up early...

... too early in fact. When I thought we were supposed to be ready for our hired ride to the airport at 4:30. Obviously not paying attention, after I turned the logistics over, knowing that they would get me where I needed to be when I was supposed to be there. So I set my alarm for 4 a.m., and got myself dressed and sitting on ready. Only to discover, we were not leaving the house until 5:30, for a 7:30 flight. They definitely were not waiting for me!

I worked for several hours on Saturday morning (at my paying job), then went to a volunteer project: one of many where I give my time away. Reported here ,you have read about the work of Keep Columbus Beautiful, an organization devoted to just that: promoting and supporting work, often with a huge outpouring of volunteer labor, that help make our town a nicer place to live. Funded by grants, donations and city tax money, running programs that help to raise awareness about litter prevention, recycling to reuse reclaimable trash, environmental protection of our land and water.

I have participated in city wide events to collect Rx meds., prevent people from dumping in the landfill or flushing into our waterways. Assisted on advertised days for the community to donate shoes: giving an option to putting used shoes in the trash, by delivery to a collection point where they can be accumulated and sent to third world countries where even shabby and worn shoes are better than no shoes. And on Earth Day, collecting papers people want to destroy. Announcing a day for people with tax documents, bank statements, financial records to bring papers to be shredded. The shreds baled and sold to companies that used them as an ingredient in pulp to make more paper. Like those cartons you see that say: '40% post consumer paper products' right there on the cereal box or cracker container.

After my two hour shift at the shredding site, I drove to Decatur to spend the night.  Got up Too Early for the flight from ATL to RIC. Where a sweet service in memory of mybrother took place in the church where they have been members for over forty years.