Out and About – Week of November 2nd

Today (11-3-15)  is Election Day. Have you voted? Here in Three Rivers we’re taking advantage of our right to select a mayor and district commissioners. If you didn’t vote, you have no right to complain on how the city of Three Rivers is run.
Anyone in Three Rivers can be a mayor or district commissioner. You don’t need a college degree or a lot of money. All you need is the desire to make a difference and want to have a say as to how the city does things. Many citizens complain about city policies, yet I didn’t notice any of their names on the ballot when I cast my vote.
I applaud those who currently serve on City Commission, and I applaud anyone who desires to serve in any way to make Three Rivers a better place to live. I’ve served for over fifteen years as a volunteer with the world’s largest service organization. If I haven’t learned anything else, I’ve learned that you can be either a part of the problem or a part of the solution.
Chances are that you probably were not late for work this past Monday morning. You guessed it, Sunday was the time we set our clocks back one hour, which means everyone had the opportunity to sleep in an extra hour. Remember, “Spring ahead, fall back”?
I’ve always been a fan of the Animal Rescue Fund (ARF). Our county is fortunate to have such a wonderful group of volunteers to care for those dogs and cats that are abandoned or just plain forgotten about. To care for these pets requires donations, so every so often ARF has a fundraiser. One such fundraiser is scheduled for this Saturday, November 7, from 9 AM until 1 PM, at the TSC store located on US-131 just north of the US-131 and West Michigan Avenue in Three Rivers. This fundraiser is ARF’s annual toenail clinic. The cost for this chore is a donation of your choice. I’ve tried to have my toenails taken care of at past fundraisers and was turned away.
ARF’s next fundraiser is their annual “Pet Pictures with Santa”. This is scheduled for Saturday, November 21, from 10 AM till 3 PM. This will also be held at the TSC store in Three Rivers. Cost is $10 per picture, and $2 for each additional pet in the picture. Family members can be in the picture at no additional cost. The confusion comes when you consider your pet to be a family member.
I’ve learned a few things since I’ve become a victim of Shingles. One thing is that stress can lead to Shingles. Dealing with stress and avoiding it is very difficult. I stress about stress before there’s even stress to stress about. Then I stress about stressing over stress that doesn’t need to be stressed about. All of this is very stressful.
Another important thing I’ve discovered about Shingles is that if one family member has it, the entire family is affected. I appreciate my wife’s and our cat’s patience during this ordeal.
See you Out and About!

Submitted by Norm Stutesman