Yes We Can

YES

WE

CAN!

It All Comes Down To This

The Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has been a deep, dark, green for most of the spring and summer, and now in a final burst, has turned a brilliant combo of lime and yellow.

Similarly, all the campaigning, for so long, has finally come to the flourish of election day. Charmaine and I both avoided long waits by voting early (though we both will sort of miss standing in line today.)

For over a year I've posted the Bush administration countdown clock to your left, with its impossibly large number of days left in office slowly ticking away. Today, I feel a real turning point is being made, as we get ready to take back America, the one respected at home and around the world, the America that plays by the rules of common decency, the country that respects its citizens and their rights, the America that I am proud to call my home.

Now go vote!

Ready, Set, VOTE!

Over the weekend we spent a lot of time in the LipsYard getting things ready for winter, including sucking up leaves from the landscaping around the house, and tilling them into the LipsYard Garden. Extra leaves were mixed into the compost bins.

You should be getting ready to vote (if you haven't early voted) so heres some tips:

HOW TO AVOID YOUR OWN ELECTION DAY DISASTER
There are a lot of little hurdles that could get in your way tomorrow, so here are some tips on how to make your voting experience as smooth and easy as possible:
BEFORE YOU VOTE...
1. Check your registration
In most states, if you aren't already registered, you can't vote. Even if you are registered, sometimes you may not be on the voter rolls because of a typographical error. Double check to make sure they have your name. If they don't, you may have to jump through some ID hurdles when you get to the polling place.
*If you live in one of the following states, you're in luck because you have same-day registration: Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire and Wyoming.
2. Double check your polling place. Know when it's open.
You don't want to show up at the wrong one, wait in line for an hour, then get told you have to go somewhere else.
3. Plan plenty of time to wait
Try to head to your polling place at an off-peak hour if you can (mid-morning, early afternoon) and plan to be there for an hour or two.

WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE...
1. Bring your government-issued ID
Every state law is different and IT MAY HAVE CHANGED since you last voted. Just because all you needed was a signature last time, that doesn't mean you don't need your driver's license this year.
2. Beware of what you wear
- Dress comfy! If you're standing in line for a bit, you'll want comfy shoes and a coat if it's cold.
- Keep the campaign paraphernalia in the car.
In some states, there are laws that restrict anyone from getting within 150 feet of a polling location with campaign gear on. So it's best to leave the buttons, signs and t-shirts in the car or at home.
3. Beware of dirty tricks
If you see a sign that says, "Only republicans vote on Tuesday, democrats vote on Wednesday," ignore it. If it's raining and someone tells you the vote is postponed until clear weather, ignore them. Notify local officials of anyone trying to stop you from voting.
4. If something goes wrong, know your rights. Ask for help.
- If your name is not listed, request a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot allows you to vote and have your registration verified after you cast your ballot.
- If you can't read the ballot and you are already in the booth, wave down a poll worker from the booth and ask for help. If you'd rather read the ballot in a language other than English, request one.

It's a Scary Halloween

Here's the scary Halloween Pumpkin you'll find on the LipsYard front porch. Boo!

Here's the scariest thing ever for America! Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

Green Thursday: Ten Tips for a Green Halloween

Consumers are expected to spend $3.12 billion on candy, costumes and other Halloween goodies this year. That's a big pile of candy corn. It's also a lot of crumpled candy wrappers, paper party props and plastic political masks in the trash the very next day. So this Halloween, why not think green?

Here are Ten Tips to get you started:

1. E-mail party invites rather than snail-mail them. Free e-mail greetings abound online.

2. Serve healthy and seasonal foods. The options are endless. Remember pumpkins are not just decorative items. The tender meat of the seasonal gourd can be pureed for soups, mashed for pies or spiced up for a main entrée, such as an Indian curry. Apples also are at their best this time of year. So make use of the crunchy fruit.

3. Buy pumpkins, apples and other seasonal items from a farmer's market. Produce bought at farmers' market will not only taste better but saves energy. Most foods in the United States travel an average of 1,300 miles before reaching us, burning large amounts of fossil fuels.

4. Make use of all pumpkin parts. After carving a pumpkin, make sure to save the seeds. Bake them and serve them to party guests or feed them to our fine feathered friends, the birds. If possible, bury or compost the carcass.

5. Use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Paper party goods can be expensive and just add more clutter to our nation's landfills.

6. Make your own costume or buy one at a second-hand shop. An old sheet still makes a great ghost. Many boomers also have some hippie clothes stashed somewhere, or hit up your nearby Goodwill.

7. Give out healthy treats like individual microwave popcorn packs. Newman's Own Organic has three varieties. How about honey sticks or fruit leather?

8. Instead of using paper or plastic disposable bags to collect treats, use or buy a recyclable bag. Old straw baskets or an old metal pot with a handle will work, too.

9. Teach your children well. Teach them not to litter. Tell them pumpkin jokes.

What's the ratio of a pumpkin's circumference to its diameter? Pumpkin Pi

How do you mend a broken Jack-O-Lantern? With a pumpkin patch

What is a pumpkin's favorite sport? Squash.

10. Experience nature. Visit a pumpkin farm. Pick fresh apples. Talk a long walk outside. Look up at the sky. Notice the moon. Remember, it's Halloween.

I Voted, Have You?

Mukwonago Village Hall, scene of my early vote. I was going to wait until next Tuesday, but was spurred on by the theft of my Obama sign from the front yard. Take that you crafty thieves!

In Wisconsin, early voting is conducted through the absentee ballot. It was an easy process. I walked in, said "I want to vote."

The clerk checked the voter roles to make sure I was on it. (If you aren't, you can register AND vote in the same visit.) Next, she had me fill out a form, then fill out information on the envelope that will hold my ballot until next Tuesday.

I then received my ballot, and the clerk gave me a quick primer on how to select my choices by filling in the arrows with a black marker.

Off I went to my private polling station where I made my choices. I double checked it, then folded it in half and placed it in my envelope. When I returned it to the clerk, she glued it shut and put it in the vault for safe keeping.

Total time = 8 minutes! No long wait on Tuesday.

You can vote in the offices of municipal clerks until 5 p.m. Nov. 3, the day before the election. Some communities offering extended hours are Madison (8 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday) and Milwaukee (8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays; 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday).

Any eligible voter can vote by absentee ballot. You no longer have to state a reason, such as being out of town on election day.

Click HERE for your Wisconsin early voting location

Click HERE to see the ballot before you vote

Bring Back My Sign

Less than 48 hours after I put up our Obama yard sign, it was stolen. This is where it was until someone took the campaign into their own hands. Last night I noticed that ALL the Obama signs in our town were gone (when the place you live is so RED, you know where all the Obama signs are.)

Luckily, I bought two (yes, you have to pay for signs,) so the spare is now INSIDE the front window.