Serve by Design

For several days this week, gridlock has prevented the United States House of Representatives from electing a Speaker for this august body of legislators. Fourteen ballots had been cast in the effort to move forward, but to no avail. It would be on the fifteenth round that a breakthrough would occur. All week long, strong differences of opinion dominated the discussions. Every effort had failed to get a majority consensus. Finally, in the very early morning hours of Saturday morning,   a Speaker of the House was elected . This level of disagreement is unusual, but not without historic precedence. The longest vote for a Speaker occurred in 1856 when it took two months and 133 rounds of balloting to elect Rep. Nathaniel Banks of Massachusetts as Speaker of the House. The Gavel: Symbol of Authority During this present and epic Speaker election of the modern era, many have tuned in to their televisions to watch the actions on C-SPAN live stream. Each round of voting has been proce...

During springtime, mid-April to early May, in the wooded areas of Illinois, you will find a search underway for the much-treasured morel mushrooms. The timing for this quest is dependent upon the warming temperatures and amount of rainfall.   Individuals of all ages can be seen carefully combing undisturbed acres of shady timber and moist leafy places for the emerging signs of these delectable varieties of edible fungus. Morels as large as your palm and as small as an inch or two can be found in colors that often blend into the terrain – golden yellows, reddish rusts, and shiny blacks. My Sis, Bren's Find This ritual hunt has become a rite of passage for many a young person. The only equipment recommended, aside from a light step and keen eye, is a walking stick and of course, a bag to contain the harvest! My grandchildren and their daddy didn’t have to walk far from their house in our suburban village to find enough morels to share with the grandparents. This batch of morels was s...