Eve and the Garden of Eatin

It's done! The raised bed is 8 ft by 4 ft and comes to about mid-thigh. I worked slowly and mindfully to avoid stressing my muscles and back, but I have found that I have a lot of energy and potential for hard work even at six months pregnant. As Derek dug out thick railroad timbers to make way for the patio in the back, I dug trenches, buried them, and steadied them with rebar. Next I picked up lighter landscaping timbers and commenced drilling, nailing, and stacking. Then the shoveling again. A lot of shoveling.....And the reward will come in mid-July: fresh salsa, spaghetti and pizza sauce, salad veggies, and hot peppers. Of course I did not accomplish this project without help. Thank you Aaron, Janelle, Derek, Gerry, Michelle and the boys, and Mom! Each stopped and aided in the task at hand, carried items too heavy for a prego, or in Mom's case shared a lovely afternoon planting the vegetables and herbs. And it turns out that I have enough lumber left over for another plot. It will be about the same size but lower to the ground which means it won't be rabbit-proof. Maybe I'll plant vining plants like green beans, squash, and cucumbers. I hope you all get a chance to come over and enjoy the delectable benefits of our collective sweat and toil. Bon Appetite!

Oil/Gas Shareholders in Senate Hear Testimony from Industry Execs

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/05/senate-shareholders-hear-testi.html

How interesting that those who show so much concern about record profits and prices are themselves profiting. Does this seems like a strategic PR move??

Politics and Funk

Monday night I went to Obama's last rally before the polls opened in Indiana...I was considering doing this, but when I heard Stevie Wonder was going to be there I stopped considering and went to my local Obama office (which Derek and I have been feeding) to get some VIP tickets. Derek was too tired to go, so I ended up attending by myself. Since I had arrived early, I got to set up camp 30 feet from the stage against the low metal barricades that separated the crowd and the press corp. This means I was interviewed a couple of times. My favorite interview was by a Scandinavian team that seemed to be enjoying themselves quite a bit. It was odd yet encouraging to see the world press in Indiana en mass. Speaking of the press, it was predicted that Hillary would win this state with a wide margin, but it looks like we gave her a tight race- barely a 2% lead. I personally am proud that many members of my family voted for him yesterday, even a parent (I'll let you guess which). Several rural counties that have been Republican bastions in past elections went for Obama as well. This is as good as win for me. My hope is that the Democratic Convention will be an example of prevailing democracy rather than the prerogative of an accustomed republic.

My Man Stevie!

The Gas Tax Red Herring