Happy. Friday.

Happy Friday, everyone! Thank you for stopping by today. We have blue skies and mild temperatures here in Starkville, MS, which makes for all kinds of Saturday dreaming. This little ditty is a preview of some of the themes of June’s upcoming desktop wallpaper [to be posted on Monday--see you then!] And, it’s a celebration of happiness and drawing… two things I’m all about. Throw some reggae in, and Friday, here we come!

For the Junkie uninitiated, let’s jump on the thought train before it leaves the station for parts unknown:
1. The computer that would not boot last night miraculously booted this morning. [and I do mean, miraculously, since quickie prayer was involved] It’s gonna be a happy day.
2. I walked into Baby Girl’s room this morning to find her STANDING in her crib with a big 0l’ smile on her face [I'm doing something new. I'm on the move. I'm lovin' it.] Further happy evidence!
3. I accomplished the long-anticipated scans of Little Drummer Boy’s first people drawings and Squiggle’s latest color explosion [more on that Monday].
4. The largest people guy (the one on the right) was described to me as “Happy Yo Yo” who I’ve been told is a giant from something LDB has been reading/watching in his preschool class.
5. Googled “Happy Yo Yo” to find the reference and LOOK what showed up…
6. Lyrics to “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Yo Yo Ma. [I'm guessing not the cellist] Flashback to college years. Truth in the oddest, but rhythmic places.

I’m loving these people. I like how their eyes are spinning and they’re squealing at the top of their lungs. I like how the dude on the left is moving his arms so fast you can’t even see them. It’s happy, folks. Sing with me…

Nesting No. 2

9th Day of Thanksgiving: The List

Last Friday, Hub and I attended Little Drummer Boy’s Thanksgiving program at day care and enjoyed a selection of turkey songs, his turkey headdress, a little day-dreaming, a great deal of jumping, and ham and cheese sandwiches.  It was our first “program” complete with all the fun we expected in a 3-year-old’s performance.  They did great. Their teachers did GREAT, and we captured it all on film.  Little Drummer Boy has now added HIS “movie” to the favorite list and enjoys giggles from the audience at each showing.

As part of the decorations in the Fellowship Hall, the teachers for each class had hung posters with lists of what the children said they were thankful for.  As you can imagine, the lists included everything from frogs to Spider Man to cheetos.  My Little Drummer Boy was thankful for “Mommy and Daddy.”  Right back atcha, sweet one!  In the grand tradition of preschool “What I’m thankful for” lists, my observance of the 12 Days of Thanksgiving would not be complete without a list or two of my own.  This one includes the silly, the sweet and the soul-searching of my life.  I tried to split it out, so as not to muddy up the serious with the superficial, but you know, life’s little Thanksgiving pageant just isn’t like that.  So, here goes (in no particular order. actually, in the order I thought of them, which is not particular)…

3.  Little Drummer Boy, Squiggle & Baby Girl — I start with (3) in Squiggle Man’s tradition because to separate them would suggest a first and last, and I could never decide that.
4.  Hub — his knowledge of 80′s rap and all manner of toddler wrestling moves, his commitment to follow hard after God and to work hard despite disappointment
5.  My Family — their generosity, their love of traditions, their commitment to celebration, their pecan pie
6.  Laptops — daily Mac love
7.  WordPress — autosave, comment approval and spam catching widgets
8.  BlueHost — and it’s cheap hosting
9.  McDonald’s playland — chicken nuggets, family time and some “outside time” even on a rainy Sunday
10.  My Day Job — and the Queen who reigns there
11.  Cheesy Dogs & Tator Tots — my own little 30-minute meal, including the 50 stops to soothe tears, referee toy ownership, find pup-pup, start Dora, converse with Hub (rare!), bounce Baby Girl, move Buddy (the cat), find Noah and Jim (citizens of Little People land), fill juice cups, find pup-pup again, etc, etc.
12.  Ore Ida Steam N’ Mash Potatoes — Wow!  My favorite new product.  I can make homemade mashed potatoes (the rare food everyone loves) without peeling, chopping or boiling.
13.  Fallen leaves — and their crunch, the sound that immediately immerses me mentally and emotionally  in everything I love about Autumn
14.  The Internet — finding at least something about almost anything
15.  Simon & Garfunkel Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Baby Limas & Corn Bread — delicious.  the meal that makes me feel like I’m cooking like a Mama
16.  Our House — the fun of making it our own, the joy of giving our kids a place they belong, the realization that even if we didn’t have it, we would still have everything
17.  God’s Word — truth, solace, encouragement, instruction, admonition, past, present, future
18.  Giggles — and their abundance
19.  Saturdays — the day we “get to spend the whole day together”
20.  The Question “Why?” — and the opportunities for conversation it brings, 537 times a day
21.  God’s Mercy — boundless redemption from mistakes and wayward steps
22.  A Baby in the House — her smiles and coos, the bonding of nursing her, watching her recognize her own hands, letting her fall asleep on my shoulder
23.  Boys — the every day learning curve of truck horns, animal roars, constant movement, drum beats, tall towers, and the dream of the men they will be
24.  The Quietness of 11 o’clock — the peace of seeing them all asleep with arms sprawled or knees pulled under, and a few moments to myself.  it’s worth the loss of sleep.
25.  Laying my Head on the Pillow — in the hope that I’ve given each moment it’s due, trusting God to prune, fertilize and water what’s been done

My Vote Counted and other Election Debris.

Today I called the number.  I got the feeling that they don’t get many calls like mine, following up on an affidavit ballot.  But, after briefly describing my voting experience to the nice lady at the Chancery Clerk’s office, I now know that my vote was added to the tally.

As I’ve written before, occasionally media debris gets piled up in my brain–those random thoughts and observations that need an outlet before the maid service comes in.  Hence, the random Election Debris: 

1.  ABC news sported 50 states in 50 days during the primary season, an impressive endeavor.  I saw one woman and daughter from somewhere in the east (maybe West Virginia, I wasn’t paying attention).  They said their key issues for the election were “choice” and “equal pay for equal work.”  I’m wondering when we got to the place in our society when one word– “choice” –could immediately be understood my men, women and children alike to mean there’s no law that would prevent me from choosing to abort my unborn child.  Is that progress?

2.  ”I’m pro-life and pro-gun.” — from U.S. Senate candidate’s ad.  Life and gun.  Strange bedfellows.  But, there’s the Republican Party for you.

3.  Seeing the electoral map in all it’s red and blue glory a full (count them) six weeks before the election.  There’s something troubling about that.

4.  And, the Contrived-Programming-While-Trying-Our-Hardest-to-Look-Natural Award goes to… CNN! For the program (which I only caught a few minutes of) featuring a discussion of politics and the economy held at Delmonico’s in NYC around a poker table (3-sided, mind you. must leave room for the cameras).  Men and women with poker chips and high ball barware — what, no cigars?  Not politically correct, I guess.

5.  Roger Wicker & Ronnie Musgrove Senatorial ads ad nauseum.  Where’s the Pepto when you need it.

6.  General amazement at what makes it above the cable/digital fold:  Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter segues to Barak Obama’s terrorist neighbor segues to John McCain’s campaign suspension segues to Joe the Plumber’s tax returns segues to Mickey Mouse registers to vote

7.  Sometime during October, I sensed a strange absence.  Where is Joe Biden?  His name wasn’t even on the Obama ads.

8.  And, the You-May-Think-It’s-About-News-But-It’s-Really-All-About-Me-and-My-Profession Award goes to… A string of top news topics: Tina Fey.  Katie Couric’s interview questions.  ”What [insert candidate name here] needs to do is – ahem – as if [insert candidate name here] watches this program – chuckle chuckle.”  CNN facts across the bottom of the screen — thank you CNN, especially for letting me know the accomplishments of your reporters.

9.  What’s up with the trend showing the tv screens within tv screens?  Flipping your laptop around so the tv cameras can see it?  Tellistrating on the electoral maps?

10.  Bites:  Spread the wealth around.  You betcha.  I am not George Bush.

11.  The View.  There’s Joy sounding cantankerous and all Democratic.  There’s Elisabeth being the token Republican with a “yeah, but” when she could get a word in — although I appreciate that she brought notes on her research a couple of times.  There’s Barbara sounding like the voice of journalistic legitimacy, although didn’t that train leave the station when “daytime talk show host” was added to her resume right after “interviewed Fidel Castro.”  Then, there’s Sherrie–not sure for the longest where she stood, but saw her try to get loud on Elisabeth about McCain divorcing his first wife. I’m sensing some relationship/single motherhood issues from a couple of other comments on non-election segments.  And, then there’s Whoopie trying to appear fair while acknowledging her Democrat allegiance, refereeing the others, making a joke, declaring her friendship with John McCain and the Clintons (there’s a dinner party) and getting to commercial break so everyone gets their paycheck.  Ugh.

12.  Fox News website breaking news — “President-Elect Obama to Step Down From Senate” — duh!

This is EyeJunkie, and I approved this list.

Did My Vote Count?

I cast my vote yesterday at Fire Station No. 3.  Election officials had raised the garage doors to a beautiful Mississippi day, and it made for a nice open-air exercising of my “right” as an American citizen.  It took me about 45 minutes, including the drive across town from work–and that was a long time for my neck of the woods.  I went during the lunch hour expecting some sort of a line, but there were only two people in front of me at the M-Z table.  Yes, I live in a precinct requiring only two alphabetical tables.  The reason it took me so long was that my name was not on the registered voter list.  

I’ve voted in this location before, but only by affidavit.  I had also failed to return the change of registration form I got in the mail after the last election, so the absence of my name was only a minor surprise.  The ladies checked my street name to make sure I was at the right polling station, and then called over an apparently more authoritative poll worker to find out what to do.  He decided to call the Chancery Clerk’s office to determine how best to afford me my one vote.  The Clerk confirmed that another affidavit ballot would be the answer, and I was ushered to a table for further instructions.  The table happened to be in full sun, and I was somewhat blinded by the ballot.  But, having come this far, I was eager to let my voice be heard.  After a brief disappointment that I would not get to use the new electronic voting machines (yes, further evidence of my rural setting), I grabbed my nubby Ebony pencil, ready to avail myself of my enfranchisement.  

Another poll worker showed me the parts of the ballot envelope to complete with my personal information and after a few “hey theres,” “hellos,” and “I’m retired nows” in response to passing voters, he demonstrated how to fold the ballot so that the poll worker initials were in the right spot.  Interesting that no one requested to see any identification, but I suppose Starkville, Mississippi is not a hot bed for over-zealous ACORN voter registration volunteers.  The poll worker signed his name below mine on the completed ballot envelope and gave me a sheet of paper explaining affidavit ballots.  He pointed out the telephone number that I could call “not less than 10 days from this date” to find out (in his words) if my vote counts.  Hmmm.

After a few more reiterations of how to insert my folded ballot (apparently the location of the initials is crucial), I was left to my own voting devices.  When I had finished blackening circles for president, a senator, a representative, a few judges and a hospital bond issue, I inserted my ballot appropriately into the envelope and called over the poll worker.  He again reminded me of the phone number determining if my vote would count and directed me to the ballot box.  It was not the rough wooden ones I’d used in previous years, but a nice, blue canvas one with a seamed slit in the top.  I dropped the envelope in, said my thank yous, and voting was complete.

After what seems like years of campaign coverage, the election is over.  Regardless of which camp you favored, we now know the next president of the United States (and not just because CNN said so.)  Barak Obama has already been declared the 44th president, and I’m still left to wonder (and wait ten days to discover): did my vote count?  

This election was different, somehow.  News reports and candidate speeches indicate that there was a healthy voter turn-out, particularly among younger voters who haven’t been as engaged in the process in previous years.  The sheer months of constant news coverage has given the impression of greater interest this time around.  We’ve been trained by the last two presidential elections to monitor electoral votes, and cable news has been sporting the maps for weeks now.  I noticed that even in my small town precinct there was fallout from voter fraud concerns.  My polling station offered a tabletop display of voting “rules”, the reasons voter identification might be required and the appropriate documents or cards that might qualify.  I haven’t noticed that before.  There was also a huge stop sign printed with a warning that state law prohibits campaigning of any kind within 150 feet of the polling station.  That’s always been the case, but given the overload of media coverage, ad spots and road signs we’ve seen for almost two years now, that 150-foot campaigning-free zone around Fire Station No. 3 was a welcomed relief.

Still,  I’m left to wonder:  did my vote count?  A winner has been announced in most races.  Mississippi belonged to John McCain for the night, and not by a close margin.  News anchors had all but declared Obama the next president before the polls had even closed in California.  The final word on whether my ballot was thrown out will not be determined for 10 more days.   So, did my vote count?  Was it worth the time if my state’s six electoral votes are only a drop in the margin of victory bucket?  Was my trip to Fire Station No. 3 important even it had little to no effect on the election’s outcome?  

The answer:  Yes.  My vote does count.  It may not be the one vote that moves the ticker to 50.1%, but it counts.  Even ten days later, it counts.  It counts when it motivates me to form an opinion.  It counts when it makes me consider how government will effect my life.  It counts when it engages me in debate over where our country is and where it’s going–even when I’m only debating the tv screen.  It counts when it entwines me in an historic moment–for African Americans, women and elder statesmen, nay, for all Americans.  It counts when it attaches responsibility to my citizenship.  It counts when it inspires me to write a post.  

In our great country, voting is a “right” of birth and the completion of a few forms.  In a generation when we, as United States citizens, have become numbed by our own entitlement to speak and be heard, my vote still counts.  It counts because it can impose a term limit that dictators around this world dread and war against.  It counts because it celebrates a “right” that many of the poorest, sickest, most uneducated and displaced citizens in this world would consider a “privilege.”

I’m marking my calendar for Friday, November 14th.  I’m calling the number.  I’m going to find out if my ballot was accepted.  Because my vote is my privilege.  And, it counts.