Take a Break

Take a Break
Originally uploaded by butwait.

D had a great time at Princeton Friends School on Sunday. There was food and dancing, music and juggling, and at some point he felt the need to take a break. So he did. You can learn a lot from a four year old.

Sat. Afternoon Arch Sing!

You'll Find Us Here
Originally uploaded by butwait.

Usually arch sings (a capella singing groups clustered in one of the stone arches on campus to dramatic acoustic effect) are too late at night for the hours we currently keep, but on Saturday (Oct. 8th) there's one just for us... at 4pm! Families throughout the greater Princeton area are invited to the first Cotsen Family Arch Sing at the Blair Arch on the Princeton University campus (pictured, behind the bookstore, email me if you need more detailed directions). The a capella groups volunteering their time for this first arch sing are dedicating their music to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Students from the Katzenjammers, Tigerlilies, Tigertones and other groups that will perform on this afternoon will solicit donations to rebuild the homes and lives of those affected by this national disaster. Come and listen, sip hot cider and nibble on donuts, and celebrate the great tradition of jazz, born and nurtured in the early part of the 20th century in the now devastated city of New Orleans. Bring a friend!

And if you want to make a day of it, see also this link from the Princeton Weekly Bulletin, which details all the cool family-friendly Community Day events going on at the University this coming Saturday.

After Naps

After Naps
Originally uploaded by butwait.

While staying at Chris & Claire's house during the Solheim Cup, I luxuriated in a nap on their very comfy livingroom couch.

When I woke up, the light was at exactly the right angle to float this grid of golden squares on the wall. By the time I put my camera away, the image was gone.

Have bike, will travel...

Have bike, will travel...
Originally uploaded by butwait.

Look out world, here he comes.

Last day of being three

Last day of being three
Originally uploaded by butwait.

Today is Dominic's last day of being three. And it's also the last day of his room being beige. You gotta respect progress.

I dream of a leader I would gladly follow

Can you imagine what your life would be like if you had a leader who led like this?

In the absence of the reality, I will continue to dream.

Bush's contention yesterday that "no one anticipated the breakdown of the levees," is nothing short of criminally obtuse. See, for example, the October 2004 issue of National Geographic, which predicted this disaster with unerring -- and now, devastating -- accuracy.

If you're too far away to help in person, please consider helping those who will be helping in person:

Second Harvest
Red Cross
Rainbow Fund
On-line Auction to support relief efforts
Feed the Children
Habitat for Humanity

Hurricane Agnes, 1972

The flood crept up on our valley town.
My father was away when the water
began, leaving my mother with the hard
job of deciding what was worth saving.
She put my sister and me to work
and we ran through the house rolling carpets up.

Rain fell all night and began to ooze up
through floorboards. No one in town
slept – watching the water rise was work
we took seriously. Except this water
looked more like old gravy someone had saved
for too long – thick and brown and going hard.

They made us leave, made my mother’s jaw go hard
with the effort of what felt like giving up.
I was pretty sure I didn’t need saving.
I knew every hill and tree of my town;
my creek sneakers could handle some old water.
I begged to stay but it didn’t work.

My father snuck past the national guard and was working
his way home, driving fast and trying hard
not to imagine how high the water
was on our street. The TV played it up:
Watch at eleven as yet another town
is swamped; see people plucked from rooftops, safe!

We kids saw two mice we wanted to save.
My father found us and told us how much work
it had been, how he’d had to search the whole town.
We stayed in a shelter and it was hard
to live in a crowd; the noise never let up,
there was no hot food, no running water.

The rain stopped but there was still all this water,
barns on their sides with the hay they’d been saving
floating past the hood of someone’s new pick-up.
The mud, the fallen trees: it all looked like work.
We got to keep our house but Dad took it hard
when one old friend just packed up and left town.

In some ways the work helped cheer us up,
wearing us out when it was hard to remember feeling safe,
so that the town could sleep again – and dream of water.

Ahhhh! Two great huggers luxuriate...

Ahhhh! Two great huggers luxuriate...
Originally uploaded by butwait.

I only wish I could have gotten a simultaneous picture of Dad's face, which I'm sure showed a similarly elevated level of bliss. Mr. D sure is lucky to have this special time with his grandparents!

... while two great romantics rekindle.

... while two great romantics rekindle.
Originally uploaded by butwait.

We had forgotten how QUIET our little house can be. :-)