The decision to start my own blog was, I hate to admit, borne out of frustration and anger. Since certain troublesome things seemed to be taking up most of my waking hours, and also robbing me of needed sleep, I decided to spend time blogging about the things that bother me most-- things I can't change, but wish I could. Hence the name, Odium Podium.
I'm happy to report that blogging can be very theraputic, but it also causes a certain amount of stress since you never feel that you've said it all, and that what you did say should have/ could have been so much better.
My husband and I got a letter in the mail today from a man we've dealt with (or, tried todeal with) for a long time, someone who let us down very much and caused us a lot of grief and worry in addition to taking a substantial amount of our money with no return. The letter made me angry, partly because he wants us to believe what he wrote (although he knows better), but also because he seems to think he can smooth things over at this late date by accentuating the positive. (Ever hear of Mr. In-Between?)
Since there is nothing I can do but answer it-- by taking it apart and showing his hypocrisy-- I intend to commit myself to doing that. And I need to for my own sake, regardless of the repercussions.
But something else came in the mail too. It was a two-page letter from a lady we used to go to church with in Lexington. She had seen our address in the church bulletin and decided to write to us.
My brother died recently and I suppose the church listed our address so that people could send a card if they wanted, but our friend, now in her eighties, was completely oblivious to this. She and her late husband were the sweetest, most honest people, and they have lived their lives so innocently it's almost comical (meant in the best way).
She wrote about her great-grandchildren who were born this year, and some various things in passing. Then she said her eyesight was failing and the doctor told her she was going blind. However, she has some drops that have improved the condition, although they hurt terribly, and she reports they are "a miracle."
When she mentioned the prospect of blindness, she told it almost as if it were happening to someone else, and she was just there as a bystander to watch it happen. She said "You wouldn't believe that happens to so many people."
Her attitude was so sweet and childlike, I couldn't help chuckling at my anger toward the man who sent the other letter because it was so trivial in comparison to her blindness she wasn't worried about.
I'm still trying to decide how to live my life, what I should answer, when not to bother, and so on. Some of these decisions are made for us all because we have to do certain things just to live, and everything else falls into some kind of order (or disorder), and we then choose what else we can manage to deal with, and how.
The trouble of it is that by the time I figure it out, my life will be about over and I'll wish I had lived it more like my friend..... Maybe that's one reason she's lasted so long.
She ended her letter saying, "God is so good to us." It's something to think about, especially when we find ourselves so riled up about things that are truly a grief, but also trivial.
Another friend of mine, age 83, always used to tell me that God is looking. I knew it was true then and didn't argue with her, but was usually still scheming after it was uttered. Now I am beginning to draw some measure of comfort from those three words, along with a certain amount of fear for those who are totally oblivious to the fact.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
The "Churchy" Church
I read a comment on another blog recently that was full of praise for a certain church that was "unchurchy". What does this actually mean, and why would someone think less of a "churchy" church?
For starters, I don't mind saying that churches are full of lost people trying to make themselves feel good by being religious, and they want very little to remind them of the suffering of Jesus Christ for the sins of his people. Real church makes us feel uncomfortable because we know that we haven't arrived, we don't know it all, and we are sinful. This kind of thinking really sobers you up.
No, we don't have to dress in black and go around with long faces, but the fact is that churches are ceasing to function as worship services and opportunities for instruction, reproof, exhortation, and rebuke. You can't expect much fellowship either. Everyone is too busy, and if they do get together and talk about everything under the sun besides spiritual things, they think that is fellowship.
I don't know it all, or even close to that, but I have seen it done differently. As a child, I enjoyed being in the regular (and only) congregation of our local church instead of being whisked off someplace else for my own age group. It gave me something to aspire to, and it wasn't difficult to understand. It was worship, not entertainment.
I enjoyed seeing believers pray earnestly and with tears over sin and concern for the unsaved. It was wonderful to request prayer--even calling people at home-- knowing that they would stop whatever they were doing to pray for you.
Nowadays, the average person goes to church, signs up for various kinds of "do-gooding", and is treated to sermons on "doing your best", caring for elderly parents, or how to deal with stress. People aren't interested in hearing about sin, or, more precisely, specific sins. Preachers don't wish to "meddle" (although they don't mind telling you you're too conservative) .
The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God. This is the part most people aren't comfortable with. God says that even the plowing of the wicked is sin. These are not popular topics in the pulpits of America, although at one time they were.
Why is it that people want their kids to grow up with a headful of television/ movies, prowess on the athletic field, all kinds of trashy music, yet don't care to be associated with old-time religion?
Can you imagine someone attending a classical music concert where the orchestra tried to modernize the content and then congratulating themselves on how they've improved upon the old masters. "Ugh, no one plays Bach like that anymore. Times are changing."Maybe this is being done, I don't know, but no one who knows anything about it is really impressed.
People act like you're trying to cheat your children out of something if your expectations for them are traditional, especially when the issue is a moral one, or what should be considered right or wrong. And churches are moving away from the old landmarks as fast as they can.
My family visited with an elderly woman several months ago who lamented, "We used to sing hymns; now we sing praise songs." She didn't like them. I don't either. They are sensual songs that could be sung anywhere and by anyone. I hate the beat and the dumbed-down words. A lot of other people do too, but they can't do much about it because some expert has made the decision for them. (And this is just one aspect of the modern un-churching of churches.)
I like a churchy church.
For starters, I don't mind saying that churches are full of lost people trying to make themselves feel good by being religious, and they want very little to remind them of the suffering of Jesus Christ for the sins of his people. Real church makes us feel uncomfortable because we know that we haven't arrived, we don't know it all, and we are sinful. This kind of thinking really sobers you up.
No, we don't have to dress in black and go around with long faces, but the fact is that churches are ceasing to function as worship services and opportunities for instruction, reproof, exhortation, and rebuke. You can't expect much fellowship either. Everyone is too busy, and if they do get together and talk about everything under the sun besides spiritual things, they think that is fellowship.
I don't know it all, or even close to that, but I have seen it done differently. As a child, I enjoyed being in the regular (and only) congregation of our local church instead of being whisked off someplace else for my own age group. It gave me something to aspire to, and it wasn't difficult to understand. It was worship, not entertainment.
I enjoyed seeing believers pray earnestly and with tears over sin and concern for the unsaved. It was wonderful to request prayer--even calling people at home-- knowing that they would stop whatever they were doing to pray for you.
Nowadays, the average person goes to church, signs up for various kinds of "do-gooding", and is treated to sermons on "doing your best", caring for elderly parents, or how to deal with stress. People aren't interested in hearing about sin, or, more precisely, specific sins. Preachers don't wish to "meddle" (although they don't mind telling you you're too conservative) .
The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God. This is the part most people aren't comfortable with. God says that even the plowing of the wicked is sin. These are not popular topics in the pulpits of America, although at one time they were.
Why is it that people want their kids to grow up with a headful of television/ movies, prowess on the athletic field, all kinds of trashy music, yet don't care to be associated with old-time religion?
Can you imagine someone attending a classical music concert where the orchestra tried to modernize the content and then congratulating themselves on how they've improved upon the old masters. "Ugh, no one plays Bach like that anymore. Times are changing."Maybe this is being done, I don't know, but no one who knows anything about it is really impressed.
People act like you're trying to cheat your children out of something if your expectations for them are traditional, especially when the issue is a moral one, or what should be considered right or wrong. And churches are moving away from the old landmarks as fast as they can.
My family visited with an elderly woman several months ago who lamented, "We used to sing hymns; now we sing praise songs." She didn't like them. I don't either. They are sensual songs that could be sung anywhere and by anyone. I hate the beat and the dumbed-down words. A lot of other people do too, but they can't do much about it because some expert has made the decision for them. (And this is just one aspect of the modern un-churching of churches.)
I like a churchy church.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Marcus Carey on the Wrong Side of the Craig Affair
I have a link to bluegrassbulletin.com on this blog. The commentator, Marcus Carey, is a conservative Republican attorney who ran for a seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court last fall (2006).
I was disappointed to read a recent post of his (my comments are below his) because it shows that he just can't seem to "speak evil of a fellow Republican". Just how low does a politician have to stoop before his character can be summarized beyond "not perfect"? Why does Mr. Carey criticize those of us who are shocked and outraged by Craig's perverse sexual pursuit as "insisting they behave as faultless human beings"?
Anyway, here's the post:
Armstrong Williams in a column today says this about the Larry Craig matter:
"As a citizen and fallen human being, my gut tells me to judge these people for their poor actions, and call for their removal. But my faith in Jesus Christ and deep held belief that forgiveness is best for everyone, leads me to call for patience and pardons. See, we all make mistakes. We all sin, error, and fall short of expectations. To judge and condemn others – even elected officials who should be held to the highest standard – usually just narrows our own heart and achieves nothing. That being said, I cannot sit idly by and allow my elected officials to go unpunished for these terrible deeds."
----------------------------
[Marcus Carey says:]
Once again even the best intentioned among the commentators just can't help suggesting that "we" the voters, have a duty to punish people.
Bottom line is this. Do we really want politicians to be the moral standard of the nation?
As for me, I find religious, charitable and community minded people to hold up for these standards for others to emulate.
Politicians are hired [sorry, they are elected]to do a job. Insisting that they also be faultless human beings is imposing an unattainable goal. It is impossible to choose perfect people from what initially begins as a pool of flawed human beings.
Judgment for criminal conduct belongs to the people. Judgment for sin belongs to God.
---------------------
I say:
It amazes me that Mr. Carey can take this stance, in light of his criticism (which I share) of Bill Clinton and others. Mr. Carey is one of many so-called conservatives who are behaving like "Yellow-Dog" Republicans. Republicans need to insist that these fake conservatives jump ship before they take us down to the level of the pedophile Catholic priests who have been shielded by their superiors and permitted to continue what they had no intention of stopping until they got caught.
I know that we need conservatives in the House and Senate. There aren't many (if any) Democrats out there who fit that description. But leaving someone like Craig in office is not justifiable on any grounds. .
Marcus Carey once told my family that if we didn't like how certain issues were handled that we had to work to elect new officials who would do the job right. He must be thinking about Gina, and wishing people would leave the personal out of politics. Sorry, Sir, that's just the way it is. If we leave all judgment of sin in God's hands, then we are giving it open season until the Day of Judgment. I don't think the rest of us are going to be doing very well until then.
I was disappointed to read a recent post of his (my comments are below his) because it shows that he just can't seem to "speak evil of a fellow Republican". Just how low does a politician have to stoop before his character can be summarized beyond "not perfect"? Why does Mr. Carey criticize those of us who are shocked and outraged by Craig's perverse sexual pursuit as "insisting they behave as faultless human beings"?
Anyway, here's the post:
Armstrong Williams in a column today says this about the Larry Craig matter:
"As a citizen and fallen human being, my gut tells me to judge these people for their poor actions, and call for their removal. But my faith in Jesus Christ and deep held belief that forgiveness is best for everyone, leads me to call for patience and pardons. See, we all make mistakes. We all sin, error, and fall short of expectations. To judge and condemn others – even elected officials who should be held to the highest standard – usually just narrows our own heart and achieves nothing. That being said, I cannot sit idly by and allow my elected officials to go unpunished for these terrible deeds."
----------------------------
[Marcus Carey says:]
Once again even the best intentioned among the commentators just can't help suggesting that "we" the voters, have a duty to punish people.
Bottom line is this. Do we really want politicians to be the moral standard of the nation?
As for me, I find religious, charitable and community minded people to hold up for these standards for others to emulate.
Politicians are hired [sorry, they are elected]to do a job. Insisting that they also be faultless human beings is imposing an unattainable goal. It is impossible to choose perfect people from what initially begins as a pool of flawed human beings.
Judgment for criminal conduct belongs to the people. Judgment for sin belongs to God.
---------------------
I say:
It amazes me that Mr. Carey can take this stance, in light of his criticism (which I share) of Bill Clinton and others. Mr. Carey is one of many so-called conservatives who are behaving like "Yellow-Dog" Republicans. Republicans need to insist that these fake conservatives jump ship before they take us down to the level of the pedophile Catholic priests who have been shielded by their superiors and permitted to continue what they had no intention of stopping until they got caught.
I know that we need conservatives in the House and Senate. There aren't many (if any) Democrats out there who fit that description. But leaving someone like Craig in office is not justifiable on any grounds. .
Marcus Carey once told my family that if we didn't like how certain issues were handled that we had to work to elect new officials who would do the job right. He must be thinking about Gina, and wishing people would leave the personal out of politics. Sorry, Sir, that's just the way it is. If we leave all judgment of sin in God's hands, then we are giving it open season until the Day of Judgment. I don't think the rest of us are going to be doing very well until then.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Water Hardness
I just saw a comment from a couple of days ago asking about my family's "hard" well water, so I thought I'd do a new post. When I related earlier that our water was "three times as hard" as most people's water, I was referring to a water hardness test that Rainsoft (the water softener dealer) did on our water seven years ago. Our numbers were three times as high as water from other areas of the county.
Although it's true that Rainsoft wanted to sell us a water softener, we had no problem believing what the rep said, not only because we witnessed the test, but also because the water hardly makes any suds when you try to lather up dish detergent or shampoo, hair and skin usually smell strongly of sulfur (at least immediately following a bath), and the hair especially never feels clean. Additionally, I am from a state where most of my friends had the same problems (I grew up with sweet spring water)and compared to theirs ours is so much worse--and they don't have the muddy water when it rains.
All our dishes, especially the pots and pans, are prone to the mineral scaling that many people have seen on water pipes or in coffee pots. To get rid of it, I use baking soda and vinegar in my dishwater (how I wish I could say dishwasher!) to soften the water, and sometimes have to scrub with straight vinegar. It works, but the vinegar cuts down on the few suds I have.
If you look at the wikipedia article on hard water, most all of it applies to our situation. I lived for a time with some friends (my pastor and his wife) in my home state (WV) who had water hardness problems. They bought a Rainsoft water softener (which I didn't realize costs about $1000) which took care of the hardness, but their whole house still smelled sulfuric. We could only stand to drink their water if it were put in a glass jar and allowed to set overnight. For some reason this took care of the bad taste and odor.
But that isn't the whole story on the water here. Whenever it rains, the water becomes unsettled, and, depending on the intensity of the rain, is no different from what you'd get out of a mud puddle. It can take days to clear up enough to use it. According to our county engineer, this entire area has a very unstable type of shale for many feet under the ground surface, so the ground shifts, and there are problems with the roads, water, and foundations of houses. (So far, our 60+ year-old house hasn't had any such problems; it's the new houses that are going to pot, but that's a topic for another post.)
Incidentally, I live about three miles from "Big Bone Springs", which has had noteriety in years past simliar to White Sulfur Springs, WV (about 50 miles from my childhood home), for the health benefits from drinking the mineral waters. Big Bone is touted as the "Birthplace of American Paelentology" and for the salt springs where Mary Ingles, with an unnamed companion, escaped from Indian captivity. Our water is not only sulfuric, but apparently has a high concentration of other minerals as well.
Some friends from MO, who now live in KY, told me that their well water back home was similar to ours when it rained, and they were concerned about the chemicals from nearby farms possibly getting into their well and contaminating the water.
I don't mean to gripe about our circumstances, and I have learned a lot. It makes a person learn how to clean really fast and get a lot done in a short time. It's also shown me the practicality of why people consumed wine, beer, and ale throughout history. The only reason our family can stay here is that we can buy drinking water, and sometimes haul water in barrels. Historically, most people have had to make due with what they had, including an inadequate water supply and/or poor water quality.
I certainly don't advocate alcoholic beverages. I do believe that Jesus used wine when He instituted the Lord's Supper, and I think that He surely drank wine as most people would have in those days. I do not believe a person can use the Bible to prove total abstinence from alcohol, although I can't see why anyone would want it. It is true that Kentucky Bourbon was the brainchild of a Baptist preacher, and a reading of the minutes of various denominational churches reveals a close association with and acceptance of moderate use of alcohol, but church discipline when the use was in excess and members became drunken.
When I moved to Kentucky, I knew it was "grape juice" territory. Many churches in this state (or, more correctly, Commonwealth) switched from wine to grape juice during prohibition. But some churches and preachers try to cover this up and act as if grape juice has always been the accepted scriptual element. I will try not to elaborate on this too much just now, but what they do is attempt to go into language study (which they mangle badly) to prove their point. This is followed by an examination of Biblical references to wine, which usually consists of mentioning a few passages where wine is portrayed as negative, for whatever reason, and they harp on that. But for passages in which wine is referred to in a positive light, they twist and turn them and try to say that the translation of "wine" in these passages is inaccurate, and it was instead a very special type of grape juice.
Their real point is that God hates alcohol, and Christian association with it in any form is the result of a mistaken Biblical translation. I fell into this for awhile, trying to go along with this type of reasoning because I thought I could use it to convince my brother to stop drinking. He just laughed, and after awhile I did too (not literally).
When a drunkard tells you, "Jesus drank wine," as an excuse for their drinking, their motives are obviously completely self-serving. In the first place, most of them seldom, if ever, drink wine. My extended family on both sides is replete with drunks, and my 31-year-old brother died of liver failure almost three weeks ago on August 24th. My husband's Jewish professors drink wine moderately and during festivals, but I have never known anyone who drank beer or whiskey moderately.
I hate alcohol and I don't think there is any good reason for people to consume it as a beverage. My family put forth a good deal of time and effort in opposition to a proposed zone change which would have allowed a biker bar on our road. The smell of alcohol is repugnant to me, and I can't understand why anyone wants to drink it. I also hate the bourbon balls and rum cake that my "grape juice" friends love.
I have never personally known anyone who used alcohol for medicinal purposes, or to "purify" their bad water enough to drink it. Mary Breckenridge used it for her hospital in Hyden, KY, and says in her autobiography, Wide Neighborhoods, that she had no difficulty obtaining it for her hospital, but was always worried about being robbed of it while transporting it on the long hosreback ride from Lexington. (She never was.)
I would like to say more about all this, but my children are in need of parenting, and I will follow some of this up at a later date. I made this blog on Saturday (09/07) and didn't get online again until today, so I'm not sure when I'll get back to this. I will probably follow this up with a post against alcohol (in case anyone has any doubts about my convictions) and my brother's death because I am having some trouble dealing with that (and it helps to get something like that off your chest), so stay tuned.
Although it's true that Rainsoft wanted to sell us a water softener, we had no problem believing what the rep said, not only because we witnessed the test, but also because the water hardly makes any suds when you try to lather up dish detergent or shampoo, hair and skin usually smell strongly of sulfur (at least immediately following a bath), and the hair especially never feels clean. Additionally, I am from a state where most of my friends had the same problems (I grew up with sweet spring water)and compared to theirs ours is so much worse--and they don't have the muddy water when it rains.
All our dishes, especially the pots and pans, are prone to the mineral scaling that many people have seen on water pipes or in coffee pots. To get rid of it, I use baking soda and vinegar in my dishwater (how I wish I could say dishwasher!) to soften the water, and sometimes have to scrub with straight vinegar. It works, but the vinegar cuts down on the few suds I have.
If you look at the wikipedia article on hard water, most all of it applies to our situation. I lived for a time with some friends (my pastor and his wife) in my home state (WV) who had water hardness problems. They bought a Rainsoft water softener (which I didn't realize costs about $1000) which took care of the hardness, but their whole house still smelled sulfuric. We could only stand to drink their water if it were put in a glass jar and allowed to set overnight. For some reason this took care of the bad taste and odor.
But that isn't the whole story on the water here. Whenever it rains, the water becomes unsettled, and, depending on the intensity of the rain, is no different from what you'd get out of a mud puddle. It can take days to clear up enough to use it. According to our county engineer, this entire area has a very unstable type of shale for many feet under the ground surface, so the ground shifts, and there are problems with the roads, water, and foundations of houses. (So far, our 60+ year-old house hasn't had any such problems; it's the new houses that are going to pot, but that's a topic for another post.)
Incidentally, I live about three miles from "Big Bone Springs", which has had noteriety in years past simliar to White Sulfur Springs, WV (about 50 miles from my childhood home), for the health benefits from drinking the mineral waters. Big Bone is touted as the "Birthplace of American Paelentology" and for the salt springs where Mary Ingles, with an unnamed companion, escaped from Indian captivity. Our water is not only sulfuric, but apparently has a high concentration of other minerals as well.
Some friends from MO, who now live in KY, told me that their well water back home was similar to ours when it rained, and they were concerned about the chemicals from nearby farms possibly getting into their well and contaminating the water.
I don't mean to gripe about our circumstances, and I have learned a lot. It makes a person learn how to clean really fast and get a lot done in a short time. It's also shown me the practicality of why people consumed wine, beer, and ale throughout history. The only reason our family can stay here is that we can buy drinking water, and sometimes haul water in barrels. Historically, most people have had to make due with what they had, including an inadequate water supply and/or poor water quality.
I certainly don't advocate alcoholic beverages. I do believe that Jesus used wine when He instituted the Lord's Supper, and I think that He surely drank wine as most people would have in those days. I do not believe a person can use the Bible to prove total abstinence from alcohol, although I can't see why anyone would want it. It is true that Kentucky Bourbon was the brainchild of a Baptist preacher, and a reading of the minutes of various denominational churches reveals a close association with and acceptance of moderate use of alcohol, but church discipline when the use was in excess and members became drunken.
When I moved to Kentucky, I knew it was "grape juice" territory. Many churches in this state (or, more correctly, Commonwealth) switched from wine to grape juice during prohibition. But some churches and preachers try to cover this up and act as if grape juice has always been the accepted scriptual element. I will try not to elaborate on this too much just now, but what they do is attempt to go into language study (which they mangle badly) to prove their point. This is followed by an examination of Biblical references to wine, which usually consists of mentioning a few passages where wine is portrayed as negative, for whatever reason, and they harp on that. But for passages in which wine is referred to in a positive light, they twist and turn them and try to say that the translation of "wine" in these passages is inaccurate, and it was instead a very special type of grape juice.
Their real point is that God hates alcohol, and Christian association with it in any form is the result of a mistaken Biblical translation. I fell into this for awhile, trying to go along with this type of reasoning because I thought I could use it to convince my brother to stop drinking. He just laughed, and after awhile I did too (not literally).
When a drunkard tells you, "Jesus drank wine," as an excuse for their drinking, their motives are obviously completely self-serving. In the first place, most of them seldom, if ever, drink wine. My extended family on both sides is replete with drunks, and my 31-year-old brother died of liver failure almost three weeks ago on August 24th. My husband's Jewish professors drink wine moderately and during festivals, but I have never known anyone who drank beer or whiskey moderately.
I hate alcohol and I don't think there is any good reason for people to consume it as a beverage. My family put forth a good deal of time and effort in opposition to a proposed zone change which would have allowed a biker bar on our road. The smell of alcohol is repugnant to me, and I can't understand why anyone wants to drink it. I also hate the bourbon balls and rum cake that my "grape juice" friends love.
I have never personally known anyone who used alcohol for medicinal purposes, or to "purify" their bad water enough to drink it. Mary Breckenridge used it for her hospital in Hyden, KY, and says in her autobiography, Wide Neighborhoods, that she had no difficulty obtaining it for her hospital, but was always worried about being robbed of it while transporting it on the long hosreback ride from Lexington. (She never was.)
I would like to say more about all this, but my children are in need of parenting, and I will follow some of this up at a later date. I made this blog on Saturday (09/07) and didn't get online again until today, so I'm not sure when I'll get back to this. I will probably follow this up with a post against alcohol (in case anyone has any doubts about my convictions) and my brother's death because I am having some trouble dealing with that (and it helps to get something like that off your chest), so stay tuned.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
The Water at Big Bone
I hadn't intended to post more than an introductory entry today, but one look at today's mail changed all that. Here in Northern Kentucky, we receive the quarterly publication, What's Happening in Boone County, which highlights county and community services. Today we received the third consecutive issue in which no mention was made of the so-called "Boone County Rural Water Project".
Supposedly, one of the goals of this county is to improve the quality of residential life with, among other things, access to a municipal water source. Some months ago, officials remarked that they were committed to bringing water to as many Boone County residents as possible.
Strangely (or, coincidentally) enough, that commitment seems to flow where 'The Builders' have had the most interest. For some time now, county officials, especially Judge Executive Gary Moore and former County Administrator Jim Parsons (a lawyer) have been going to great lengths to promote this area as an affluent, ever-more-upscale community, and have basically ignored and compromised the needs of existing residents for the sake of appealing to an influx of (wealthy) outsiders.
There are plans in the works for more parks and recreational facilities of all kinds, as well as multi-million dollar projects which have done little for "We the Residents". However, it seems the Rural Water Project is on hold indefinitely.
Jim Parsons told me over five years ago that the county planned to pipe water to my area. It doesn't seem probable at this point. Meanwhile, services rendered on behalf of the newcomers seem to grow by the day.
I hesitate to describe the condition of my family's water. Suffice it to say that we have well water that tested almost triple the hardness of most residents. I am weary of carrying water in jugs and trying to calculate and plan for baths and dishwashing. I take our clothes to the laundromat, but this is costly, and not always practical. Additionally, many items need to go through a pre-soak to head off permanent stains, which is not often an option, since I cannot justify using water we've carried on clothing.
Building a cistern will be expensive, and if our drought this summer is any indication of long-term conditions, it wouldn't have done us much good anyway.
I don't have time to discuss all the issues here, but I'll summarize by saying that this is yet another example of 'Snooty Republicanism' by county officials, whose party affiliation is no indication of true beliefs. Translation: A democrat can't get elected in this county so everyone has to claim conservative Republican status to be a viable candidate. One more thing: I have always been a registered Republican, but I am not blind to the hypocrisy of the party collectively or individually. Therefore, I feel a responsibility to rally others against political passivity and voice a desire for change. Throw the rascals out!
Supposedly, one of the goals of this county is to improve the quality of residential life with, among other things, access to a municipal water source. Some months ago, officials remarked that they were committed to bringing water to as many Boone County residents as possible.
Strangely (or, coincidentally) enough, that commitment seems to flow where 'The Builders' have had the most interest. For some time now, county officials, especially Judge Executive Gary Moore and former County Administrator Jim Parsons (a lawyer) have been going to great lengths to promote this area as an affluent, ever-more-upscale community, and have basically ignored and compromised the needs of existing residents for the sake of appealing to an influx of (wealthy) outsiders.
There are plans in the works for more parks and recreational facilities of all kinds, as well as multi-million dollar projects which have done little for "We the Residents". However, it seems the Rural Water Project is on hold indefinitely.
Jim Parsons told me over five years ago that the county planned to pipe water to my area. It doesn't seem probable at this point. Meanwhile, services rendered on behalf of the newcomers seem to grow by the day.
I hesitate to describe the condition of my family's water. Suffice it to say that we have well water that tested almost triple the hardness of most residents. I am weary of carrying water in jugs and trying to calculate and plan for baths and dishwashing. I take our clothes to the laundromat, but this is costly, and not always practical. Additionally, many items need to go through a pre-soak to head off permanent stains, which is not often an option, since I cannot justify using water we've carried on clothing.
Building a cistern will be expensive, and if our drought this summer is any indication of long-term conditions, it wouldn't have done us much good anyway.
I don't have time to discuss all the issues here, but I'll summarize by saying that this is yet another example of 'Snooty Republicanism' by county officials, whose party affiliation is no indication of true beliefs. Translation: A democrat can't get elected in this county so everyone has to claim conservative Republican status to be a viable candidate. One more thing: I have always been a registered Republican, but I am not blind to the hypocrisy of the party collectively or individually. Therefore, I feel a responsibility to rally others against political passivity and voice a desire for change. Throw the rascals out!
First Post
Welcome to my blog. I've started this blog fully aware of the addicting powers of the internet and the dangers of spending too much time on the computer. Today's post will not be on any particular subject, but will serve as an introduction to the blog. Hopefully, readers will bear with me as I try to find time to compose, and then edit, the content of this blog. Readers are welcome to submit feedback, and are encouraged to do so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
