It's here ...

Isn't there always an omen somewhere? Shouldn't there have been some sort of sign? I can only picture the stars aligning, pointing me away from a persimmon. Perhaps they needed help at the Dogwood Festival? Perhaps I should quit saying "yes" altogether, and start enjoying some quiet time at home.

But what would be the fun in that?

Persimmon week started easy enough. Second in command, I was pretty ready for whatever was thrown at us this weekend as we went about the business of setting up the festival.

Or so I thought.

About the time the canopy over the stage collapsed and a busted water pipe sent water shooting 40 feet in the air, I started really questioning my sanity. When the electricity wasn't turned on, and the canopy folks questioned whether or not they could fix our busted canopy, I almost checked myself in. ... Except there's no time for that. After all, the Wesleyans needed to make their power cord reach the outlet, and Manny the Greek needed a place to sleep. Jym needed a carnie to move his car, and the carnies needed water for their campers.

When you're planning the Persimmon Festival, it's always something.

We still don't know where that chunk of asphalt landed after it was shot in the air by a 40-foot water geyser caused by a tent stake through a six-inch water line. But it's now fixed. The stage is still a disaster, but it, too, will get fixed. That's our job ... we plan, then fix.

But in between running up and down Main Street, we find a lot of time to laugh.

Hazing a first-year parade chairman can grab an easy laugh. Serious and quite nervous about his job, we decided to submit fake parade entries. One form was for the "Tube Top Review: Boobs are Us" and "Gay and Lesbian Pride." When asked about the size of our unit, of course we entered "DDD." And when he called frantic about whether or not he should allow these units, after he already consulted the 73-year-old chamber secretary about her opinion, we couldn't help but laugh. Matter of fact, we were rolling in the street. He says paybacks are hell, but we'll see what happens.

Then there was the supposed "sewer backup" on Main Street. We told Brother Moe there was turds floating down Main Street, and he needed to come immediately. He's worked for the city for a very long time. He told us there are no sewer lines on Main Street. But he also said he understood -- we were bored, it was raining, and we had to play a trick. That made us laugh more than the joke itself.

Ahhh ... It's the Persimmon Festival.

Hard work, but fun work. Friendships, dedication, volunteerism at its best.

And lots of rain ... lots and lots of rain.

Pass the poncho, and bring on the pudding!

Political chaos

Raised in a Democratic family, I thought that was the only political choice until I got old enough to realize we, as Americans, live in a democracy that upholds a choice when it comes to politics. In America, we have the right to be Democrats, Republicans or Independents. We get to say what we want, when we want, without government intervention.

So why, I wonder, is it that everyone wants to force their political views on others?

I purposely keep my political views to myself because I am a newspaper reporter/editor. I have to interview Independents, Republicans and Democrats. Wearing an elephant on my sleeve isn't exactly what you would call status quo for my job.

Because I keep my views pretty private, there has been a lot of speculation as to what I actually am. When folks figure it out, I wish they would let me know.

You see, I am straight down the middle. I have a lot of views that align themselves with the right, and some that go left.

I've never been on welfare or used any sort of government system. I do believe I have the right to make my own health care choices, but believe the system is broke when my provider charges my insurance company at least three times as much as they would charge me if I was a self-pay patient. Children need to be protected and deserve the uptmost support when it comes to education and a good life. But, yes, I believe in same-sex marriage. And, no, I don't agree with everything Obama has done, particularly when it comes to spending. I think government should spend less and tax less.

Marriage is not a religious issue. Same-sex couples should be afforded a civil union. If the Catholic, Methodist or Presbyterian church wants to forbid same-sex marriages within their buildings and clergies, based on the Bible, then so be it. If the government wants to ban it based on the Bible, then I have a problem. Government and religion should be kept separate. I am, perhaps, the only person in Lawrence County without an "In God We Trust" license plate for that same reason. I go to church, consider myself a Christian, and love God above all else, but when it comes to government, I want things separate, so I can worship freely and so my great-grandchildren can worship freely.

Health care is a mess. Too many people are uninsured, especially children. Do I want the government telling me what to do when it comes to health care? Hell no. Do providers and insurance companies need a fix? Hell yes. Take my son's recent tonsilectomy. My insurance was charged $900 for the procedure. The provider got $100. Didn't my provider overcharge my insurance by nine times? And isn't my deductible and co-pay based on the $900 figure, and not the $100 the insurance company said the procedure should cost?

The government rebates and bailouts are out of hand. Cash for Clunkers was a joke, as is the first-time homeowner rebate. Not to mention, only a very small percentage of the population actually benefits from these programs. The people who actually need the help aren't getting it. It's not helping John Doe who lost his job at Visteon and can't find work. How can he afford a new car payment? How will he save his house? Too much spending. My great-great-grandchildren will be paying off the debt.

My problem? Cable television news shows. I wish MSNBC and Fox News would quit fighting and bickering. I wish Glen Beck and Rush Limbaugh would quit scaring the right-wingers, and I wish Keith Oberman would get over George Bush's actions, or lack thereof. Too many people think the world is going to end if a man marries another man. Too many liberals fight for ridiculous causes while our own children starve, suffer through abuse and are neglected. Forget the whales, dogs and seals and start looking at the children in our own backyards.

Soapbox? I have plenty. Liberal? Sometimes. Conservative? Sometimes. American? Always. You see, it's my right to voice my opinion. Like it or not. But no one is ever going to tell me how to think ... not the government, Facebook or cable news. And I suppose that's why Freedom of Speech is my most appreciated constitutional right.

Going batty?

The idea came to Henry and I as we puttered through Crawford County Saturday afternoon on our way home from Holiday World. "I love Marengo Cave," I sighed almost to myself after we passed a billboard advertising the national landmark. "We should take the boys, Monday," hubby proclaimed, hearing me as he intuitively does.

So, we took the boys to Marengo Cave Monday. And it just so happened that it was 126th anniversary of the discovery of the cave. That was just our good luck.

But I had an idea to make it a little funner for the boysies. I bought each of us a gray T-shirt at Wal-Mart and a few bottles of neon and glow-in-the-dark fabric paint. I figured we could decorate our shirts and wear them to the cave. Not only would it be fun, but we'd surely stand out in that dark underground passage.

Okay. So there was this glob of glow paint that landed right in the middle of Jacob's shirt, and Lucas had a rough time drawing webs with the blue paint. We kind of looked cheesy, but it was a great idea. Alex glowed for SpongeBob, Lucas glowed for Spider-Man, Jacob glowed for a Shelby Mustang GT he drew himself, Henry glowed (as he always does) for the Steelers, and Mommy looked quite femine with her dragonflies, bumble bees and flowers ... It was a great idea.

We wore our shirts and loved their effect in the cave. We picnicked outside the cave, and we took a long nap after we got home so we'd be able to stay awake to watch the fireworks.

Kid-centered days are the best. And homemade T-shirts make more than memories.