Since my car crash a little over a week ago, I've spent over a week in my rental car while my own car spent time in the body shop. Thanks to somebody else running a stop sign, my car's whole front end is being replaced, over $8000 of repairs. I wonder if the other guy's insurance will compensate for the decreased value of my poor  Hyundai Tucson? I like my car, easy to load when I haul big things. It's so much easier to convert from passenger to cargo than my old Plymouth Voyager. But if I ever trade, I doubt I'll get much. Accident history equals too much depreciation. Deprecation too.

Appreciation is so much better. Saturday was Military Appreciation Day at the local fairgrounds. If I didn't appreciate the military I wouldn't have served in the Air Force along with my husband. After I got out to raise my first son, we both went with my husband to a remote duty station, Wallace Air Station in the Philippines. Nothing made me appreciate the USA more than living in another country where freedom was limited. Marcos came in and took over many privately owned businesses. Everyone we met wanted to go to the USA, the promised land. I enjoyed our year there with cold water and no phone or TV, but wanted to kiss the ground when we came home. I love the USA.

Back to the present and Military Appreciation Day, I drove my rental car through the rain to see my husband and son at the Thunderbird Inter-tribal Council booth. My husband is a member of the Thunderbird Inter-tribal Council Honor Guard. I found a lot of interesting things to look at along the way. I lost track of time staring at owls and a hedgehog rescued by the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge. So I missed one of the Native American Dances. But I did see my son demonstrate a dance called a Crow Hop, and he did a great job.

There were other cultural activities in plenty, most manned by volunteers, along with booths set up by charities and businesses. There were many worthy charities in need of volunteers and donations, from mentoring students to housing wounded warriors on the human interest side. Animals were represented by the wildlife refuge mentioned above as well as a reptile display manned by Army Rangers.

Then I made the mistake of walking into the Hall of Heroes and didn't get halfway through before I started crying, thinking of all the sacrifices brave men and women made in our country's behalf, my own behalf. I wear my heart on my sleeve because the USA is my own true heartland.

My car will never appreciate in value. Few vehicles survive the test of time and gain a reputation for such high quality that they become an object valued by many. My country, however, becomes more valuable to me with every passing day. Its freedoms are precious, to be valued and protected by patriots who love and serve, sacrificing their lives if necessary so I can live my life without fear.

One big fear remains, are there enough patriots left in our country to protect it from the rising tide of socialism anwithin? Last week our local elections took place. I studied every candidate before I voted. Too many others didn't vote, let alone study the candidates positions on issues. Don't complain to me if your rights get chipped away, one at a time. Consider your heart. If you didn't do anything to help your heartland last week, make time this week, and next, and next. . .Give to worthy charities, volunteer, vote. Give back.

For anyone who read my first blogspot.com blog, you can skip this one. I haven't figured out the trick of making it feed here, so I just copied and pasted.  But you have to go there, sherahart.blogspot.com, to see me as queen Borg. My costume won fist prize.

My first few blogs show me trying to find my focus as a blogger, not limited to writing. Some people believe in holistic medicine. I believe holistic writing can improve more than my own physical and mental health. I hope it will change people's attitudes, which are connected to the health of the whole planet, via their actions. Actions do change things, and I want my book to change things for the better, not the kind of change advertised by a certain politician. I love my freedom, thanks.

With our own planet's problems in mind, I wanted to write about another aged world whose health has already been so seriously damaged that its Heartland is in danger of complete destruction. So . . . In the beginning she created Erth One -- in writing.

Whoever said there aren't other earths? One of them had to be first, and Erth One has had plenty of time to develop a mind of its own. Sentient, but sentenced to destruction. Now where would a conscious planet with a conscience look for replacement SCOUTS (check the acronym on my website) to save its Heartland than here, in the heartland of the USA among Boy Scouts already trained to care for nature? In fact, the power of change certain SCOUTS acquire from the planet is more than wordplay.  A SCOUT's recreation is re-creation.

Since I love humor, wordplay and puns, I had to create a planet with a sense of humor too. Even with a pair of mock-a-sins in the mix, I hope the message doesn't t come-off as preachy. Things don't all work out peachy either, since I'm saving some serious setbacks for subsequent stories in the series. (Say that five times fast).

Tomorrow's the big day for Earth's Heartland, the USA I used as a model for Erth One's Heartland, with some modifications. On Erth One, the Heartland likes to maintain is heart-shape figure. Most of Florida went underwater in deference to Xanth. California broke away and exists as offshore islands known as Outlands, full of selfish exiles who want to hog all the Heartland's power. Same goes for parts of the East coast, Beast coast, whatever. On our Earth, many would take away our freedoms and give us socialism, forced conformity, the lowest common denominator. If you're one of those, you'd better hope Erth One's highest catamount doesn't take you to account. Judge, jury and executioner, a cat-o'-nine tails also has cat's-eye skills to know your intent. And the cat-ching talent to catch the fastest criminals. Harm the environment or freedom, and this cat will etch you with catechu, if it doesn't eat you.