another beginning...

This year has been full of Zak and I saying to one another "Here we go... it all changes now... look out!"

Tonight was another of those moments. 

We have been signing to Simon since he was 3 months old or so. Starting with "Milk"and "diaper". Zak liked to use big strings of signs together and we often wondered what, if anything, he might pick up. (Experts recommend families starting with one and adding them slowly. This appears to be about helping the adults to be consistent and learn the signs. We had no problems with signing consistently, and knew quite a few signs already from my work with a child whose hearing was impaired, so we just had at it.

Simon first signed "milk"while he was nursing (which is when I would sign it to him). For a long while, he wouldn't sign "milk" when he wanted it, but if I guessed and signed it to him, when he was hungry he would smile, grab my signing hand and stuff it in his mouth. So, basically, he improvised his own sign for "HELL YES!" After awhile, he got tired of that, and has been "signing" milk, by tugging at my shirt and unsnapping my bra for the last few months. 

He learned "water"and signed it by opening and shutting his hand in front of his mouth, often while making a gurgly sound. We were ecstatic. Occasionally he has signed "Papa"and "Mama", although he can  now say those words. Very soon, the sign for water also meant bird, and full diaper. (We can show you the three signs and you can see how his sign is very close to water, bird and dirty.) then he generalized  from "bird"to "bird or dog". So, occasionally throughout the day, he'll sign this sign and we'll look around for context clues to tell us if he needs his diaper changed, is thirsty, or is thinking about a bird or a dog. 

He's really excited about dogs. He's been seeing them around our neighborhood and is big enough to walk over to them and pet them if the owner is cool with it. He always signs "bird" and then we sign "dog" back. For the most part, we've used ASL signs, but I have occasionally wished we'd used the "baby sign" for dog. ASL is to snap your fingers and slap your leg as if calling a dog, and baby sign is to stick out your tongue and pant. Since it'll be awhile before Simon can snap, I had been thinking this was a mistake.

Tonight we went out to dinner and saw a dog on the way home. After it was gone, Simon kept trying to look over my shoulder (I was carrying him on my front facing me.) to see the dog. (Yesterday a dog walked behind us for a few blocks and this method helped him to see it the whole way.) He frantically signed "bird/dog". Zak signed "dog"to him every time and said "dog"too. "duh" is a common sound for Simon to make and a big part of his daily, conversational babble so it was no surprise when he responded to Zak with "duh"and his "bird/dog"sign. Zak emphasized "Daw-GUH" a few times. There was no dog present and the two just kept signing and talking to each other

Simon: Dah! ("bird/dog")

Zak: Daw-GUG ("Dog")

over and over 100 times until... Simon said "Dog-guh". We all got excited. We walked down the street all chanting "Daw-guh" sign language forgotten. I hoped that we'd run into another dog, and we did. Our neighbors had their two puppies out playing and they ran over to Simon and he said to them "Dog-uh". And that was it. The beginning of a child who can definitely think with others about things that are not present, the beginning of a hunger for language, an enthusiasm for naming and describing. Language is hugely important to Zak and me and it was so exciting to walk through the dark  talking together with our little one.

First Eco Sabbath

Colin Beavan is kind of annoying, actually.

He's also known as "No Impact Man"; a guy who tried to live with as little impact on the planet as possible for one year. I read his blog regularly, but have to admit that sometimes I don't because he's so completely bent on his objective. (Actually, of course, I really admire someone who lived without electricity for a year in New York City. I just get embarrassed sometimes when people get really sincere about something... like They Might Be Giants used to make me feel embarrassed this way.)

Anyhow, whether you like his message, or like one friend of mine you think "he's so arrognant about it that it makes me want to go irresponsibly consume like a mofo" he and his family made themselves an example in a lot of important ways for those of us who are preparing for a post-petroleum world.

One thing that he suggests is to take an Eco-Sabbath. His suggestion is: "For one day or afternoon or even hour a week, don't buy anything, don't use any machines, don't switch on anything electric, don't cook, don't answer your phone, and, in general, don't use any resources. In other words, for this regular period, give yourself and the planet a break. Keep your regular eco-sabbath for a month. You'll find that the enforced downtime represents an improvement to your life."

The funny thing is, though I planned in advance to do my eco-sabbath, I didn't write down his example, or even look at it the day before. I knew I didn't want to use my computer, so I didn't look it up, which means I didn't quite hit his mark. I did spend the day quietly, and without my computer which had a tremendous impact. The way that our house is organized, our computers are in the central room of the house. Since Zak is often at his machine when I come home, my computer has become my resting place. This is a very new development and I'd like to undo it. So, no email or Facebook yesterday, which was very nice, and gave me a lot of extra time.

I had a lot of time for yoga in the morning, and I didn't set an alarm which was very relaxing. I did use machines and spend money, because I went to the laundromat, but that had been put off for days and HAD to happen. (I wore sweat pants and some stripey Christmas socks with holes in them to the laundromat... we were pretty far gone.) Next time, I'll make sure not to procrastinate my laundry onto eco sabbath.

I also baked, mostly because I didn't read the description. I was headed to a potluck later in the day, and made enough risotto cakes for the potluck and for Z and me to have for the next day.

Conveniently, the potluck I was headed to was all about Transition Towns. Those of us who gathered for a workshop in November were getting together to see about what's next. The potluck was at JP Greenhouse, which is an awesome demonstration house. They're rehab-ing an old building into a Passive House, and they're very close to their goal. I brought my risotto cakes into a warm ("65 degrees and no heat outside of the sun, our appliances the light bulbs and you people!" the homeowners pointed out.) bright room, had some incredible food and then got a tour of the house.

Finally we sat down to talk about Transition. It's interesting to me that the people in the room who have really given their lives to making change in the world, who have been activists for as long as I've been alive are the people who really have the hardest time with Transition. “Who are the leaders?” “How can this work in an urban setting?” “There are already people doing things!” Our training was very interesting to me, and it was easy for me to see the value in having principles and protocols for how to come together about things as mind-boggling huge and overwhelming as climate-change and peak oil, while respecting and encouraging everyone's different work and learning from one another. Another woman who was there is a perma-culture teacher and she also had no problem with the “haziness” or ambiguity of the Transition handbook. I spoke up a couple of times in the meeting, once to suggest that we have an Open Space conversation next. The facilitator said she preferred another meeting “like this” in order to see where people were. I pushed back and then she smiled and said “Do you want to plan the next meeting?”

So, that's where my big mouth has gotten me: planning the next meeting for a movement of people who aren't even sure they understand or believe that the movement is what it says it is.

Whhhheeeeeeee!

I biked home and spent the evening reading until it was time for bed. I haven't spent that much time reading for pleasure in a long time. I think this eco-sabbath thing might stick.

This year goes to 11.

Happy New Year!

Perfect way to start my day: steaming cup of tea, just finished breakfast, cuddly cat in my lap, and Brother Ali on the stereo.


Transition
I just finished perusing Up trees a misspelled, awkward blog with some pretty pictures about a guy who's interviewing people in trees, one every day. I like his enthusiasm, his creativity and I bet the project is really fun. I got there from a blog I read about Transition.. I got *there* from a Transition Towns Training I attended in the fall. If you don't know what Transition is, it's my favorite approach to "environmentalism" I've seen yet. Everyone is invited and welcomed to a free-formed group of people interested in a vision of what their local community will look like in 20 years. The main issues are those of climate change and peak oil, but without any blame or doom-saying... the emphasis is on getting moving and doing the things you love and teaching those things to the people around you. So far so good. I'm meeting with the folks from the JP Transition Town Training next weekend, and I'm really excited!

2011 Intention
It's funny... I was about to say that I have a tradition of choosing an intention for the coming year. I checked back to look at January blog posts past only to find that this isn't true. I know I did once, way back in 2005, maybe?

This is hilarious, because the intention I chose for myself this year, is to follow-through! So, next year, you'll find a 2012 intention here and know that I succeeded. In my work, my school work, my relationships and my personal life, I want to make good on some of the big ideas I have.


Our House is Empty Again.

On December 20th our friend Lexi came to visit, and this started the great visit of 2010... with one day (the 22nd) excepted, we had guests until January 2nd! We are always delighted to see her, and it was even more delightful because she came with Boston's first snow of the year. We walked out to the new restaurant Canary Square in the snow. I was choked by sharp snow crystals, but couldn't help laughing despite the danger. It was a lovely evening together.

The next day, my sister arrived (12 hours late!) and headed out the next day for a round of visiting. Ivo, her husband arrived on the 23rd and then we all headed to my mom's place in East Providence. The 26th brought a huge blizzard and the Sprayberries! We spent the 27th watching Chelsea LOSE to Arsenal (1-3) and the rest of the time playing board games. Jessy and Ivo decided to skip New York because of the weather, so we had them with us when we headed to Westport for a quiet New Year's evening with Susanna and some friends. It was amazing; calm, cozy, and nourishing. If we spend all year doing what we do on New Years eve, then we're looking at a year full of great conversations, good food, and yes, more games. Jessy and Ivo left on the 2nd, and now we're back to work, back to real life. (Almost... my classes don't start until the 14th, so I am taking it a little easier than usual.)