Vermont Closer to Legalizing Gay Marriage

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — Nine years after becoming the first state to permit civil unions, Vermont moved a step toward legalizing gay marriage Friday.

A bill that would allow same-sex unions was introduced in the Legislature, causing a crowd of about several hundred supporters to gather at the Statehouse in celebration.

"This really is a great day and a part of moving forward to a time when all Vermont couples will be treated equally under our laws," said a sponsor, Rep. Mark Larson.

Click the title link for the complete AP article by Lisa Rathke.

Turkeys enjoying the nice weather

Everyday as I come and go, the turkeys call out to me, "gobble, gobble, gobble." Let's just say, I'm not the farmer in the dell, so I usually just go about my business during the cold days. My hubby is a USDA certified poultry broker, not me. The turkeys were fun last summer and fall, when they were small and had free range of the back yard under our watchful eyes. You could pet them and hold them. Sometimes they would fly up and sit with join me and a cat on a lazy summer day. Now they are much too big for that.

Since it got up to 62 degrees today, I took time to visit and photograph our free range turkeys after work today. They love the attention and are very friendly. We have eighteen out of the original twenty that we got last summer, when they were newly hatched. The turkeys are spoiled, and not one got butchered. The hens will be laying soon, and hatching their eggs.

This is our first attempt at breeding turkeys. Year before last we raised about 75 free range turkeys only to have them processed at the Central Illinois Poultry Processing Plant in Arthur, Illinois. We sold them all to the local organic store and direct to customers.

We also raise free range chickens. We cannot keep up with the demand for farm fresh eggs! All the chickens on hand now are probably safe from the butcher. Once Spring arrives we will raise white rock chickens again, as we have for the last few years having about 50 at a time three times a year. They are raised specifically for meat and sold to the local country club, organic store and direct to the public. Hi-ho the dairy-o, the farmer in the dell!

Remembering Dad

In Loving Memory of my Dad

This is my Dad, who passed away nine years ago today at the age of 64.

I am so disappointed that I couldn't find the picture I wanted to post, which was his Air Force picture. Dad served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He was stationed in Greenland.

Although I don't like the way his shirt glows in this picture, I do like how the photo seems to represent him. He loved the outdoors and especially like to go camping, hunting, fishing, and exploring natural monuments. He always wore a cap outdoors, and had dozens of them, which I now have.

He worked most of his life in construction as a heavy equipment operator. He would move to wherever a good long term job was located. One of his favorite jobs was during my high school years in Mississippi, where Dad was proud that he helped build the Tenn-Tom Waterway, a major canal that connected the Tennessee River and the Tombigbee River as an alternative route to the Gulf of Mexico. The waterway is stimulating economic development, providing outdoor recreational opportunities, aiding navigation, and enhancing wildlife habitat.

I had not seen my Dad since the mid eighties, probably around the time of this picture of us. I did keep in touch by phone and mail. He loved me unconditionally and was always saying "I love you, son." His death came as a complete shock and was caused by heart failure.

I am only now just getting over the guilt of not visiting him more, when he was still alive. I would've loved to have seen him again, but he lived so far down in rural Alabama, that I would need to take a week off to do that.

I was always "too busy" and kept postponing a visit, because I was working, involved in work related associations, raising my daughter, and volunteering and serving on a local non-profit board of directors. I know I should have made that thirteen hour drive or flew down, even though I would have to change planes three times and have long layovers. I thought I was just putting it off until the time was right. It's too late for me, but if you have a parent or loved one that is far away, don't make the mistake I made. Go visit them. Tomorrow may be too late.

Adventures at Walmart

Earlier tonight my other half says he's going to Walmart for a few groceries, since it's the closest store, "be right back," he said.

When he got home a couple hours later, I never even noticed how long he'd been gone. Then he tells me this hilarious story. I was gulping down a bottle of water and burst out laughing, then ended up coughing and choking. Don't you hate it, when somebody makes you laugh while you are trying to swallow a drink!

While shopping, he hears over the intercom "Code Adam, Code Adam!" He started looking around, wondering what the heck was going on. Then he heard over the intercom "young boy in orange coat." So, he figures a child is separated from his Mommy. But, evidently something more was going on and panic spread through the giant cold cinder block warehouse store. They were treating it as a kidnapping!

Usually you just see a few clerks, and I do mean a few, stocking shelves. All of a sudden managers wearing headsets came crawling out of the woodwork or the stock rooms, break room, or wherever they are usually hiding. Now he's ready to check out and notices the hillbilly clerks springing into action, bolting and locking the doors! One Walmart associate was heard saying "do you know the correct procedures?" And the other one said, "get the manual."

He works his way towards the exits and a crowd has already gathered. All these customers couldn't get out and a crowd had gathered in the vestibule, beating on the doors trying to get in. People were simultaneously either talking on their cell phones or taking pictures of the mass chaos. I wish I had a picture!

An angry loud woman asked the genius in charge, "if we don't have a kid, why can't we leave.? I don't have one in my pocket!" The associate then turned to one of the managers and asked him, "can they leave, if they don't have a child?" And he said, "I don't know!" This was definitely a manager, because he had on a wrinkled white shirt, an old pair of tight fitting high water black polyester pants, and he had a headset on-- yes, a headset, not a blue tooth, and not a walkie-talkie, a headset!

Customers got angrier and angrier, demanding to leave the store. Maybe they didn't want to be seen in there! That's why I go late at night, but usually that doesn't even work...I always run in to someone I know. Anyway, back to the story... one lady said she had to leave, because she had food on the stove cooking at home. Another lady announced that she too had to leave, and she had clothes in the dryer! I wonder how many were thinking to themselves that they had to get home, because they left their child alone!

In the midst of all the chaos not one policeman had arrived! Not wanting to lose a sale, the management decides to let the customers in and then finally decided that customers without a child could now leave, but those with children were not allowed to leave the store! My friend said he thought he had been in the twilight zone.

I couldn't help but laugh, and I hope the boy is found safe and sound. If he is anything like my daughter was, then you will find him hiding in the middle of a round rack of clothes. She used to do that to me all the time!

Don't Follow Me

Tracking your friends and family as they walk downtown or drive cross country is the goal of Google's latest product.

Google Latitude...not for me!

Now if I were a parent of a teenager, I'd say "sign me up!"