New York Magazine‘s cover shot, showing Manhattan’s divided power supply after the storm, is just incredible–in all sorts of ways. The coverage of the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Sandy has been, in equal parts, hard to look at and hard to turn away from. And as gripping and as telling as this image is, it’s the closeups on the disenfranchised or the elderly, on the loss in hard-hit places like Staten Island and parts of New Jersey and Long Island that really put a lump in one’s throat.
I’m going to go back to regular posting tomorrow or the following day, but I wanted to repost ABC’s link roundup on how to help as well as highlight a couple of blog-posts by friends which include useful links on local efforts to help: on Abbey Goes Design Scouting and on Sweet Fine Day.
The nicest package arrived the other day: Amy, a reader, had sent us a note welcoming us back to California with her mother’s copy of the children’s book, The Toads of Davis
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The story is one that’s familiar to me from my years as an undergraduate here: back in the mid-nineties, Davis constructed a “toad tunnel” intended to serve as an underpass for toads who’s usual route to wetlands was being disrupted by the construction of a major highway. Kind of crazy, right?! But also really sweet.
It’s a true story, but it’s also a matter of emblematic Davis lore, an example given to describe Davis’s progressive nature. The mayor at the time, Julie Partansky (who I remember seeing on her bike around town and who I was sorry to learned passed away a few years ago), proposed a lot of “characteristically Davis” measures: enacting a light ordinance to minimize light pollution and better stargazing, planting public fruit trees for the homeless, and–famously–a well-intentioned but little-used toad tunnel.
Yes, apparently the toads never really used the tunnel (and those that finally did, once they illuminated it to try and mimic the night-sky, may have been picked off by birds) and the tunnel was made famous when it was lampooned on The Daily Show. The clip is hilarious: Colbert–who looks about 25–interviews Partansky.
One of the most valuable pieces of advice I once read on parenting was about handling frustration. Essentially, if you’re feeling frustrated with your baby for not behaving the way you want him or her to, stop and think about whether it’s them who is doing something they shouldn’t, or whether it’s just that whatever they’re doing is interfering with your vision for the day. If it’s the latter (and hint hint, it usually is with a baby), then adjust your expectations.
I’ve noticed that the times I’ve felt exasperated or short-on-patience with Hudson usually coincided with a time I was trying to accomplish something on a to-do list (or to get a break to zone out and check email) and he was interfering with that precious plan by, you know, waking up too soon or fussing for a walk or a snack! Geez, the nerve! Lesson learned: The less I count on being able to multi-task, the better time we both have.
Joanna asked me to share a few of the things I’ve learned for a parenting-advice roundup she put together. You can check it out here. There are some great words of wisdom in the comments as well.
What would you share?
P.S. No Friday link list this week, but I did update my Halloween post with a photo of Hudson and I on the holiday together. My costume? I won first prize for Sweetest Strawberry Pie. (And it sure does feel like I did, too–occasional exasperation and all.)
