Inspiring

Alice Paul 1885-1977

Well, today was Last Saturday Knitting, and that always is inspiring. But what really jazzed me this evening was watching "Iron Jawed Angels", a wonderful HBO video about the women at the beginning of the twentieth century who fought, with incredible organization, determination and courage for the right to vote. I remember seeing ads about this film when it first came out, but we didn't get HBO, so I missed it at the time. Many thanks to CatBookMom for reminding me of it's existence.

ETA: Alice Paul was the preeminent organizer and leader of this movement. There is a good summary biography of her involvement here on, of all places, a US State Dept website.

I still can't quite believe it

This appeared in the mail today.



It's the OOP book my heart has been craving for, oh, ever so long - in perfect, like new condition. It was shoeburyness' amazing prize contribution to the last Ravelry Knitters for Obama raffle. And I won it! I never win anything, but I won it!


If you are by any chance a Ravelry member and politically like minded, a second raffle has started, with some equally incredible prizes (new Louet spinning wheel, personally inscribed/signed copy of Franklin's new book, yarn in personal custom colorway from Black Bunny, many others). The raffle will be running through Oct 31, and full details are here.

Visible Progress

As it turned out, the school secretary's plans changed at the last minute, and my subbing gig at the High School got cancelled. But that's OK, because it left me with a suddenly free afternoon yesterday. So I finished the heel flaps and turns on the Crest O' The Wave Socks.



Now I've started the gusset decreases on the first one. Got to admit, I love the parts where the rounds get shorter as you go.

Busy

Rather a whirlwind weekend here.

Sat 9:00-12:00 - work at the library
12:10 - run across the street to set up and staff an information table for candidates I'm supporting in the upcoming elections. Saturday was Homecoming - the biggest local event of the year. I was located one block behind the parade route, but strategically between the parade and the football field, so there was a fair amount of traffic moving from one to the other. Not a lot of people actually stopped, but several picked up yard signs. A got quite a few smiles and thumbs up, and only one rude comment - and that from a source that didn't surprise me in the least.
4:30 - went to a party (!). Some friends outside of town had open house/potluck. It's a lovely spot on an open ridge with a beautiful view over the valley. Excellent food. Musical guests bring their instruments so we had some "old time", some Celtic and even a bagpiper. I always run into folks I enjoy, but who I haven't seen in months.

Sun am - sleep in. How can two glasses of red wine make me feel as if I had been on a bender?
2:30 - a large "visitation". One of Mr S's co-worker's father-in-law passed away this week. He had lived here many years, been active in the community in many ways, so the turnout was large, and the line moved rather slowly. People visited and I was reminded again how important visitations and funerals are in a small town for weaving a community together.

Today I will head up to the High School to cover for the secretary from noon - 3:30 (my first subbing gig of the year), then to the library at 4:30 for my regular shift.

Aargh, Matey

I think I saw somewhere that it's Talk Like a Pirate Day. I could be wrong.

Things have been pretty busy chez Baxter so I don't have much in the way of knitting progress. Another inch on a sock, another inch on Hudson River, not enough of either to make it worth posting new pictures.

What is up with Wal-Mart? I was in Dodgeville and stopped in at the relatively new "super" Wal-Mart. I thought that if I could find red, white and blue balloons anywhere it would be there, but nooooo. Also, the store is enormous, but the available yarn selection was about 6 feet of sparsely filled shelving. They are clearly just trying to sell off what little bit they have left. Since their entirely insufficient selection of both yarns and balloons were fortunately located within 20 yards of the entrance, I was able to escape without penetrating any deeper into whatever it is they do have taking up all that space. Man, I miss Ben Franklins.

An Absolutely Nonpartisan Heads Up to Wisconsin Voters

While I believe passionately in the candidates I am supporting, this will not be a partisan post; because I believe equally passionately in the right and responsibility of all qualified citizens to vote.

I really believe in the ideal that Abraham Lincoln lifted up in the Gettysburg Address: "...that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

"Of the people, by the people, for the people" only becomes real when the people exercise their right to vote. If you believe in democracy, if you cherish democracy: vote!

If you are not registered, do it now. It is true that in Wisconsin you can register on election day at your polling place. But this is going to be a hotly contested election, with long lines in many precincts. If there are large numbers of same day registrations this will slow the process down for you and for everyone. And by registering now, you can ensure that you know exactly where to go to cast your vote on election day.

If you, for some reason, simply cannot register in advance, go to vote anyway. Be sure to bring valid identification and proof of residence.

If you think you are registered to vote, even if you feel positive that you are registered, please verify this now. Our State Attorney General has recently file suit to challenge a large number of registrations currently on the official precinct rolls (see this article from the Sept. 13 "Capitol Times").
It is very easy to verify your registration status at this State of Wisconsin website. I just did it myself, and it was quick and simple, took much less time than reading through this blog post.

OK, lecture over, except for one thing, bug the people you know to think about the issues, think about the importance of the democratic process, then do more than think, get out and vote.