seems quite powerful.
On Friday morning we had a big work party to clean out part of the machine shed to create a space to park some of our vehicles during the winter. We had a big crew moving windows, wool (we use it for insulation), straw bales, reused lumber, and all manner of stuff to make room. Some stuff was new but for me it was gratifying to finally cleared out the last of some reused oak flooring I we put there 10 years ago.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is a nonprofit and a residential community that demonstrates ecological sustainability in Rutledge, MO. Due to the extended nice weather we will have one final Saturday tour of the year on November 8th at 1pm. For more information, please give us a call at (660) 883-5511, or check out our website at http://www.dancingrabbit.org.