I expect many of you, like me, find yourselves going back to the television for more details about the horrible shootings in Newtown, Connecticut yesterday.  As hard as it is to watch and listen to, I am wanting answers, and my mind races wondering why this happened, how could anyone be so damaged to take young lives, or any life, for that matter; and what can possibly be done to stop the awful killings all over the country.  We are seeing so much violence, even here in Vermont, and it seems nowhere is safe, nobody is exempt, it's "open season" and bad things keep happening to good people who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when some demented person runs amok.  Somewhere, somehow, something must have gone terribly wrong that humanity has so many flawed souls.

Our hearts ache for those parents who have lost their children and for the children who have lost their friends and teachers.  All are forever scarred, but most will cope, some better than others, and life will go on.  Those of us watching will pull our loved ones - whatever their age - closer, be more vigilant, more suspicious, extra careful and pray nothing like this ever happens again.  But we know it will. 

So I force myself away from TV and back to my computer.  I will shift my attention to other things, but the sadness will not go away.


My e-mail had this notice when I checked a few minutes ago:

SCHOOL CHOICE

MEETING

 

January 8, 2013

6:00 pm

Masonic Hall in Cabot

 
There will be a School Choice informational meeting on Tuesday – January 8, 2013 at 6pm at the Masonic Hall in Cabot , Vermont .
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the process for shutting down the High School in order to offer High School Choice to our students in grades 9-12.
A member of the North Bennington School district will be in attendance to discuss North Bennington ’s experiences to date related to closing their school and to answer any related questions.
All residents interested at any level in offering School Choice in Cabot, or think they might be, are welcome to attend.
Please feel free to forward this onto any interested persons...hope to see you there!

* * * * * 

Here's a bit of news - Marty's First Stop has switched from Mobil to Irving gasoline.  We have noticed the price is more competitive now - likely at least part of the reason they switched.  I haven't heard what company will be coming to Cabot, but we understand it will likely be self-serve; that way they can begin supplying gasoline to the community sooner than if they wait for the store to be remodeled and staffed.  That will be really good for folks in and around Cabot; when you think about it, there aren't many places to buy gas along either Route 2 or Route 15, the highways on either side of the town that Route 215 connects, so Cabot folks have had to travel some distance to get gas.

Fred picked up our fruit at the gym in Cabot this morning - the grapefruit are HUGE, and look delicious. We'll probably split one; we usually have an orange or an apple as a snack during the evening, so tonight we'll have a special treat. Fred got some pictures when he went to Cabot.  Like a lot of people, it's hard for either of us go over the Plain and not take pictures, especially from the cemetery.  Here's a short slide show. 

We've had another very nice day today - sunshine and not too cold temperatures.  We had just a sifting of snow overnight, but it wasn't enough for me to measure this morning.  There is still just a trace of snow on the ground around our house - even today's sunshine didn't melt most places.  The ground is too cold now, I guess, and whatever snow we get is likely to stay put.