Why I said yes

We never know where one conversation will take us. 

A few years ago, it would never have occured to me that I would be invited to be on the slate of a strong, committed leader Curtis Hertel for Michigan Democratic Party Chair.  I got the call last week and I said Yes!  

Why? Because Curtis Hertel listens and understands the concerns of rural Michigan and is committed to making sure we have a voice. It would be a privilege to be part of the team that is committed to restoring faith in government and making government work for the people. I am grateful and privileged to support him and work with an amazing team from around Michigan. I commit to representing rural voices, constituents, and concerns. And I will drive anywhere in this state and talk to anyone about community needs.  

How did we get here?   After I stopped working full-time, I wanted to get involved in Democratic politics.  I called the Kent County Democratic Party and asked about getting involved. I received an email thanking me, telling me they didn't need volunteers, instead asked for a donation.  I never heard from them again.  

Later, while at our cottage in Iosco County-before it became our home- we were walking down the street in Tawas and, while looking at a sign in a store front, elbowed my husband and said, “Oh my gosh, there are Democrats here!” I walked through the door of the Iosco County Democratic Party on Newman Street, and I never looked back. I worked on membership, strategic planning and building an amazing team to benchmark successful practices around the state in urban, suburban, and rural communities. We used the data collected to inform our strategic, communications, membership, and fundraising plans and shared the information with anyone who asked. I am now Chair of the Iosco County Democratic Party and love the way we show up and serve in our community.

Around that time I joined ICDP, I also joined the MDP Rural Caucus. I had the opportunity to serve on first Rural Caucus Summit planning committee, working with a team to bring together speakers, legislators, county parties, and unions to talk about rural issues. This work led to a colleague nominating me for an award; I was honored as Congressional District 1 Democratic Honoree for 2024. I am not normally a fan of awards as they are rarely a solitary event, but the opportunity to represent Iosco County at the state level was well worth the discomfort.  

During the last election, I supported our local candidates, state representatives, and federal candidates who were running for office.  I knocked on doors, made phone calls, handed out literature, and delivered signs. What I heard at the doors was deeply concerning.  The lack of connection to the Democratic party and the level of dis- and intentional misinformation spread by the Republican Party was and still is deeply concerning.

Across Michigan, we are facing real challenges. The policies and proposed cuts with this administration will have very real and devastating impacts. In Iosco County, there are an estimated 25,075 people for whom poverty is determined; of those, an estimated 4,166 people are below the Federal poverty line (approximately 16.6%) and an estimated 947 are children (younger than 18 years of age) in poverty.  Nearly 27% of Michigan’s total population are enrolled in Medicaid and 22% are enrolled in Medicare. As of 2023, Michigan had a population of 10.04 million with 2.808 million relying on Medicaid and 2.288 million relying on Medicare.  

We need to start right now to take our country back and I am confident that Curtis Hertel is the leader who can lead for all of us.  He is committed to bringing people together to make sure our voices are heard.  I said YES to being part of the solution to the challenges we face.  We need to start now to hold Republicans accountable for the real harm to people and our communities and to build confidence that Democrats will make government work for all of us. 

This is why I said yes. 

Really folks, we are better together

A New Year

I don't have any words. So instead, I will just post this beautiful picture. One of my last shots before Lake Huron started to freeze. It will be a while before we see freighters on our beautiful lake. 

Save our Great Lakes.

Save our Great Lakes. Shut down Line 5. Vote for Democrats. 

Brought to you by the Iosco County Democratic Party. 

Changes in Michigan Laws

 Last year, state lawmakers approved enough bills to pack more than 30 pages with summaries of the changes.

Many, including Michigan's hands-free law barring holding a cell phone while driving, went into effect last year. As of November 27th, 2023, Michigan State Police troopers have ticketed 709 drivers for violating that law.

Five new state laws are related to elections but won't take effect until June 30th, 2025. Here are some highlights of the 175 tweaks to Michigan law going into effect this year:

WAGES

Starting today Michigan's minimum wage rises to $10.33 an hour from $10.10 — that's a pre-tax increase of just over $478 a year for a full-time worker. Tipped workers will see an increase to $3.93 from $3.84. State law requires tips and the hourly rate to meet the minimum hourly wage standard.

The $10.33 minimum is well below the states with the highest. Washington leads with $16.28 an hour followed by California and New York, at $16; Connecticut at $15.69; New Jersey, $15.13; Massachusetts and Maryland, $15; and minimums between $14 and $15 in Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine and Rhode Island.

By comparison, 19 states' minimums are the same as the federal minimum wage, which has been $7.25 an hour ($15,080 a year if full-time) since July 24, 2009.

Under Michigan's current plan, annual minimum wage increases will reach $10.56 on January 1st, 2025.

A 2018 ballot initiative adopted by the then-Republican-controlled Michigan legislature would have raised the minimum hourly wage to $12 on January 1st, 2022, and required paid sick leave. But lawmakers used a lame-duck session to change the law before it went into effect, reducing the minimum wage and eliminating paid sick leave. The Michigan Supreme Court has heard a legal challenge to the lame-duck changes. The lead attorney for the challenger Mothering Justice, Mark Brewer, said if his side prevails, the minimum wage would rise to just over $13 an hour "or whatever schedule the Michigan Supreme Court decides.

"It could have a very significant impact on the regularly scheduled increase," he said. The state Supreme Court is expected to issue an opinion this year.

TAXES

For the first time since 2010, retirees will find their pensions are not taxed. A tax signed into law in 2011 will be officially repealed as of February 13th and will return an estimated $1,000 to each retiree, depending on their tax bracket.

An estimated 700,000 families will see an expanded tax credit that is worth an estimated average $3,150 refund.

FIREARMS

A package of bills signed into law last year go into effect on February 13th. The changes include:

Establishing penalties ranging from misdemeanor to felony for improperly storing firearms in ways that allow minors to access them.

Giving courts the right to issue extreme-risk protection orders, temporarily suspending a person's access to firearms if they've shown clear warning signs of violence and are an immediate threat to themselves or others. A person with an extreme-risk protection order would also be barred from purchasing firearms.

Ending sales and use taxes for firearm safety devices.

Requiring universal background checks for all gun sales.

A separate set of bills bars those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning firearms for eight years.

CIVIL RIGHTS

On February 13th, the state's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act will expand to include sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. The law currently forbids discrimination against people based on "religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status" in matters of employment, housing, public accommodations or services and access to educational facilities. Employers are barred from using "pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition" to deny employment.

Starting February 28th, state offices must increase the capacity to serve people with limited English skills. The new law includes a process for a person who believes that they were denied equal access to government services because of their national origin and limited English skills the ability to file a civil-rights complaint.

ELECTIONS

On February 13th, a new law will go into effect requiring the statewide presidential primary to be held on February 24th. After this year, presidential primaries will be held on the fourth Tuesday in February.

While voters will see former President Donald Trump on the February 27th ballot, they won't see any presidential candidates from political parties that received 5% or less of the total vote cast nationwide in the last presidential election.

Other changes include a law allowing 16-year-olds to pre-register to vote before they turn 18, though they won't be able to cast a ballot until after that 18th birthday. Many communities will experience at least nine days of early in-person voting, a law that went into effect last year but is a mandate starting this year.

Oakland County was among a handful of counties that tested the process before November's election.

RECOGNITION

Since 2005, November 26th has been annually declared by the Michigan governor as Sojourner Truth Day, recognizing the life and legacy of freedom and equality activist and former slave Sojourner Truth. This year, the day is automatically designated by law. Truth lived in Battle Creek for 26 years, until her death on November 26th, 1883. She delivered one of her most-famous speeches, "Ain't I a Woman?" at the 1851 Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio.

This year, Juneteenth will be observed as an annual state holiday. Juneteenth has been a federal holiday since 2021.

Close Line 5 NOW

A fabulous LTE. 

As an Iosco County resident with a home on Lake Huron, I am writing to express my concern of and support for closing Line 5 in Michigan. This aging oil pipeline poses a serious threat to our Great Lakes and the millions of people who rely on them for drinking water, recreation, and economic opportunity.

Line 5 is a 67-year-old pipeline that runs beneath the Straits of Mackinac, a critical chokepoint in the Great Lakes system. A rupture of Line 5 in the Straits would have devastating consequences. It could contaminate hundreds of miles of shoreline, poison drinking water supplies for millions of people, and cripple the Great Lakes economy.

Enbridge, the Canadian company that owns Line 5, has a poor track record of safety. In 2010, a spill from an Enbridge pipeline in the Kalamazoo River released millions of gallons of oil into the environment. The cleanup took years and cost billions of dollars.

Enbridge has proposed building a tunnel to house Line 5 beneath the Straits of Mackinac. However, this proposal is controversial and faces significant legal challenges. Even if the tunnel is ultimately built, it will not eliminate the risk of a spill.

In addition to the above, closing Line 5 would also have a number of positive economic benefits for Michigan. A study by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters found that closing Line 5 and investing in clean energy could create over 50,000 new jobs in Michigan and generate billions of dollars in economic activity.

Closing Line 5 is the right thing to do for our environment, our economy, and our future. I urge everyone in Iosco County to support legislation that will close Line 5 and protect our Great Lakes. This is a matter of public safety and environmental protection.

#whyIstay

if you visit Twitter and search on the hashtag #whyIstay, you will see a litany of reasons people stay where they are.

Apparently in Michigan, 37% of the population would leave the state if they could.  We are not part of the 37%.  We lived afar for years and years - east coast, west coast, and all kinds of states in between, courtesy of the Navy.  When given the choice, we got to come back.  Come home.

Here are a few reasons #whyIstay.







awesome neighbors.







We < 3 Michigan! 

Garage sale

We had a garage sale on Saturday.  I have never had one before.  With the basement project almost complete, it was time to downsize some of our belongings.   I advertised on fb and Craigslist, having no idea what to expect.  Here is the kicker.  We thought that the things that would be go fast, didn't.  We thought the things that would never sell, went first.

From Garage Sale

There are a few delightful stories from the event.

I met a new, temporary neighbor, an international scholar, who needs to come see me immediately for immigration stuff.  #HR

Several of my friends stopped by to meet Mr. Handsome.  All remarked how big he is. :)And what a snuggle muffin.  And the irony that we call him little man.   #Doglove

A young man stopped by to look at our stuff.  He had a tattoo of the state of Michigan on his arm.  (it was excellent). We struck up a delightful conversation and he bought our wood Michigan cutting board.  Meant to be.  #PureMichigan

From Garage Sale

Another couple stopped by.  They just purchased a home on our street and were looking for a table.  He is teaching at the Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.   It was nice to meet new neighbors.

A woman and her daughter stopped by.  They were so much fun; they chatted a bit and bought a couple of things, then came back for a fertilizer spreader.  In passing, they asked if we had dog crates. We stopped.  We had a dog crate, Allie's kennel.  We talked about and it decided not to sell it.   Intentionally had decided not to sell it.  We paused and looked at each other.

The daughter said, I have to get a new car for my dog.  He doesn't fit in my current car.

We knew.  Paul went down and got her kennel.  They measured.  I even suggested that they may want to look at other kennels.  Her kennel still had the airline stickers on it.  Maybe I wasn't ready.  But it was perfect for them.  I knew it would be.  It was meant to be.  I don't even know what we sold it for. Doesn't matter.  Allie would be proud that the kennel that shuffled her back and forth from Michigan to Cali and back again on planes, trains, and automobiles is out in the world again.   Home to another dog. 

The best surprise of the day was Abby.  She came to visit with big hugs and kisses and gave me gifts to small twigs broken in half.  As she handed them to me, she kissed them goodbye and entrusted them to me. 

From The Huhns

She helped me sweep the floor.

From The Huhns

She is adorable!

The table and chairs are still available if you need a bistro table!

From Garage Sale

Overall it was a delightful experience.  Each time I let something go, I felt a little tug.  I don't keep a lot of junk, and what I do have is valuable to me because of the memories.  It felt good to find new homes for good things.  And we still have some drywall dust to clean up. 

Sunrise

Really it just can't get any more beautiful than this.

From 2012-04-07

From 2012-04-07

From 2012-04-07

From 2012-04-07

Sunrise

It was nice to be at the cottage without the Handsome One.   The sunrise was a little later and it was sort of fabulous to be able to sleep in.

From 2012-04-07

From 2012-04-07

From 2012-04-07

From 2012-04-07

It was a glorious weekend, Easter celebration, and get-work-done vacation.  

Hmmmmm

Yes and ...

Small town living and why I love GRR

There are a lot of things I miss about SoCal like my BFF Lynn and her family, high tech companies and ocean surf.   When we moved to Grand Rapids, we really had no idea what it would be like.  Honestly, we thought it would be like LA with less traffic.  Well, we were wrong.  There are so many things that we love about living here.  Paul had a new colleague move to Grand Rapids recently.  Helping him (and his family) integrate into the community has been fun.  We had so many terrific things to share that I decided to put it in writing.  Or blog.  

Benefits

1.   Everything is accessible in 20 minutes or less.  Really.
2.   Best beer on tap.  Visit Founders.  You won't ever want to leave.
3.   We have a terrific local store, Meijer- great groceries, produce, health and beauty supplies.  They have it all and at terrific prices.
4.  We have great entertainment here.  Major shows, bands and concerts come through Grand Rapids.  Since moving here, we have seen The Who, Elvis Costello, The Police, Fleetwood Mac, the Stanley Cup, great hockey, symphonies and orchestras.  All at extremely affordable prices.
5.  Good art and resources here - modern and traditional art galleries for adults and kids, a zoo and the Frederik Meijer Gardens.
6.   45 minutes to Lake Michigan.  3-4 hours to Lake Huron.  2 1/2 hours to Chicago and Detroit.
7.  We experience the most stunningly beautiful seasons that I have ever known.  Spend a few weeks here during the fall and you will see what I see each year.   God's handiwork with a paint brush.
8.   We have great small, local stores like Art of the Table, Wealthy Street Bakery and Bigby Coffee.  We try and frequent them often.  

Drawbacks

1.  It is unfortunate but we have horrible airline service in GR.  Most expensive travel that we have ever experienced.  Hopefully adding additional airlines, it will drive prices down.  I would do ANYTHING to have SouthWest here.
2.   Really expensive auto insurance.  No fault is not our friend, at least to our pocket book.
3.  Bad roads due to wildly fluctuating temperatures between the summers and winters.  The potholes here would be considered small ponds in other states.
4.  People outside of Michigan think Detroit IS Michigan.  It is not. We are NOT Detroit. Most of the state is really NOT Detroit.
5.  We have not outlawed smoking in public places.  That will ALL CHANGE on 5/1/10.  Woo hoo. Way too long.

Come visit us, won't you?  Visit Michigan for ideas to experience #pureMichigan.   

Sailing, sailing

We had a lovely weekend. Friday night, I was running around Grand Rapids with my friend, my camera and my tripod. Saturday was busy and fun - an early morning run to the airport, errands, laundry, shopping - you know, weekend kind of stuff. Sunday though was a special treat. My colleague and friend Dorothy invited our office out to the her boat. We spent a relaxing afternoon sailing followed closely by a wonderful dinner of grilled burgers and an assortment of amazing sides. Good stuff!

My cheeks are a little pink but we had a wonderful time and I have some fantabulous pictures. Today we are back at it!


Enjoy the day!

Dreams

I have been without air conditioning at work for the last two days. When the sun is beating through the fabric-covered blinds and the temperature approaches 90 degrees, it's not unusual to wander. Physically or mentally.

So while I was dreaming of the air-conditioning returning, I thought of a lot of other dreams.

I dream about the cool, blue, gorgeous water of the Great Lakes in my state... and surrounding friends. Right now, the Chicago/Mackinac and Port Huron/Mackinac races are going on. If you don't know what they are, you are missing out big time. You can follow @PureMichigan on Twitter or friend them on Facebook at PureMichigan or just visit the website at Michigan.org. But if you don't follow Michigan on Twitter or FB, at least check out their Flickr page. Awesome pictures of beautiful places. All in Michigan.

I found a website called (really) All day I dream about photography. Can you believe it? I love it. It's a fantastic site and has terrific resources and information. And of course, GREAT pictures.

I dream about a day when animals aren't abandoned at shelters or used for fighting. I check Petfinder and the ASPCA for information on what's new with animal needs and help. Please help us stop such beautiful animals from being subjected to such torture. Stop dog fighting. Just a few dollars will help. Really good stuff.

So tomorrow, no more dreaming. The air conditioning is back on and I will be back at it! Sweet dreams!

Cans and can'ts

So easy ...

• I can tune out everything with my iPod on.
• I can remember life without technology. And it wasn't fun.
• I can stop everything that I am doing to take a great picture.
• I can reminisce with good friends and loved ones. Sometimes reliving stories with an adult beverage is more fun than the actual event.
• I can put everything away so Mr. Handsome, @thedogsamson can have a good belly rub or chase with the flat disk.
• I can see Michigan slipping away. And it's painful.

And so not ...

• I can't "monetize" my blogs. I find it distasteful. No annoying ads or spam. Sorry.
• I can't get mad at the Handsome One for too long. His youthful exuberance and brown soulful eyes wear me out quickly.
• I can't read or relax if the house is messy. I have been this way for as long as I remember including trying to do homework with a messy kitchen. The dishes always won.
• I can't step outside without sun glasses. The sun *kills* my eyes.
• I can't imagine living anywhere else - wide open spaces, ranges of hot and cold, miles of beaches and inlets, great roads winding in and around big and small towns and beautiful colors changing year round.

Enjoy the day.

The beauty of the midwest

Having lived a lot of different places around the country, we had the opportunity to enjoy truly the beauty of the country. We enjoyed the stunning tropical beauty of Guam, northern and southern California, the old money and small streets of Rhode Island and all the miles of highway in between.

Truly, there is nothing like the view driving up the coast in southern California through Laguna Niguel and Newport Beach, looking at the ocean on my left and the mountains on my right. Unbelievably breath-taking. (And of course, there was nothing like having a friend like Lynn who loved hockey and beer and good food, along with music and manicures).

But there are many things I love about Michigan. I love old trees - big trunks, enormous branches, beautiful leaves - sky-filling trees. If you read my writings with any regularity, you know I also love the snow and rain, sleet and hail. But mostly I love looking UP to the sky. When we have gorgeous sunsets filling the sky with pink, yellow, blue, purple and orange, the trees look the most alive.

Spring is almost here. Enjoy the rest of your week!

Techie Tuesday

Our house was been a little distracted by our governor's state of the State address. We listened to Governor Granholm talk about the thousands of new jobs, industries and growth in our state. While it's wonderful to hear someone so optimistic, I didn't hear a lot of realism in it. I worry about our state, for a number of reasons. I mostly worry about the taxes and debt to be saddled on the working and businesses. At some point, we will no longer be able to carry the load. Any of us.

So on to technology news. Google Earth has a new version out. Download it at Google Earth. Oceans have been added, along with historical sites.

Do you want to know what is on your computer? And the license numbers? Best program on the planet is a program called Belarc. Download it here.

Everyone is raving about Adobe Elements. It's a terrific photo-editing software for about $100 (after 30 day trial). Check it out here. I am still a fan of Picasa with the price tag of FREE. Check it out here.

And on the remote possibility that there is a reader of this blog who uses IE, v 8.0 is out. You can download it here. I am typing this from my Mac and my keyboard kept freezing ... wonder why.... ;)

So that's it for now. Lots in store for next Techie Tuesday. Until then, don't chew with your mouth full.

A day in the life

I don't know why it is but the day I can sleep in like normal people, just to sleep in to say 7 am, I can't. 0518, wide awake. I forced myself back to sleep and finally got up when it was at least not pitch black.

On to the mundane ... every fall, the very first thing that I put out to celebrate is one of my very favorite gifts. It's a Belleek pumpkin, a gift from our good friend, Abi. October 1, when I feel like we can sort of start celebrating fall, even when it's still warm, the pumpkin takes front and center. It's so beautiful that I don't really put it away, it sits in my china cabinet year round.

Along with the myriad of errands to run, we treated ourselves to a trip to our favorite store, Art of the Table. Amy helped us pick out some wonderful wines for dinner. Tonight Paul is cooking for Deb and me and making a brand new recipe, Tuscan Pork Roast. We went with white wine - two Italian whites -and I think they will be the perfect choice. Doesn't that sound delicious? We promised Amy a full report on the wine. We also got to see Andrea, who always helps us pick out cool things - she helped us pick out perfect wine glasses, and it's crazy, but great wine tastes even better in good glasses. :)


I have been dutifully recording rain captured in the precipitation gauge. I promise pictures as soon as it stops raining around here. ;) Monday should be interesting as we are expecting a 'wintery mix' - rain, sleet and snow. Woo hoo!! Just as long as it is nice for Halloween.

Handsome is enjoying his days - split between his love Catie and a day a week at Whiskers. One day a week with his companions is great socialization and tires his little puppy butt out. He can't go a couple of days without Catie. He misses her when she is gone. :) He is such a wonderful companion, with a rambunctious and silly spirit and just plain fun to have around. He enjoys his quiet time on the sofa. It must be a 'dog thing.' He lounges exactly like Ms. Allie.

Have a wonderful weekend. Stay dry!

We're baaaack

From the Yoopee and my conference. We have a dozen hilarious stories including visits to the "V" and American Legion in Sault Ste. Marie; dinners and way too much fun with good friend, Scott; karaoke like I have never heard it before; big time winnings at the Blackjack table and geriatric, chain-smoking, walker-pushing, bingo-playing, buffet-eating, hotel and casino occupants. Whew.

My eyes and throat are killed from the horrible cigarette smoke. But seeing the Big Mac, the leaves and the water was worth the drive and weirdos. Oh so much more to come.

And we so miss the Handsome One. He will come home tomorrow. I am certain that he doesn't miss us. :