A Bob Dylan song, I think with the phrase, “keep on keeping on,” which is now so widely used that it’s a cliché. Imagine that, a line of your song becoming a cliché. There you go, you turn around a corner and there it is, on a mural decrying homelessness. I suppose this is okay if your phrase is used towards the good but not so okay if it is for the bad, say advocating the purchase of gun ammo.

Me, keep on keeping on. Just added a new something or other to my job list – task, yes, this is the word that I am seeking. I am now adding fund raising to the mix. I have now learned that getting funding, even for a good project, is often very difficult.

Last night, after a contentious meeting, one in which a few were flailing at a dead horse with strands of overcooked spaghetti, I realized I had two choices. I could flee, and head south. Or I could work harder than I have been working. I decided that flight wasn’t an option. I am very attached to my animals, particularly my horses. I’m not going anywhere without them. Working harder than I have been working, yes, I decided that I can do this.

So today I went to the historic Eagle hotel early and got to work. I cleaned, stamped, and categorized all the fiction and nonfiction that was on the two tables. And I put errant books in their places. I arrived at 10:30 a.m. and departed at 2:30 p.m., leaving Pam to keep on keeping on.

But I kept on keeping on when I got home. I made a list of what I called Outreach Activities, things that I’d been working on the past three years – this as a way of broadening the definition of literacy. Pete formatted what I wrote, then at 5 p.m. we had a Zoom Meeting with Mike Walsh of the Foraker Group.

We were told what we were told yesterday, by Tracy who works for the Mat Su Health Foundation. This was that we needed to have literacy programs in place before they’d consider funding a construction site.

Again, it occurred to me that I had two options, the first was to flee, and head south. The second was to work harder than I have been working. It was like déjà vu all over again. Couldn’t leave the horses, no way. So I decided to work harder than I’ve been working.

I have no doubt that I can raise $200,000. I might first have to come up with earnest money, but if need be, I will do this.

I also have some literacy-related work that I need to do. I am now gritting my teeth. I can do this.

I can get funding for the land by June and secure the land so that we can go on a horse trek.

Keep on keeping on, indeed.

Next: 47. 2/18/24: Maybe, a Guiding Spirit