Compassionate Friends

Sunday, December 9th, 2018 is the  Compassionate Friends Worldwide Candle Lighting 
Every year of the 2nd Sunday in December people are asked to light a candle at 7pm their local time and keep it lite for 1 hour. The hope is that the flame will go across the world, one candle at a time.

Each year I light a candle "for one hour to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon." For our family especially this is our nephew, Tyler Joel Rudy, our dear friend Robert 'Ferguson', and Chris' twin (a son of our hearts) Steven Carpenter and for the families that have been left behind. We have to remember that we were lucky that these children had been in our lives even for such a short time. 

Black Hawk Democrats!

Volunteer

To the left is a picture of one of our volunteers, she's bundling literature for our canvassers to give away. 

What prompted this blogging is a post my friend Pam put up on facebook, "If each person concerned about the possibility of Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States gave only 3 hours of volunteer time in the next two months, this disaster could be avoided. All Iowans need to do their part. There are lots of ways to help. You don't have to call people or walk to their houses if that is uncomfortable for you. So many people want to volunteer but don't want to talk on the phone or walking & knocking on doors!" 

Entering Data

Super Volunteer Olivia getting her T-shirt signed.

Super phone banker, entering data & making calls

So what can you do if you don't feel comfortable doing one-on-ones with other people??

Supporter Housing - got an extra bed or room or a couch to let a volunteer from out of the area spend a night or more?

Driver - can you drive? Our canvassers can do the job quicker if they have a driver plus we have some young kids that don't drive that want to canvass!

Donate - food, water, surplus garden items - the volunteer army really does march on it stomach and they really do appreciate snacks and meals! (if you are in Cedar Falls you can drop this stuff off at 1304 Laverne Lane & we'll get it to the phone banks and canvass staging locations)

Office work - we need people to put together packets of literature, walk & phone packets, plus we need someone to put the paper in the shredder! 

Greeting - Saturdays, we have a lot of volunteers coming and going and we need someone to greet the volunteers and to make sure they sign in and out!

ABR gatherers - An ABR is an Absentee Ballot Request form: our canvassers have them with them but our phone callers don't, so when we call and someone says they can't get out to get an ABR we take on to them. 

AB gatherers - In October we call people to see if they want us to gather up and turn in their Absentee Ballots to the courthouse for them. This is a fun job and actually how I first got involve in Iowa Politics. 

Event Hosting - Everything we do is an event, by opening your home to a phone bank or a place to canvass from gives us more visibility in the community. What do you need to do to host? Just have a space for us to gather, I've been at phone banks where the host greets me at the door, showed me where to sit and then   watched TV. I've been to others where the host calls on the phone or enters data or goes around and makes sure we all have water and picks up the finished sheets. 

Any questions?  

As Pam said it up to you!

Call Adam [817] 944-0132
or email me at klinkzeitz@gmail.com to sign up!

p.s. If you do want to phone bank or canvass, we have 4 phone banks during the week (5-8pm) and every Sat (9am, noon, & 3pm) and Sunday (noon & 3pm) we canvass and phone bank. See you there!

Hillary Clinton for President
Tim Kaine for Vice-President

Iowa Candidates

US Senator  Patty Judge

US Rep Dist 1 Monica Vernon

Senate Dist 30 Jeff Danielson

State House Dist 59 Bob Kressig

State House Dist 60 Gary Kroeger

Political Beliefs

by Bill Murphy (1958) for The Los Angeles Times

Today I was asked what events formed my political beliefs. My father was a huge influence in forming my political beliefs. He was an outspoken Democrat in a mostly Republican (John Birch Society) city. I remember when I was 7 years old he talked about this great nominee for President of the United States - John F. Kennedy. I remember lawn signs and going to walk with him as he talked about this man.  Then a speech that changed my life: 

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. *
— John F. Kennedy, inauguration address, January 1961. 

I have asked myself many times in different situations, what can I do to help others. 

On August 28, 1963 another man took the stage and delivered a speech that was to become famous:

 "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today!" delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom

I became a follower of MLK...what a great idea in 1963 in Southern California to think that one day all people would be judged by the content of character. I don't know if he was thinking of equality for women, but I was.

2 days after my 10th birthday, on November 22, 1963, I was sitting in my 5th grade class at 10:35 am when the phone rang and I looked up to see my teacher, crying! He put the phone down and announced to the class that our President had been shot during a parade in Dallas, Texas. He went and got a T.V. and turned it on in the classroom and we watched the events for the rest of the day.

Then on April 4, 1968 again my life was rocked with the news of the shooting of MLK. How could someone who spoke of peaceful solutions been shot?  I made the decision to wear a black arm band to school the next day. 

In 1968 I again helped my dad with the campaign of another Kennedy, simply known as Bobby or RFK.  We were so excited when he was declared the winner of the California primary on June 5, 1968 and we were still sitting in front of the T.V. at midnight when the announcement came that he had been shot!

So all these events & speeches are what shaped my view of the world.

*(The quote was originally cited by Gibran Khalil Gibran)"

October 2015

 I have learned an important lesson about moving today! Pack your boxes a few

months before you move and leave them to be unpacked about a year after you move and it is much easier to get rid of stuff!

 So I guess having all the back problems and the knee surgery does have a silver lining.

 Even though we moved last November, because of all my health problems I feel as if I just moved in and it is time to start unpacking! 

 With help from an old neighbor - Ruby, a new neighbor - Rebecca & her friend Hermione & my two grandsons – Tyler & James, we have gotten up most of our outdoor Halloween decorations.. I did not expect them to go up so quickly and so did not have time to invite others that have helped in the past – but be prepared for next year as I hope to be healthier and able to plan a date in advance!

 If you are over in our area please swing by to take a look anytime before November 1^st! I have a little problem with some lights & I am missing the walking feet but as soon as that is done I'll post pictures! 

 Other news: House on Iowa Street sold during Ragbria, unfortunately we did not get anything near the appraised value, but am glad it went to a grandma that is trying to support her grandson! I hope the neighbors on Iowa street welcome him and his brother to the neighborhood.

 Wes & Bethany got married almost a month ago and are settling nicely into their new home in West Des Moines. I got a tour last Tuesday and it is a wonderful house! It reminded me of our first house in Glendora, California. Actually they have more rooms. It was good to see my granddoggies, Buddy & Achilles. They have been on a diet and have thinned down a bit! I can't wait to see the house when they have finished decorating and unpacking boxes!

 Chris, Merri, Tyler and James have relocated also to West Des Moines! They are on the third floor of an apartment building. Their complex has a small playground for the boys, an outdoor swimming pool in the summer, a dog park for their two puppies - Spike & Shorty. They are about 10 minutes away from Wes & Bethany. Merri's cousin Shaylia & family live close by. Merri is looking for a job in that area. 

 Jeff started a new job in San Francisco and is living in Oakland. He is collecting new stories & climbing.  He sold his car and is relying on the Bart system. 

 It is great to see the kids living their lives, just very tough to have them all be too far to drop by for dinner! 

House for Sale

Priced to sell - $139,500

3+ bedrooms 2 bath House

2210 Iowa St, Cedar Falls, IA 50613

Spacious open design, UNI Campus area single family home ready for updates & the new owner's decorating touches. Main floor consists of kitchen, laundry - 3/4 bath combination, family, living & dining rooms plus small solarium (Potential for main floor bedroom w/o closet)! Two stairwells to partially sheet rocked 3 basement rooms. 3+ bedrooms upstairs and 1 full bath. (extra room in upper level w/o closet would make perfect nursery, office or small bedroom.) Pull-down ladder for attic access. Only 5 blocks to campus - great property for college employee & family. Only 1/2 block to Seerley park. Quick possession possible. Parking potential on site for 3-4 cars with tandem double Garage with doors on both ends. Some deferred maintenance existing but lots of potential.

For more pictures or information contact Kathy at klinkzeitz@hotmail.com

Getting it together

We are slowly getting it together at the Laverne house!

 Just finishing up the painting in the entry and

the formerly "Red" bathroom. As soon as we are finished painting the entry we are going to go and get a few more pieces of our furniture that has been housed in our storage unit. Then to Merri & Chris' house to get some bedroom furniture and then tomorrow will be getting the new dishwasher and unpacking the upstairs! Pictures to follow.

Plan for the week - I will be at the new house today painting & removing wallpaper and waiting for our new bed!
People have said they would like to help but can't doing the lifting...we can use: so daycare for Tyler & James so Merri & Chris can help each day
On Thursday is the big move the boxes day - we have a few pickups and vans but the more people loading and loading will make the job go quicker.
Also help directing people at the old house and new house. 
Can always use help with the packing, wall paper removal and painting.
We will be having some munchies and a light lunch thanks to Moria for giving me the idea - she's bringing a soup - and we'll have some other things as well in the kitchen.
(childcare is covered right now just for Thursday, but as Chris & Merri are both out of a job they would like to help us move but we have found that is difficult with the kids around)
Thanks for volunteering and helping us out!
 Don't want to plan - feel free to stop by either location on Thursday (for other days give me or Leigh a call to see where we are!)
Old house 2210 Iowa Street
New House 1304 Laverne Lane

LaVerne House

We did it! We found our next house, offer was accepted - now for inspection, and all that other stuff to get it finalized before Christmas!

The following pictures are with Bunny's (previous owner) furniture! As soon as I get new pictures with the room empty I'll change them out.