ECCH WORKING ON CAMPAIGN PLATFORM

Dictated by Sullivan/ECCHM and Posted by Ovi/ECCHAM

ECCH staff has decided to draft a Campaign Platform which we knows is a bit out of order from what is normally done. Done? Well, a platform we have learned, is a statement of positions on issues, which a political party makes promises to achieve.  Hm. Sort of like a check off list of things they want and they will make happen. The Campaign is all about exactly what they say they will do to achieve the promises in their Platform. The Election is to vote the candidate of a party to a specific job where they do what the platform wanted and promised. The term of office an elected candidate spends seems to be nothing at all to do with the platform.

This brought up quite a debate at ECCH, why would a platform for Easter Creature 2012 be needed at all....We didn't do the 'party' step. We went directly to having a candidate and we knew our Noah and anyone who had met the Rude Rabbit would know all they needed to know. But Piper has started to speak lately, thanks to Herzig, and in the middle of the debate he started talking.

"The reason we should write a platform of all the things we believe is so we can remind ourselves of the reasons the position of Easter Creature shouldn't belong to any one creature. It is a very very important job. Its a job all about joy, spring, kindness and being nice. It is a job about a religious belief that helps children understand their faith. And it makes me think that there must be similar wonderful ways for children growing up in all faiths and maybe those who celebrate Easter could learn about those other children and their faiths. And our Noah's encounter last spring with that Rude Rabbit showed that the Rabbit has begun to care more about himself than being nice. We don't want children learning about Easter from the Rabbit."

I looked around the headquarters and saw that all the Ovines were listening very carefully to Piper. Piper had stopped talking but I knew that there was so much more he could share so I asked him to please go on.

"If you want me to Sullivan" Piper said. "The Platform will be to remind us that the position of Easter Creature shouldn't belong to Ovines either. It will tell us before we become rude and inconsiderate Easter Ovines, just why Noah decided to ask to be Easter Creature." Piper looked down for a moment and then said, "I believe there should be several issues we address in the Platform. 1. That Easter Creature is for any creature. 2. That kindness is important. But I think we also should teach what Ellis the Ram and Esme the Ewe teach each of us. To be OPEN AND ACCEPTING of everyone and every belief. 3. That life in the pasture or a rabbit hole or a nest in the tree is all about being careful how we live. Pastures aren't made of plastic and can't be purchased in a store, so why should Easter baskets. Easter should be all about being Green. After all, Green is the color in the Pasture. Green is one of the colors that tell us its Spring. Green is the color of growing. That is all I have to say, Thank You Sullivan for allowing me to speak."

One by one each of us agreed that those 3 ideas were the perfect beginning for the PLATFORM. As baa'ing broke out it was soon decided that 1.Easter doesn't belong to only 1 Creature and 2. Open and Accepting, would be easy to explain in our PLATFORM. But the real fun would be in 3. Green. Somewhere I just knew Noah was saying, TAKE THAT RUDE RABBIT!


ECCH~CM SULLIVAN

SHE JUST APPEARED!

posted by Esme the Ewe

There we were, bedtime and all was settling down in the pasture, when our HC came and told us we needed to come upstairs. Upstairs to her pasture. Telling the flock to go to sleep and leaving Willie in charge, as the oldest Ovine, we followed her up the stairs. Ellis asked what she wanted us to go to her pasture for at this time of night, "You'll See" was the only answer she gave. Once in her pasture she point to the other side of her sleeping place so I followed Ellis as we moved about the foot of her bed to the other side. Again Ellis ask what was there to see. "Up and Over on the blue dresser on top of the Indian Blanket" she said pointing toward it.

Finally without us asking she reached down and us lifted up onto her bed. We both walked toward the dresser.......and then we saw. The fleece balls and the collecting area for future fleece balls.

I said "you mean the glass under the pile of fleece waiting to be wound?" No came the answer. "You and Ellis are looking at the wrong end of the pile, the other end." Both Ellis and I looked very carefully and at just as he started to say "All I see is more"~~~it moved??? Every so slightly but both Ellis and I stood quite still and watched it and yes, there it was again. It seemed to be gently swaying from side to side.

At that point Ellis said "OK, lets go see what is behind the fleece pile." Our HC said "no just wait a moment, we don't want to scare it away". Then a sound, a tiny little bleat! The sort of sound young lambs make when standing beside their mothers when they are a bit timid. And again the bleat. At that point, a little head popped up and looked out over the fleece pile!!!

Ellis and I just stood quietly for a moment, then I said to the little lamb "Welcome home little one, you will be safe now". With a bit of bleating the little lamb came around the fleece pile and stood. Ellis said to me, "she is still scared of us I think. I'll go down and find a place for her tonight in the pasture. Perhaps Callopie and Sullivan would be the best to care for her tonight."

Ellis left the bed and went downstairs and the little lamb with the littlest of steps began to come to me. "Hello you pretty little lamb. I'm Esme the Ewe and you will be safe here. By what name shall we call you?"

And she bleated very softly........Grace.

Always with open pasture gates,

Esme the Ewe

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

IT ALL STARTED ONE MORNING posted by Noah, The Grey One

It was such a beautiful morning, the first sunny day in so~so~so long. Having spent the last year collecting bits of our fleece left here and there in the pasture~and bits removed from a knitted garment here and there~and fleece shavings from finished products which had been washed to firm perfection. They were ready. What was ready? Well our Fleece Balls. It has always been a flock project. To make use of all we are. Plus its fun, not only for the flock but for HCs. They create wondrous items with needles and hooks using our fleece which has been spun into lengths of fiber. Along the way, there are always bits to trim, fuzz to shave, and pieces of fiber unused. So when a large quantity of such fleece was ready the process got underway. Our HC sat down in a chair with all these bits plus a few strands of wool fiber collected along the way which had some nice length, and began to wind it all together. This is Herzig's favorite part of creating Fleece Balls. As pieces are selected somewhat randomly all the colors are wound tightly. We talk about what the finished ball may look like but until the Fleece Balls are completed and then cut in half to reveal inside the Fleece Ball~no one really knows.

So after our HC finished the winding 1 larger ball and used the remaining bits in a smaller ball waiting for more fleece, I prepared for the next part of the process. Placing the balls in a net bag and snugly securing it and then into a washing machine it goes.

I monitored the machine during several times of this washing and then guarded them outside in the sunny brightness, the first photo under the title. Knowing they would not dry or be complete for quite a length of time, but Fleece Ball time was well underway. Things were going as normal,,,,,UNTIL.......IT APPEARED.

I couldn't quite understand who or WHAT this creature was or why it was 'glaring' at me, as though I WAS THE INTRUDER. Then this creature asked what I was doing invading its territory with these eggs. "AND JUST WHAT SORT OF EGGS ARE THEY", it asked. "Obviously they are fake or not eggs at all, REAL EGGS look like these 2 I have." I was taken aback and frankly momentarily without voice. As we stared at each other I remembered what Ellis the Ram and Esme the Ewe always remind us, think carefully before speaking and be Open and Accepting. I thought carefully before I began speaking but knew the 'Open and Accepting' part was going to be extremely difficult.

After a deep breath I began. "I am Noah, The Grey One and this is where I live. In our pasture with my flock, my HC and her MPU, Polly. And these are not EGGS they are Fleece Balls and they are meant to be round. My question is WHO ARE YOU and why have you entered our pasture with those 'eggs'? If eggs are what they are. They do look like eggs but eggs are normally white or brown, not orange or blue. And they don't look like they are made from calcium which poultry form to hold the eggs as they give birth to them~they look made of clay used in pottery?"

The creature got rather snotty at that point, which I thought very rude, but~deeply baa'ing~I listened. "I am the Easter Rabbit you scruffy in need of a haircut ovine and these are Easter Eggs. This is my time of the year so you....and this flock...need to hit the road and stay out of sight until after Easter. Get with the program!"

OBVIOUSLY 'OPEN AND ACCEPTING' WAS BECOMING DIFFICULT!

"Well.....I am aware of the upcoming holiday and have heard of the the 'traditions' of Easter. A 'Easter Bunny', delivery of eggs in baskets along with sweets, celebrating with spring colors and gorgeous spring flowers. But I'm certain I've never heard that creatures 'not the Easter Bunny' are required to hide."

"Well, I AM THE EASTER BUNNY, I AM KING OF THIS HOLIDAY AND YOU WILL HIDE UNTIL I DECIDE TO DEPART".

YEP, OPEN AND ACCEPTING JUST LEFT THE PASTURE!

"As you may see, I have eggs and I have flowers, what do you have? Fleece Balls and cement!"

Then I said, "And if flowers are a requirement your puny pottery basket with fake pottery flowers pales next to my pasture full of lush beautiful Daffodils which, IF YOU NOTE, are real. My Fleece Balls are real and are products of me. Since when did poultry lay a pottery egg. Come to think of it, WHEN HAVE YOU EVER PRODUCED AN EGG?"

I think I had done it then, this Bunny began to angrily hop about screeching. Yes, screeching! The ear piercing sound being the only sound made by these creatures when matters creating high emotional displays occur. The rabbit began screeching " I AM THE EASTER BUNNY. I AM THE ONLY RIGHTFUL CREATURE OF THIS HOLIDAY. YOU ARE NOT. YOU WILL NEVER BE. ITS MY RIGHT AND NO ONE COULD EVER REPLACE ME. YOU WILL NEVER EVER BE IN CHARGE OF THE EASTER HOLIDAY. I AM THE PERFECT CREATURE FOR THIS POSITION AND I BAN YOU FROM THIS PASTURE FOR ETERNITY."

Yes, it appears Open and Accepting was history, as far as this creature was concerned, if ever it had been a concept. It was then I decided that whatever event had concluded that a rabbit was deserving of representing Easter, had been ill considered. And from my point of view no creature 'owned' the position of leading the holiday. I then made my decision. This Easter was upon us and nothing could be done this year. But next year I planned a change.

So today I begin my run for election to the position of EASTER CREATURE. I hereby announce to run on the

Ovine Party ticket for

EASTER

LAMB!

The next steps

1. Formulate a platform

2. Determine the right ovines to fill key positions on my Election Committee

3. Create a sure fire Campaign strategy

4. Gain support for voting day

5. WIN THE 2012 ELECTION FOR EASTER LAMB

Noah, The Grey One

YOUR NEXT

EASTER LAMB!

{WE'RE GOING TO NEED MORE FLEECE BALLS}