It's a cold day outside, a really cold day, and I am still in my robe and slippers with a space heater nearby. Little One is still in bed; it's her last day of Christmas break. Next week she has exams for the very first time, and she has studied every day.
She did an extraordinary job of caring for the dogs for a week for the down-the-street neighbors, who visit family in Connecticut every year between Christmas and New Year's. Sure, there were a day or two when we had to remind her, but after that, she took it seriously and considered the weather when going down there. She made 2 trips a day -- evening to take them inside and morning to feed them and take them out. It was bitter-cold and she would go early in the evening if she thought the dogs would appreciate being inside a little extra. She asked me to come along the last day so we could gather all the dog food cans and take them to wash and recycle. The dogs wagged tails and were very quiet and respectful of her when we came in; I could tell they appreciate her.
DH gave me a book of short stories with my Christmas and it is haunting me. All the stories are set in the 70's; each story includes a character who saw the guy walking on a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center. It's similar to the new book Olive Kitteridge in that way; in that book, each story stands on its own, but each one includes a character who knows Olive.
This book is named Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann. It won the National Book Award and has been on the NY Times best seller list for 4 weeks now. (Olive has been on for 29.)
The stories are compelling. The writing is tight yet descriptive. Lots of fragmented sentences. Yet the stories are about noble people, people with hearts, to whom LIFE happens. The stories are heartbreaking -- they give me bad dreams -- and yet I cannot stop reading. This guy is a Good Writer, and already I dread finishing the book.
I have been studying the Harlem Children's Zone. I first heard of it a few years ago when my favorite radio show, This American Life, did a feature on Baby College. I was intrigued.
During the campaign when my mentor mentioned the northeast quadrant of our city -- what can we do about the crime? the poverty? I googled the Harlem Baby College and realized it's a component of the larger program, the Children's Zone. I am continuing to study it. Last night I listened to more interviews of the founder, Geoffrey Canada. Today I am getting the book about it, Whatever it Takes, by NY Times editor Paul Tough.
During his campaign Barack Obama committed to implementing programs modeled after the HCZ in 20 cities around the US. This program is called "20 Promise Neighborhoods." I am intrigued, and looking into it.
So for LO's last of holiday -- we are : getting her eyebrows done, taking her new dress to the alterationist, buying new flats, getting our nails done, and calling for an appointment for new retainers. The old ones are lost, but these lasted a year, a new record.
Sigh. Shower. Dress. and, Out!
