I’d like to publically thank Creative Times, my sister blogger, for the lovely Valentine’s present of a book called, Seedfolks, a young adult novel by Paul Fleishman.

A vacant garbage-filled lot in Cleveland gets transformed into a community garden and hope springs eternal in this short, lyrical novel.

Here’s an excerpt from the first page:

I stood before our family altar. It was dawn. No one else in the apartment was awake. I stared at my father’s photograph–his thin face stern, lips latched tight, his eyes peering permanently to the right. I was nine years old and still hoped that perhaps his eyes might move. Might notice me.

The candles and the incense sticks, lit the day before to mark his death anniversary, had burned out. The rice and meat offered him were gone. After the evening feast, past midnight, I’d been wakened by my mother’s crying. My oldest sister had joined in. My own tears had then come as well, but for a different reason.

I turned from the altar, tiptoed to the kitchen, and quietly drew a spoon from a drawer. I filled my lunch thermos with water and reached into our jar of dried lima beans. Then I walked outside to the street.

The sidewalk was completely empty. It was Sunday, early in April. An icy wind teetered trash cans and turned my cheeks to marble. In Vietnam we had no weather like that. Here in Cleveland people call it spring. I walked half a block, then crossed the street and reached the vacant lot.

I stood tall and scouted. No one was sleeping on the old couch in the middle. I’d never entered the lot before, or wanted to. I did so now, picking my way between tires and trash bags. I nearly stepped on two rats gnawing and froze. Then I told myself that I must show my bravery. I continued further, and chose a spot far from the sidewalk and hidden from view by a rusty refrigerator. I had to keep my project safe.

I took out my spoon and began to dig. The snow had melted, but the ground was hard. After much work, I finished one hole, then a second, then a third. I thought about how my mother and sisters remembered my father, how they knew his face from every angle and held in their fingers the feel of his hands. I had no such memories to cry over. I’d been born eight months after he’d died. Worse, he had no memories of me. When his spirit hovered over our altar, did it even know who I was?

I was visiting Red Eft and Dadu in Kingston over the weekend. On Sunday morning, their 9-year-old son, WM Thing, walked past the guest room (after serving me breakfast in bed I might add) and announced: “It’s Power Day Off. Please try not to use any electricity today.” I knew what he meant because I’ve been reading his mom’s blog. Now don’t for a minute thing that this is a family of Luddites or low-techies. Every member of the family, including their 7-year-old daughter Falling Broken Wings has either a web site or a blog. Still the family likes to do without electricity and they’re really enjoying their weekly day off.

Power Day Off: Less, as always, is more from Oswegatchie.blogspot.com

You’ve heard of the power lunch and the power nap, right? Well our family is making a tradition of the Power Day Off. Like its namesakes, it is a souped-up, more intense version of the average day off. What makes it new and improved is: we use as little power as possible. It’s a day off of work for us and for the energy we use.

We break out the candles and don’t run the dishwasher, the vacuum, the dryer. We don’t turn on lights. We shun our computers. We light a fire and play Scrabble, or read, or fumble in the kitchen to cook (we do use gas; we do keep our fridge plugged in and open it for food; we do turn on the front light so our house isn’t completely black; we use the phone. So far.)

It’s a real day of rest. Quiet. Still. Dark. Nothing to do but be together. The seed of the idea came to me while reading Michael Lerner’s eloquent discussion of the Sabbath—the original day of rest—in his book, Spirit Matters. Despite the change in routine they bring, I haven’t found Saturdays and Sundays to be so very restful. Power Day Off fixes the problem, I think because when I’m near a machine that’s plugged in, the thing draws some power from the outlet and a whole lot of power from me.

Checking email, pressing buttons, proliterating tasks that aren’t really urgent—what a lot of ciphons. It becomes harder to take power for granted with an imposed limitation. Yesterday I entered a darkened laundry room and turned on the light without thinking, but once I noticed, I really noticed. I’m still getting used to giving electricity a sabbatical. Earth needs more than a day off from us, but it’s a start, so spread it around:

Power down

A Reader wrote this. I think. But now I am wondering if this is really from a reader or a marketing representative from Holey Donuts? Is this a reader tip or a marketing scam? I’m suspicious because most readers know I report about Brooklyn and these donuts aren’t even from Brooklyn. He does link to a local donut blog — so maybe he’s for real.

"This would be an interesting thing to write about. What
goes better with coffee than donuts? But not those regular deep fried
fattening puffs of dough we all know about..the donuts of
celebrities like Tori Spelling, and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas.

These magical great tasting donuts are LOW FAT! Yes, I said LOW
FAT!!!! And they taste amazing. I love the Boston Cream its crazy good! I saw them here: blognut.blogspot.com

    

 

      

This from Cole Porter on Valentine's Day: 

Like the beat beat beat of the tom-tom
When the jungle shadows fall
Like the tick tick tock of the stately clock
As it stands against the wall
Like the drip drip drip of the raindrops
When the summer shower is through
So a voice within me keeps repeating you, you, you
Night and day, you are the one
Only you beneath the moon or under the sun
Whether near to me, or far
It's no matter darling where you are
I think of you
Day and night, night and day, why is it so
That this longing for you follows wherever I go
In the roaring traffic's boom
In the silence of my lonely room
I think of you
Day and night, night and day
Under the hide of me
There's an oh such a hungry yearning burning inside of me
And this torment won't be through
Until you let me spend my life making love to you
Day and night, night and day

The Dance Studio of Park Slope is losing their lease. The owner of the building, which is on the corner of Union Street and Seventh Avenue the Dance, wants to turn the second floor space occupied by the Dance Studio into an office space.

The  For 25-years, the Dance Studio, has been teaching ballet, modern, gymnastics, musical theater, tap dance, aerobics, and other dance styles to young children, teens and adults. It’s an instituiton here in Park Slope — many a kid has taken a class there. Full disclosure, for more than ten years, my writer’s group has been meeting there thanks to the kindness and generosity of Jennifer.

Owner Jennifer Kliegel, who is one of the Park Slope 100, will need to  find a new home by June 30th. This week she sent a letter to  parents, students and neighborhood friends asking for help in locating a new space. In these times of exorbitant real estate values, it may take a while to find something as conveniently located and reasonably priced.

If anyone knows of a suitable space, please email louisecrawford@gmail.com and I will get this information to Jennifer. 

I’m on a rampage now. A caregiver at the Beth Elohim Drop-In asked Diaper Diva if she was Ducky’s grandmother.

Her grandmother? Come on. Diaper Diva is the same age as me. We’re TWINS for god’s sake. Do I look like Ducky’s grandmother? You gotta be NUTS.

Ducky has two grandmothers. One is 80, the other 81. Do we look like we’re 80 or 81?

Park Slope is the capital of parents in their forties.

What a crazy thing to ask Diaper Diva (and by extension, me)? It’s just ludicrous. Granted, in other parts of the country (and the world) people have children younger.

But here in Park Slope "older" parenting is the norm.

I was once asked if I was OSFO’s grandmother in a Papa’s U-Bake in Tracy, California. I acted shocked but chalked it up to the fact that the girl’s grandmother was probably the same age as me.

They have babies younger in Tracy, California.  But in Park Slope, you’re in the minority if you’re having babies in your twenties I used to hear that it’s hard for younger moms in Park Slope. Things are changing and mothers are getting younger and younger around here. Still…

What was that woman thinking?

(No insulting comments to this post, please. Only votes of support and cries of: "Of course you don’t look like you’re 80).

Just love today’s No Words_Daily Pix. A valentine to you, to me, to everyone who reads OTBKB.
Thanks, Hugh.

The poster to the left (by Chloe Dietz) shows the alley next to Old First, the venerable Dutch Reformed church on Seventh Avenue. The Kravitz’s are members of the congregation and they keep me abreast of all the good goings on there. The Pastor, Daniel Meeter, is an interesting fellow and a blogger (and you know how much I like that).

Now they’re doing something really nice for the nabe: Creating a fun space for teenagers ONE SATURDAY NIGHT A MONTH.

It’s called Club Loco and it’s organized by Park Slope teens for Park Slope teens.  The church is located on Seventh Avenue at Carroll Street (also known as Jackie Connor’s corner).

This Saturday February 17th, at 7:30 the show at Club Loco will feature:

—COOL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT:  "Really, we’re just thankful that people enjoy the music that we’re
making and that we get applause at the end of our songs. So just keep
coming to our gigs and we’ll keep loving you (just kidding, we’ll never
love you)."

—THE FLOOR IS LAVA!: "We’re five ninja turtles and one lucas making music in a Park Slope basement. THE FLOOR IS LAVA! was started by eli and jack after they got sick of eating cream cheese bagels over and over again. they got together with felix and then will. recently, we added a bass player, sam, who can actually breathe. sometimes.

we all have individual influences ranging from gang of four to slayer to the kinks. the best way to describe us is if you were to combine Kings of Leon with Guns N Roses and Gang of Four."

—DULANEY BANKS: A folk duo
from Brooklyn, they started out covering Bob Dylan favorites and soon
worked their way into a huge cult following in the Park Slope scene.
Banks’ astounding voice fills rooms and captures the crowd’s souls,
while Kane’s creamy licks and pounding beats work their way into their
gut. If you see either of them walking down the street (one of them
might be limping), come say hi and feel free to ask for their demo.

Club Loco organizers have created a really fun space with cool lighting, bar stools, tables and huge floor cushions, plus a nice stage for the music. Refreshments and soft drinks are on sale. For entry: kids must show high school I.D.  The show starts at 7:30 p.m.

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO: Old First Church for facilitating this important venue on Seventh Avenue for local teenagers to hear music on Saturday nights.  

This from New York 1:

The federal government could soon step in to block the sale of the
Starrett City low-income apartment complex in Brooklyn.

Senator Charles Schumer and other elected officials say the deal to
sell the development to Clipper Equity could be a disaster for Starrett
residents. Critics say Clipper would have to price out many of the
current tenants to make a profit off the $1.3 billion deal.

Schumer says New York can’t allow that to happen.

"We are not going to abandon our responsibility just because there
is somebody who can pay top dollar and top profits and try to change
the nature of Starrett. The federal government kept this place going.
This is not a free market situation," said Schumer.

Alphonso Jackson, the Secretary for Housing and Urban Development,
says HUD is skeptical and will take a close look at the deal. He says
it could potentially threaten New York City’s low-income housing
market.

In response, Clipper Equity says it is, "crucial to protect
long-term affordability at the 5,881-apartment development” and that it
looks forward to further discussions on how to achieve that.

Meanwhile, Congressmen Anthony Weiner and Edolphus Towns say they’re also concerned about the sale of Starrett City.

They fear the sale would raise the rents of some 12,000 residents if Clipper Equity opts out of existing government subsidies.

"Given the widely inflated offer at $220,000 per apartment, the
owners are virtually – I mean you could see that in terms of where
they’re going," said Towns. "The fact that they paid $220,000 per
apartment, that’s a message."

"In order for the new owners to make a profit on these properties
they have only one place to look. And that is the pocketbook of the
tenants or new people that would move into Starrett City and Spring
Creek," said Weiner.

The sale still needs federal approval.

Starrett City, which is also known as Spring Creek Towers, is the country’s largest federally-subsidized apartment complex.

About two weeks ago, a friend was sitting at the bar at the Park Slope Tea Lounge on Union Street around 10 a.m. and a police officer came in and wanted to talk to the management.

One of the Israeli’s who works there came over and the policeman began to talk to her about being aware of terrorism, looking for bags, suspicious people, etc.   

"Like many Israelis she thought it was funny that he was telling her about how to spot a terrorist.  She was well acquainted with the techniques, coming from Israel," my friend writes in an email.   

Then he asked if there was free wireless at the Tea Lounge and he said that she should look out for terrorists coming in and using the Internet. He told her that if she sees someone reading pages that "looked suspicious" that she should notify the authorities.

It was here that my friend had to interupt.

"Are you really asking her to monitor what people are reading and then call the police on them?" my friend asked.

"If someone came in here with a gun wouldn’t you want her to call the police?" the police officer said.

"It’s hardly the same thing." my friend said.

The cop was finished talking to my friend. But he gave the Tea Lounge employee his card and he left.

My friend found this to be pretty spooky and wondered if there was a program that the police were now doing that was trying to monitor what we read.

My friend wondered what would happen if someone was, say, reading a Hamas website. This friend has read a Hamas website from time to time. Would he have been called in for questioning?

Think of all the weird websites we all read from time to time. I hate to think that someone might report me.

My friend asks: "This doesn’t seem like something that should be going on in our neighborhood, don’t you think?"

Here’s the bigger question: Is there a police program to contact places where there is free wireless to get people to report each other.  I wonder if it is Park Slope specific, or New York wide?

CATCH THAT TRAIN by Brooklyn’s own Dan Zanes and Friends, won a grammy last night in the Musical Album for Children category.

Congratulations!