The Old Net Shed ~ Quaint Bookshop Meaford, ON

 "We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change.  And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn."
~ Peter F. Drucker (1909 - 2005) Austrian-born American writer, professor, management consultant.

"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities.  In the expert's mind there are few."
~ Shunryu Suzuki (1904 - 1971)  Japanese Soto Zen Monk.

"Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe."
~ H. G. Wells (1866 - 1946) English writer.

"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." ~ Malcolm Forbes (1919 - 1990)  Publisher of Forbes Magazine.

"...whenever we exaggerate or demonize,, oversimplify or overstate our case, we lose.  Whenever we dumb down the political debate, we lose.  For it's precisely the pursuit of ideological purity, the rigid orthodoxy and the sheer predictability of our current political debate, that keeps us from finding new ways to meet the challenges we face as a country.  It's what keeps us locked in "either/or" thinking:  the notion that we can have only big government or no government; the assumption that we must either tolerate forty-six million without health insurance or embrace 'socialized medicine.'

"It is such doctrinaire thinking and stark partisanship that have turned Americans off of politics.  This is not a problem for the right;  a polarized electorate - or one that easily dismisses both parties because of the nasty, dishonest tone of the debate - works perfectly well for those who seek to chip away at the very idea of government.  After all, a cynical electorate is a self-centered electorate.
"But for those of us who believe that government has a role to play in promoting opportunity and prosperity for all Americans, a polarized electorate isn't good enough."

~ Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope, Crown Publishers, 2006.

Emily Dickinson ~

BESIDES the autumn poets sing,
     A few prosaic days
A little this side of the snow
And that side of the haze.

A few incisive mornings,
A few ascetic eves, ~
Gone Mr. Bryant's golden-rod,
And Mr. Thomson's sheaves.

Still is the bustle in the brook,
Sealed are the spicy valves;
Mesmeric fingers softly touch
The eyes of many elves.

Perhaps a sqirrel may remain,
My sentiments to share.
Grant me, O Lord, a sunny mind,
Thy windy will to bear !

~ When Emily died in 1886, her sister Lavina found a box containing hundreds of poems ~ the first set was published in 1890.

1000 lb of Pumpkin

&

Caledonia Fair Two Giants

730 lb of Pumpkin

"...a single-payer national health-care plan similar to those that exist in Europe and Canada..."
~President Barack Obama

"In 1993, President Clinton took a stab at creating a system of universal coverage, but was stymied.  Since then, the public debate has been deadlocked, with some on the right arguing for a strong dose of market discipline through Health Savings Accounts, others on the left arguing for a single-payer national health-care plan similar to those that exist in Europe and Canada, and experts across the political spectrum recommending a series of sensible but incremental reforms to the existing system.
"It's time we broke this impasse by acknowledging a few simple truths.
"Given the amount of money we spend on health care (more per capita than any other nation), we should be able to provide basic coverage to every single American."

"...deliver the best care in the most cost-effective manner.  In particular, the model plan would emphasize coverage of primary care, prevention, catastrophic care, and the management of chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes.  Overall, 10 percent of all patients account for 80 percent of the care..."

~ The AUDACITY of HOPE, THOUGHTS ON RECLAIMING THE AMERICAN DREAM,  Barack Obama, Crown Publishers, 2006. 

Meet us at the fair ~

Haldimand Stewardship Council
Haldimand & Area Woodlot Owners' Association