Screendoor's open, c'mon in - Meet the candidate: Susan Worth-LaManna / Poem: Help Save Raytharn Farm

Haven't had a sign on my lawn since Obama. It was stolen the day after the election.

Susan Worth LaManna (never heard of her either) stopped by. She's running for Ward 6 Township Commissioner. There are 6 commish's, 2 of them Democrats. She hopes to unseat the Republican Sam Valenza.

She's got my vote. And Scott's too. When Scott came over we told her he works for SEPTA, as an electronic specialist on the El, and that we're pro-labor, pro-union.

Susan said she's got the union symbol on her sign. It's called a union bug, said Scott. Each printer has a separate union number.

Here's Susan. We spoke about the importance of making door-to-door visits. That's how Jim Martin defeated the solidly entrenched Henry Jacquelin, realtor.

Susan arrived w/ old friend Kevin Hoke who appears in my poem Moon over Davisville Road. Don't ask me to find it.

I asked Diane and Kevin to sit down on the opposite couch and to just push the stuff off to the side.

Then I called Scott and asked him to come over to meet the politicians.

Susan is a psychologist. Her twin boys will graduate from Upper Moreland High School this June. She's got two other children, one a daughter who's a marathon runner in New England.

As President of the Upper Moreland Home and School Association, she and her colleague Eileen contacted SEPTA, our transportion system, and asked them to paint the famous railroad bridge.

Their first phone call in March was rewarded by a free bridge painting by SEPTA by the end of August. Beautiful job, purple, the color of the football team, with big golden footprints on it.

I actually photographed it in another blog post, cuz I so love our town.

The bridge had been an eyesore for a year or two, often a victim of really ugly uncreative graffiti.

Where are the Keith Harings of Willow Grove?



We did have Mike Essl, a wild n crazy friend of Dan and Sarah, whose 'tag' was Nefron, is that right, Dan? Mike now co-owns a graphic design company in Manhattan.

I asked loquacious Susan how she differs from Sam Valenza. She's not a businessman, she said, and represents everybody, not just big business.

Valenza has only been in office four years, she said.

Well, I said, then it shouldn't be terribly hard to win, should it?

She thinks not.

A big issue around here is Storm-Water Management.

I was oblivious!

She said that's why our street is so crumply, b/c storm water is coming up from the depths and crackling the asphalt.

Do tell! I'm impressed. She had to learn about all that, just as I had to learn about:

RUTH GREENWOLD DEMING FOR COMMISSIONER
Expert on New Kidney and Diabetes Management

She also wants a nice downtown Willow Grove.

Hey, we have one! Burger-King is the centerpiece.

When Susan was a Girl Scout Leader, she brot her troop to the Upper Moreland Jail. They got locked inside so they could see what life was like behind bars.

Good job, Susan. (Good job, Navy Seals, said Obama.)

Both Susan and Obama have my vote.

Ready for a Nature Walk?

Scott and I were scheduled to go on the 1 pm Pennypack Trust Tour given by Dr Millie Wintz.

Unfortunately, I forgot to look at my Calendar, so when we got there, the walk had already concluded since it began at 11 am.

Darn!

I was planning to take a Percoset an hour before the walk, but my sciatic pain was only a 2 on the 1-10 scale. Thanks for keeping track of me, Roberto. When will I see you again?

Scott and I walked nearly an hour at Pennypack, visiting my favorite Raytharn Farm and Meadow Crossing and revisiting the pond where three turtles were sunning themselves.

I was overjoyed to be walking again.

Here's my friend Ann Gaugler, a volunteer at the Trust. She's an RN who helped out at Katrina.



We parked on Edgehill site of the June Fete, Abington Hospital's biggest fundraising event.

Imperative to bring binoculars.

Quite a few horseshoes. Hey, who's gonna win the KY Derby today? Wonder who Scott's dad is betting on.

The well-dressed hiker, Boyfriend Scott. B/c he's a weighlifter, he has huge lats.

Ya wanna see some lats, I asked him? And clicked on this photo of a Navy SEAL from the Times.



Finally got rid of my awful bozo-the-clown red hair. Now it's just a wind-tossed brown. I like it, I like it. Amber cut it thother day at Hair Cuttery. It cost $15. I gave her a $10 tip and told her it was a maternity present. Nathan will be born next month.

I dyed my hair yesterday afternoon w/ Clairol No. 112, one of the most odious tasks known to woman.

Can you ask for a better day than this? Or a better life?

Click to enlarge and see the Rainbow after the rain. And for godssakes, read the poem below.

HELP SAVE RAYTHARN FARM: Call this toll-free number

We did save Raytharn Farm in 1997, thanks to members of the community who donated money and the hardworking staff of Pennypack Trust on Edgehill Road in Huntingdon Valley, PA.

That this too must fall,
perish under the shining blade,
Raytharn's farm,
passed from father to son,
that sunlit meadow,
hills much used
stunned by thunder
and by stars.
When this goes, I go too,
the better part of me, anyway.
Where then to put my song
or gather berries off the vine.

Who would want to
kill a hill
or make extinct the
violet's purple show?

Maybe I can pack my bags
and move away from here
find some flat country
where it's
easy to forget
that hills and sky
came together
and silver water
ran down from
pathways innumerable
to converge at a
single drinking point.

Until then
I will bow to
the unthinkable
will trail my fingers
through Raytharn's
silver grasses
will not pout
nor complain
just gaze as he
sends five of his finest horses
across the grazing plain.