River-Rat Reflections

Living along the bank of the Grand River on Abrigador Trail, we are now official river rats--meaning that we live in a floodplain. But the term means more than that since my initials spell rat--and the reflections are ones both in my mind and on the water.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Assessing Damage



We went to the early church service this morning and then changed clothes and took the kayaks out on the river to make an assessment. Things are actually better than we anticipated. We had hoped we would not have water in our house and we actually do---at the lower end of the first floor. There is more than an inch of standing water in what we call our guest suite, but as you walk up hill to the study facing out to the river, it's perfectly dry. Our kitchen area is wet, but not the dining area that faces the river. The good news is less water than we had expected at our cottage. It appears to be 7-8 inches, maybe a little more at the low end. We had feared it would get up to 2 feet. We are concerned about boats going in and creating a wake, so I made signs and posted them around. They all make reference to "Pure Michigan," which is our state slogan (the adds of which have generated hundreds of millions in tourist dollars). On our way back to our business where we are living we stopped down town and took a picture of the high water there. 














Posted by Ruth A. Tucker at 11:52 AM
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A Warm Riverside Welcome!

A Warm Riverside Welcome!

Join us for refreshments on the deck facing the river.

Come on in!

Come on in!
Here's a view as you come in the front door--taken for the purpose of capturing the wall-hanging (top center) that came in the mail today (9-5-07)--a comissioned piece from the daughter of a dear friend.

Ruth Tucker and John Worst

Ruth Tucker and John Worst
All gussied up for church directory

About Me

I am married to John Worst and have a son and granddaughter, Carlton and Kayla Tucker (now married to Ariel Sosa) as well as two step-daughters, Laura and Sarah and three more grand-kids, Mitch, Ashley and Zach. I did my doctoral degree in history and have written more than twenty books and have taught at colleges and seminaries for more than 30 years. John taught music at Calvin College for 35 years and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Besides reading and folk-art painting, my favorite activities (with John) are hiking, biking and kayaking. Most of our days are spent at our shop, Carlton Gardens, which we refer to as a "hobby gone wild."

My Calvin Seminary Story

I began teaching at Calvin Theological Seminary in 2000--the first full-time woman professor in the school's 125-year history. In 2003, less than 3 months after Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. was installed as the new president, I was, without warning, removed from tenure track and given a terminal appointment. I have repeatedly asked that all the evidence be opened only to be blocked by a dishonest cover-up. When independent mediators were retained by the seminary board in 2005, they called for "retroactive pay to 2003" and my appointment as full professor. They also stated that the charges against me were inflammatory and should be removed from the record. That report was buried. I finished my second terminal appointment on August 31, 2006, and shortly thereafter published my story here.

Good Quotes

"Nothing strengthens authority as much as silence." (Leonardo da Vinci) "All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men [or good women] do nothing." (Winston Churchill) “No person is your friend who demands your silence.” (Alice Walker)

The Beautiful Grand River

The Beautiful Grand River
Here is a sunrise picture from our house

Another view from our deck

Another view from our deck
Why we live on the Grand River

The River Will Have Its Way

Men may dam it and say that they have made a lake, but it will still be a river. It will keep its nature and bide its time, like a caged animal alert for the slightest opening. In time, it will have its way; the dam, like the ancient cliffs, will be carried away piecemeal in the currents.


Wendell Berry

A Love of the River

“The river and the garden have been the foundations of my economy here. Of the two I have liked the river best. It is wonderful to have the duty of being on the river the first and last thing every day. I have loved it even in the rain. Sometimes I have loved it most in the rain.”

― Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow

My Other Sites

  • Calvin Theological Seminary
  • My Calvin Seminary Story
  • Daughters of Eve
  • River-Rat Recycling

Blog Archive

A Provocative Poem

PEDESTALS

Thousands
cheer,
chant,
and clap
as one of their own
is proudly carried toward the
lofty pedestal.
The audience
urges him
up the stairway,
step by step,
higher and higher,
far above the masses
on the prominent platform.
The media is there
with lights,
cameras
and prime-time coverage.
Publishers huddle
around the base,
for they know
pedestal-people
sell well.
The crowds
on satellite hook-ups
hang on
every last word,
for he seems
so close to eternity.
Yet he feels
unsure,
unworthy,
afraid
and very alone . . .
But at that height
no one notices,
no one questions,
no one confronts.
And so,
in a split second,
the trap door swings,
the noose tightens,
the crowd gasps.
Undeterred, the mob moves on
to build more pedestals;
to encourage another
of their own
up the starlit steps.
But mostly
to wonder
why those
at the pinnacle
keep falling
from the heights.
© 1988 James N. Watkins
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