In Which I Get Angry & Take a Stand

Two weeks ago, Ian had an away game at a school across town. When I arrived, I was shocked to see this as I looked for a parking space:

Every single handicapped space

was being used for food truck parking.

Every. Single. One.

Not only is that illegal, but it's just plain wrong. This was a school - what was being taught to the students (and their parents) by that?

I got hot. It takes a lot to make me angry, but I was TICKED. 

I'd never taught at that school, but I knew the principal, and spied him over by the ticket gate. I pushed my walker over to him and asked for a minute of his time. He looked surprised and then he looked very wary when he noticed my walker. He knew that using those parking spaces for food trucks was wrong; I could read it in his face.

I was cordial but firm and I pointed out that that was wrong as well as illegal, and asked him to stop. He said he'd "consider it" and so I thanked him and rolled off.

After I'd gotten home, I did some research. I wanted to be sure of my grounds because I certainly intended to push the issue if a change wasn't made. I looked up the American Disabilities Act and I was right - blocking those handicapped spaces was illegal.

Then I called Kathy and ran what had happened past her. She was just as shocked as I was and agreed - it was illegal and wrong.

I decided to give the principal a chance to do better, so I drove out the next week during the football game and checked.

Food trucks were again blocking the handicapped spaces.

There were fewer trucks this time and it looked as thought they'd been moved down a bit

which opened up three handicapped spaces, but still, handicapped spaces were being blocked.

It was time to address the issue. I would contact Dr. Hanback, the Superintendent of Schools. He knows me and who I am, both as an educator and a human being. I felt he would take my concern seriously and address it.

Dr. Hanback and me in May, 2018, my last day of teaching. He'd surprised me by dropping into my classroom to thank me for service in the classroom.

So I sent him the following email.

---

Hello, Dr. Hanback,

I am letting you know of issues with the use of handicapped parking spaces at Wea Ridge Middle School. They are being blocked off and used as spots for food trucks to set up and sell. There are no other marked handicapped spaces in that parking lot - I drove around and checked.

I spoke to Fred Roop on Thursday, 9/17 at the game. He listened and told me he would "consider it" when I asked him to keep the handicapped spaces open for those of us who need them. (I now use a walker and I need them.)

Yesterday I again went to WRMS for a football game. Again, the handicapped spaces were being used for food trucks. Not all of them this time, but then, there were fewer food trucks present than there had been the previous week. Mr. Roop may have considered my request (and I appreciate that) but he continued to use handicapped spaces for food trucks to park.

This is not acceptable and is a violation of the ADA. For those of us who need those spaces, it is not a matter of convenience. It is a matter of accessibility.  

I was not the only one using a walker or an assistive device at those games. Where did the woman in the wheelchair have to park? The elderly man moving slowly on his walker as he looked for a seat? As for me, it was a long hike from the parking lot and into the stands.

Attached are photos. The first two photos were taken at the Wea Ridge Middle School football game, Thursday, September 17. The second two photos are from the Wea Ridge Middle School football game, Thursday, September 24. Both sets of photos clearly show that food trucks are blocking the handicapped accessible parking spaces.

I am asking that TSC look into these violations and ensure that handicapped parking is not being used for anything except those who have disabilities and a handicapped parking plate or tag. At WRMS or at any other TSC school.

Thank you.

Lynn Isenbarger

TSC Teacher 

Hershey Elementary, 2006 - 2018

---

I don't expect to hear from Dr. Hanback until next week at the earliest. I am sure he will contact Fred Roop and hear his side of the story first before taking steps to address the issue. Just as I gave Fred Roop a chance to make a change before contacting the superintendent, I will give Dr. Hanback some time to respond and make changes, too.

In the meantime, I will continue checking the parking situation at that school. And if for some reason I don't hear back from Dr. Hanback (or I do and he's going to allow the practice to continue), then I am prepared to file a complaint with the ADA offices.

In my two years of using a walker, I have learned that those parking spaces are extremely valuable to those who need them. 

And as I said to Dr. Hanback, they're not about convenience. They are about accessibility. Accessibility that is necessary for living your life when you have a disability.

Stay 'tooned.

Working Hard & Having Fun

If you sew and sew a lot, it is not unusual to be asked, "Can you hem my pants?" "Will you alter my dress?" "Will you give sewing lessons to my kids?" And more.

I don't mind helping people, but I no longer sew for anyone else besides family members. Not many people sew anymore, and those who do are generally quilters. There's a big difference between quilting and garment construction, so finding someone to work on clothing is difficult. I get that, but no, I am not taking on other work. I have too much to do with my own projects.

Still, once in a while I say yes to a request for help. And the dogs in my family always get a free pass. 

Nash and Rosie got a brand new toy, and it didn't take long before Rosie had its belly opened. I used heavy duty linen thread from my 18th century supplies to mend it, but I have a feeling that Rosie will have it open again soon.

Despite the brief break from sewing to mending that toy, I finished making the bedgowns. I have 8 completed and ready to go. The Feast is four weeks away and if I get time, I will make a few more, but I still have short cloaks and petticoats to make. Plus, beeswax ornaments. (Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick!)

A size 2XL bedgown from one of my all time favorite block prints.

I tuck point the edges of seams that are at the hems of the sleeves and the bottom of the garment. It adds time to the sewing process, but it makes the garment look nicely finished. 

A size Large. I also have this fabric in green. I may turn that into a petticoat.

And a size XL.  This fabric is beautiful and has purple, a popular color among reenactors but one that is hard to find in block prints.

The remnants from these bedgowns have been measured and bundled. Well, except for the green one. I barely had enough fabric to make that bedgown and so I just have scraps left. (Remnants: bigger pieces usable for something else; Scraps: small bits and pieces.)

I've sewn so many articles of clothing that I ran out of wooden hangers and had to buy some more. That turned out to be a really good thing for me.

Old on the left, new on the right.

The new wooden hangers are narrower and lighter. That will make them so much easier to carry downstairs, pack into the car, and then unload and hang up at the Feast. 

The difference in weight is significant for me - I have arthritis in my hands and a long term rotator cuff injury. And the new hangers look much nicer than the older ones. So I decided to replace all the old ones and will offer those for sale at the Feast.

With the bedgowns finished, I moved on to making cloaks. I cut out a hip length cloak from the forest green wool with enough fabric left for a second cloak. (Already on the to-do list for Kalamazoo.)

The blue wool will be a knee length cloak with a silk lined hood.

I cut some of the remnants into 2" x 4" pieces and will make those into pouches for sets of sleeve buttons.

Like these. The pouches help keep the sleeve buttons from getting lost plus they are a nice touch for sales.

I've crossed 8 things off my Feast to-do list and even though I am feeling some stress, I am in good shape and will be fine. The cloaks will stitch up fast and so will the petticoats. And I am really looking forward to making the beeswax ornaments - I find that relaxing and fun - pour and pop, pour and pop! 

Stay 'tooned!

Back to the Barn

Last week I wrote about discovering that the doctor who does my spine injections is also a horsey girl. We spent part of my appointment talking horses and she ended up giving me her personal cell number so we could arrange a visit to the barn. 

Yesterday was the day we'd scheduled to visit the horses. But when she got home from work, she discovered that both her sons were running fevers. She was really disappointed, but I assured her that I could easily reschedule and we'd go another time when the boys were healthy.

I started to head back into the sewing room to get some more Feast work done, but then I decided I would go by myself. I had already cut up apples and carrots, and I knew that  Tim had moved the horses to a dryer area so we would not get muddy.

So, I put down my sewing needle, stepped into my barn boots, and headed out.

Sultanna is the only horse who really knows me well - the others arrived after Abby's death. She came right up to say hello.

It was good to see her. I fed her some apple slices and petted her a bit before moving on.

EZ has a shoulder injury and is on stall rest for a month. Tim has a movable pen he puts in various places so EZ can be outside and get some fresh air.

Bogo doesn't know me and while she liked my apple offerings, she really wasn't interested in visiting.

Same with Penny - she ate her apples and then walked off and out into the northwest pasture to graze.

With Tim's permission, Indianna has Rosy Red fish residing in the trough eating algae and insect larva. There are some PVC pipes to give them shelter from the sun and predators. I had to smile - it is clear that Tim loves having Belle and her kids at his barn!

I walked through the new barn - Belle's family's saddles were lined up in a row and made me smile.

I almost took my English saddle home as I need it next month for the Feast School Day presentation I'm doing, but I will get it another time and will probably keep it here at home after that.

The lounge had recently been swept and Tim's wood carving things have been put away. They'll be back again, though - he carves a lot during cold weather.

As I finished walking around, my heart grew heavy. The grief at losing Abby had surfaced and I felt it keenly as I finished my walk-through of the barn.

I drove home in tears. 

I was happy to have been at the barn, but this is why I mostly stay away now. My girl is gone and the grief begins to well in my heart as I visit a place that I love and that has so many happy memories.

But the best part of those memories is gone and I miss Abby's presence. Her whickers when she would see me arrive and the way she would come barreling up to the gate to greet me. The pied piper moments and how she followed me everywhere. The companionship as we simply hung out together.

It's been over two years since that lightning strike took her life but clearly my heart still has not healed.

Stay 'tooned.

Happy Trails, Thunder & Ann!

This past Sunday at the Broncos game, Thunder and Ann officially retired.

There was a "passing of the reins" ceremony held, 

and Ann and Thunder took a last gallop

around the field.

I looked at the new Thunder and thought, "That's no Arabian. That's an Andalusian."

I looked him up and I was right.

His new team. His new rider/trainer is Gretchen Flynn, and her husband, Phillip Flynn, is also listed as trainer. (All screenshots were taken from public social media sites.)

Sharon and Ernie Blake have owned all the previous Thunders over the past 33 years with Ann riding him for 28 of those years. In an interview on 9 News/Denver, Sharon said the reason they were "pass[ing] the program on to a new generation" was "the advancing age of Thunder and the entire team."

That is understandable. I'm sure it has been a wonderful time, but no doubt the work that went into it was exhausting, even with an entire team helping.

Well done, Ann, Thunder, Sharon, and Ernie. Yours is a wonderful legacy and I am delighted that Denver values it so much that they are continuing the program. Happy Trails in your retirement!

Stay 'tooned.

Big Plans for Morainewood

The river had flooded earlier this month, and after it went back down into its banks, I got a text from Lisa - two more trees had come down at Morainewood, this time on either side of the highway that cut through our property.

I decided to go check it out.

Roadwork was being done on the highway and it was down to one lane. But that worked to my advantage. I could sit in my car and get some pictures rather than just doing a quick drive-by.

I couldn't see the tree on the west side of the highway as I approached, but the one on the river side of the road was obvious.

As I slowly approached the line of cars that were stopped ahead of me, I could get a better look. And then, a surprise.

There were two trees that had come down by the river, not just one. I could see the big root ball of the second tree distinctly from the other tree.

I sent the pictures to my sisters and brother and Leslie replied with her own news about Morainewood. She'd had a chance to talk with a man who is working with WREC (Wabash River Enhancement Corporation; the organization who purchased Morainewood) and is a prairie specialist. She wrote:

I told him where we used to live, and he was very familiar with it because he has done extensive work there.  He immediately apologized that the house was torn down, as he thought that action might have been upsetting to us. 

They are killing the grass down by the river and in our front yard because it is going to be turned into a large prairie restoration.  Mom and Dad would have loved that.  Eventually there is a tentative plan in the far future to build a walking trail along and down the ridge above the house.  He has no knowledge of any plans to sell the upper part for someone to build on.

Aha! That explained this:

That's one of our pastures and I had wondered what had happened to the condition of the grass. Now I know; it's part of the prairie restoration.

And no plans to sell the part of the property where the house and barn had stood? Good news.

So, while I'm still sad about the destruction of the home and barn plus the loss of the old oak tree, I am thrilled at the idea of the prairie restoration. Bringing the river bottoms and flood plain back to how they were historically is a big win in my book.

I think a little bit of my heart healed with that news.

Stay 'tooned.