at work

Well, I ended up having to go to work today after all. Our state legislature and governor finally agreed on funding for part of the state government, including the part that I work for. They have a four month session to get the job done, but in the end it comes down to partisan negotiations, trading cuts in health coverage for the working poor for no tax increases for the wealthy, and sneaking in all kinds of questionable line items that no one has time to debate about. Business as usual.

Okay, return to Sand Creek Almanac. I try to keep politics out of this journal as much as possible, because there are many more uplifting, less boring things to write about.

My washer is fixed and ready to go, thanks to Lehman's who still carries parts for old washers. I had a good talk with Grandma the other night when she called. I asked her what her method was for washing and rinsing, and I could tell she always preferred the wringer washer and line drying clothes over any other method. We even got into a little discussion about herbal medicine. She had seen a book on using herbs, and she thought that sounded much better and healthier than modern drugs. I agreed and told her what I've learned lately about dandelions and stinging nettles. It was so nice talking with her because most of my other relatives tend to have an unfaltering belief in science and if I told them I've been drying nettles for tea they would think I've finally gone off the New Age hippie edge.

The particular gourmet four-leggeds got into my garden last night, dining on red lettuce, spinach (which I was planning to pull and reseed anyway), and broccoli. From the way they eat the tops of the plants, I would say it was deer. It's probably foolish and naive to have a garden around here and not think the deer will get to it eventually, even though they have plenty of other stuff to eat this time of year.

On the way to work and daycare this morning, the kids and I had a good discussion. Vincent was asking me about rivers: the Kettle River that we cross every day, and the Mississippi, into which the Kettle, and Sand Creek, eventually flow via the St. Croix. He asked if any rivers in Minnesota were connected to the Missouri River. I had to think a minute, but yes, there are a few in the extreme southwest corner of the state that are part of the Missouri watershed. Then out of nowhere the thought came to me:

All waters are connected. We may live at the headwaters, near the divide, but eventually all the waters come together.

That will give me something to think about for a while.