Thursday's events

Breakfast took it's usual turn of the last few days. Our hostess Joyce talked non stop while we tried to eat. She is trying to be good about our being for Obama, but can't help herself once in a while saying something. But today in telling us about her wonderful deceased father, a Lutheran minister, she said, "Oh, you'll like this. My father was a Democrat. I'm not sure why. I guess it was the Depression. He liked Social Security. But the rest of us are Conservatives."

I thought of lots of responses but just bit my tongue. Not worth it.

Went to the Cobbler's Shop in town where I was having my boots fixed. As we were paying, the shoemaker started asking Redjeb about France and asked if he'd be treated OK in Paris if they went for vacation. His wife wants to go, but he's afraid they don't like Americans. Sometimes I don't like Americans, but I didn't say that. We of course told him how wonderful the French are.....

We had lunch today at the Georgian Manor, an upscale B&B with an upscale restaurant. We were treated by my high school friend Pat Bowers Stone. It was great to see her and lunch was quite nice. Afterwards we went with Pat to the Children's Aid Society children's home. This is really an impressive place that has been funded by local millionaires. I didn't know we had any around, but I guess they are lurking everywhere. One family gave $500,000 for the 15 acres. Another family gave 1 million for decorating the place and keeping it nice and also for the gym and recreation room. Each kid gets a quilt for his/her room and is taken on a shopping trip to pick it out. They get a new quilt each year and when they leave can take it with them.

Pat was the Executive Director for 30 years and retired not too long ago. The recreation room was dedicated to her (cause she brought in the funding, I guess) and there is a plaque in her honor. Her sister Jeanie works there now.

The kids come from all kinds of situations, some have been abused, some families are dysfunctional, some are management problems at school. There is a school there but some go to the local high school. They also have a scholarship program if a kid wants to go to college. Pat said that one kid who grew up in the home, has just graduated with a law degree.

After that we made our way to south county to the town of Meyersdale. We had asked Lisa for a new list as Redjeb was tired driving up and down the same sections of routes 219 and 601 to Jerome, Holdsopple & Davidsville. I really never set foot in Meyersdale before and not even sure if I ever drove through. It is a very quite small middle class town with modest houses. But what was interesting is there are some old stately homes there. Trains kept going through and we think that at one time it must have been a railroad center--I'm not sure for what and the Historical Society was closed. This is also the center for the Maple festival each year, and there are Maple Sugar camps in the area for buying maple syrup.

I found canvassing here rather interesting. As usual there were a lot of McCain signs, but I did find some Obama households (thank god). What I liked was when I knocked on a door and they said they were for McCain, they were polite. We smiled. I said I knew I was in McCain country and as long as they voted that was the important thing. We all should vote. (And then I'd go around the corner and throw up....no not really). What distressed me is that many of these people on my list were registered Democrats who are firm in not wanting to vote for Obama....the usual reasons. They have been bombarded in recent days with a lot of the McCain hate mail about Obama being a terrorist, an abortionist, and such.

One woman made a comment though that I agree with. She said that she was angry that they were spending so much on the campaigns when people were in need and losing their homes. She said if one of them would donate some of that money to help people stay in their homes or whatever that would sway a lot of votes.

Good night. We are off for Chinese food.
P.S. To our surprise we had a really good Chinese food just now--down in the center of town, no one around, street dead quiet. He does take-out at this hour, but opened the closed dining room for us. Now isn't that nice and good food too, right here in Somerset