At sundown on Inaugrual Day I was still receiving texts, emails, and pictures from friends. At 7 p.m. I took to the streets of Seventh Avenue to take the pulse.

At Miracle Grill there was a Move On party that was packed with people eating, drinking and talking enthusiastically. I did a quick scan to see if I knew anyone and walked out — it was too noisy to hear myself think or even do much eavesdropping.

A middles-aged man in an overcoat, holding a book called 300 Ways to Have Fun and a briefcase stopped me on my way out.

"Leaving so soon?"  he said. "I'm from out of town and I hear there's a party of progressives in there."

"That's right," I said and kept walking.

"Would you like to join me for a drink? I worked on the Obama campaign.. ". .

Out of curiosity, I walked back in and we chatted a bit. He handed me his card and told me he worked on efforts to prevent voter fraud, that he'd just moved to NYC from the Bay area, that he'd actually written that book,"300 Ways to Have Fun."

"I'm off to the Community Bookstore. Have a good night," I said and we shook hands.

A small group was still in the back of the Community Bookstore watching  streaming video of CNN coverage of the day when I got there. Catherine, owner of the bookstore, had the idea that the group should read Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln and she ran to the shelves to find some books. Someone suggested Frederick Douglas and she located a book of his essays, too.

A passage of Frederick Douglass' writing was randomly selected and it was miraculous for its pertinence and power. A vibrant discussion followed about the meaning of the day. The group talked about an article in the New York Times about Obama's reading habits.

"It's incredible to have a president who reads Doris Lessing," someone said.

Champagne was poured, people nibbled on what was left at the food table. When Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Community Board 6, arrived, Catherine was standing on a chair reading the Declaration of Independence in her soft girlish voice.

The group quietly chanted along with the familiar parts. She read for more than ten minutes and it seemed like exactly the right thing to be doing on this inaugural night. As I left the store Catherine ran over to give me a big hug and whispered something about it being a new day.

"Keep on doing your good work," I said as I walked out into the night.

 Looking for something to do in the days after the inauguration? Brooklyn Based's Tip Sheet is always a great place to start. In addition to the above, I noticed this:

My Inauguration Day started with texts from my friend Betsy who was in Washington. It was fun to post them as soon as she sent them and it made me feel connected to the crowds in DC.

As the day progressed friends texted and emailed their feelings about the day and it was a pleasure to put them on the blog as well.

We watched the swearing-in and the speech in our living room. My daughter stayed home from school and we broke out the champagne even before Joe Biden took the oath of office.

We poured so much champagne I was tipsy by the time Barack Obama uttered the words, "My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you
have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors…"

Being tipsy didn't stop me from appreciating every word of Obama's well-crafted, brilliant, historically resonant, sobering and at times quite lyrical speech.

By the time he uttered the words:

I was like:  Yes, yes we can have a brilliant and articulate president who understands history, the severity of the situation our country is in, and has a clear vision of what needs to happen.

We toasted, we touched champagne glasses, we cried and we smiled. It was beautiful time in our Third Street living room.

I took to the streets to take the pulse of Seventh Avenue and all was quiet:

–The citizens were in their apartments glued to their television screens

–or at work watching in conference rooms, on the streets of the city, anywhere there was a screen.

— The students of PS 321 vacated the school and were at the homes of classmates watching TV and having lunch.

— Many Slopers were in Washington, DC.

–Some had ventured to BAM where two screening rooms were showing the speech.

I dropped into the Community Bookstore where a crowd gathered to watch streaming video of the ceremony in the back of the store. There was emotion and food a-plenty, wine and champagne flowing…

Back at the apartment, my tipsiness turned to tiredness and I took to my warm bed and slept until I was awakened by the raucous sounds of the inaugural parade on the TV. Luckily I caught sight of Brooklyn's Steppers Marching Band marching down Pennsylvania Avenue…

To be continued….

.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the
faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation
relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break,
the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a
friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is
the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but
also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides
our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may
be new. But those values upon which our success depends – hard work and
honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and
patriotism – these things are old. These things are true. They have
been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is
demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now
is a new era of responsibility – a recognition, on the part of every
American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world,
duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm
in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so
defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

From friend and OTBKB reader Mary Sternbach:

Moving five feet every ten minutes. People from all states in the crowd. Guy behind me reading "Dreams of My Father."  (Barack's book).

Photo by Betsy 8:41 am in DC.

Betsy at 8:33:

Betsy at 8:08 am

Photo by Rudolph Vernaz-Colas.

Over at Park Slope Parents they're talking about kids using bathroom words. My friend and OTBKB reader Mary said I could post the advice she sent to PSP. She says her approach is akin to what animal trainers use.

Please tell me how you are feeling on this historic day (louise_crawford(at)yahoo(dot)com or leave a comment) My friend Barbara Ensor texted the following to me:

I walked past a window on 6th Avenue in Park Slope that had a Barock the Vote poster in it I didn't realize it was the window of a friend and OTBKB reader. She saw me and sent this. Pix left is of Ryan painting the sign in Ft. Lauderdale.

From Betsy at 1:42 p.m.

Betsy by phone at 10:15

From Betsy at 8:07 am Washington:

Still in line. Hear mall is very full already. Gate is open. Very slow. 1-2 at a time.

Have you ever wondered what Alexander Technique is. Well, my friend
Jane Tomkiewicz of Alexander Junction is offering workshops in Park Slope. And it sounds like
just the thing if you have muscle aches, back pain, tendonitis or just want to feel better.

Musculo-skeletal pain?  Concerns about
posture? (spending too many hours in front of your computer?)
Performance issues? (i.e. losing voice, tendonitis, inability to get to
“next level”). Or just curious about how and why things (our bodies for
example) work or don’t work well?  These are the various motivations
that lead people to take lessons in the Alexander Technique. Learn
fascinating and immediately applicable information about how your brain
and body work together. “Experiential anatomy” and “fun physiology”
will provide many “aha” moments about our incredible design and
function.

Study on back pain by the British Medical Journal confirms Alexander Technique efficacy

Alexander Technique teachers recently received official confirmation
of what we have known to be true for some time now.  The British
Medical Journal announced on 8/19/08 favorable results of a study
conducted on back pain and The Alexander Technique.

Alexander Technique Series for our community: a great opportunity in Park Slope for new or continuing students in a small group (limit 5)

included in the series:

1 free introductory hands-on demonstration

4 classes (an hour and a quarter each)

1 private lesson (45minutes)

Fee:  $150

About Jane:
I have been teaching the Alexander Technique to
groups at the 92nd St. Y since 1992 and privately in Manhattan since
1990.  I’ve served as the Executive Director of the American Center of
the  Alexander Technique from 1996-2008. I’m very pleased to begin
teaching group and private lessons in Brooklyn at the Feldenkrais
Center of Park at 375 5th Ave (between 5th & 6th).

For more information about the Technique or class series please email or call 718)369-3092 or 347)387-2366.

Rosemarie Hester is a learning specialist in Park Slope.

Here’s something that I did with my younger son which I think contributed in many ways to his well-being as well as to his enjoyment of reading:  he and I had “reading parties.”

A reading party was very simple.  He had a book.  I had a book.  Sometimes we had food—crackers, apples and cheese were his favorite for a while. 

We got comfortable on the sofas in our living room and we read.  Sometimes the parties lasted quite a while.  Sometimes they were as short as cat naps. 

This kind of “parallel reading” helped to promote a sense of peacefulness and joy in reading.  It was important that reading was not a “performance” for an adult, but that it was an activity that an adult found valuable enough to spend time on herself!

The key to this is to start “reading parties” early enough in the child’s life. Middle school, for example, would be too late! 

The art of parenting is, in part, finding the right developmental moment, and, as we all know, that moment is different for every child.

Perhaps even a pre-reader can be helped to feel grown-up by looking at picture books while his mom or dad reads her/his own book.  How much better even if you can share one thing about your reading with the child and the child can share one thing with you.  One thing is huge. 

Keep this activity short and quiet at first–kid-sized.  Over time, as the child becomes a reader, you can turn these times into parties.

And, please, if your child is already a reader, don’t feel you’ve missed your golden opportunity!  You can still introduce the idea or–better yet– even just decide to just pick up a book, get a cup of tea, put up your feet for ten minutes and see if after a week or two, your son or daughter joins you– or perhaps mimics you later in the evening!

If nothing else, the child will see you enjoying what you hope he or she will enjoy, and that alone is a very powerful thing. 

Working with kids is a lifelong endeavor.  Nothing changes over night.  Here’s a good mantra:  Drop.  Drop. Drop.  Ocean.