Adam and his family, muddling through life as always. http://adamandjamie.com/ Had a delightful dinner with Adam, Josh and the kids. Bob and I are doing a shopping trip to Jerry's manana. Yayoe and I had a nice breakfast with Joanna's mom, Colette at The Original Pancake house this morning. And we're going to do Easter on April 11th this year. Lohring, I know it's tough for Anna to take time off, but we're expecting her. Love from Mom http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=10&PostingID=7576 I found a scrap of paper that had a poem written by Emma on it: Who are you? Who are you? You are like a spring of mist. Like a sharp needle. You are me. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=14&PostingID=7575 It's hard to believe it's already Thursday. The week has moved along surprisingly quickly. Having the kids was great. Sam's been plugging away at his massive book project, creating a crossword puzzle and wanted poster for Fellowship of the Rings. It's a fairly major reading project, and he has to put in some dedicated time each night. Sam's been very responsible with getting things done though, which is pretty cool. Emma's been working on spelling. Monday she was giving herself pineapple chunks, one for every word she spelled right. I was busy cooking dinner and helping Sam, so the self-rewards were quite helpful. She's also been really into playing wizardry this week, carrying her wand and wizardry book everywhere. Tuesday we went to my mom's house for dinner. Sam hung out with Josh and Emma was amazingly helpful to my mom in the kitchen. It was low-key and pleasant. In the morning I got the kids off to school and they'll be at Jamie's house until Saturday morning. Joanna and I went out swing dancing last night, which was lots of fun. There was a live band and a good turnout. Upon our return home, we looked at assorted pictures Joanna had tucked away before collapsing to bed. It was a bit of a rough morning, with Duncan spending quite awhile in timeout and not really calming down until he got to school. It's hard to separate which issues are due to typical growing up changes and what's from all his family changes. His dad moved to New York only a couple months ago, so it's all still pretty fresh for him. The best we can do is give him stability, structure, and reassurance that he'll be okay. When I came to work this morning, some of the tomato seeds I'd planted yesterday had already started to sprout. Sadly there's nothing so far from the seeds Emma and I planted on Sunday. Hopefully we'll see them pop up soon. Tonight is my bachelor night, full of food shopping, getting paint, and possibly stopping by Jamie's for computer support. This weekend we may end up moving a piano Joanna found on craigslist for free, along with a bit of gardening and hanging out. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=1&PostingID=7574 I have found New Englanders to be warm and welcoming once you've stepped into their home. Otherwise, they steel themselves against the bitterness of March and drive, tight-lipped, from one warm place to the other (Greg says, "well, that's because the chowder's on." Rhode Islanders are the worst). American Expansionism was, I am convinced, connected to the month of March. April may be the month of rebirth and liberation from bondage, but March is for midterms and longing for better weather. Ah, but here is this week's column on community planning for the Grafton News: Toward a more participatory vision of planning and development In my half year as a Grafton resident, many of my conversations with locals include a longing to slow residential development and rediscover the heart and soul of Grafton. Although Grafton has direct democratic participation through Town Meeting, ordinary citizens feel unable to affect the larger dynamics of community development. Despite many avenues for citizen voice, the rules of development, codified in our zoning by-laws, seem out of reach. Engaged residents soon realize that neither the planning board nor Town Meeting are designed for deliberative problem-solving. The planning board is committed to abiding by citizen-created zoning laws, but it is the last place to look for broad citizen voice in planning. Simply, the planning board most often acts as an administrative board that implements by-laws, not to incorporate the full spectrum of community knowledge in planning. In a special permit application, notified abutters and interested residents have the opportunity to briefly outline concerns regarding the application; and while the board is obligated to hear public input on planning decisions, it must abide by zoning by-laws, even if they do not follow public preferences. But residents can always change zoning through Town Meeting. However, zoning by-laws are often written in confusing legalese that may limit access for citizens who are not trained in planning. Zoning attorneys, real estate developers, and planners are more equipped to make zoning changes for Town Meeting, but have a vested interest in particular forms of development. Residents with an interest in community development are less likely to obtain, read, or understand zoning by-laws, and are thus ill-equipped to shape planning decisions by submitting an article to the Town Meeting Warrant. As a member of the planning board, it’s frustrating to see community residents feel antagonized or sidelined by our current governance systems. Bringing more people into community planning can shift a process from adversarial bargaining between developers and residents to a collaboration between many stakeholders. Such process would not only improve what zoning changes come to Town Meeting, but give citizens the skills and sense of ownership to support comprehensive community development. How can we make sure our neighborhoods keep their character? First, start talking with other people about what makes Grafton a place worth living. Talking about a place we love is infectious and generative. Second, learn more about what other communities do to create value-driven community planning. For example, Traditional Neighborhood District zoning helps make places diverse, dense, and walkable. Shutesbury created its own flexible rules, Natural Resource Protection Zoning, to protect open space within each new development. The Orton Family Foundation helps small communities “adapt to change while maintaining or enhancing the things they value most.” The more we understand what is possible, the more equipped we will be to make that perfect Town Meeting Warrant. And finally, join a committee. Get elected. In addition to being good citizens and neighbors, we have to do real work, together, to rediscover Grafton’s heart and soul. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=9&PostingID=7573 If I count noses correctly, we have ten or 12 people using Verizon, and possibly Greg's family. Robbie, we need to move Ron off your account, because I think you pay for him, and he's actually using Anna's line and phone. I'l l call you. Hugs, the mom who's getting organized. Also, I appealed my property tax evaluation and they knocked $83,000 off the appraised value. It doesn't change the property tax, which I didn't care about, but it will make estate tax issues much simpler, which I did care about. Amazing, back when I was a Beatnik drinking bad wine and writing worse poetry, little did I think I'd worry about taxes. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=10&PostingID=7572 I didn't quite live up to my impossibly high expectations this weekend, but I still managed to do quite a bit.  The massive dirt pile in my driveway is gone now, most of it in the raised garden beds.  The rest is in the four big pots full of blueberries on the patio and the hole I planted the pear tree in.  It felt good to start my garden after putting it off for eight years.  I had good intentions, but never quite managed to power wash all the things I wanted to power wash.  Still, the computer desk from the basement was moved up and cleaned.  Laundry was done and floors were swept.  Life seems relatively under control. Saturday morning I picked up the kids and stuffed them full of crepes, sausage, and whip cream.  Next I put them to work digging until Joanna came by.  She got to do the fun part of holding the tree as I piled in dirt.  I kept working away, moving dirt and potting things while the kids had a little downtime.  Somehow I stumbled into the shower, cleaned off the worst of it, and gathered up the kids to go to my dad's birthday party. Joanna, Berry, and Duncan came as well, and I introduced them to my big, extended family and friends.  Sam hung out with the teenage boys and ate steak for dinner, so much that he turned down chocolate cake later.  Emma was amazingly social, somehow getting Jenny to invite her to a pedicure.  Duncan and Berry discovered Jordan's room and enjoyed playing with the dozens of dinosaur toys. As for me, I enjoyed visiting with everyone and wishing my dad another happy year. As night fell, we bid our farewells.  I got Emma to bed and Sam and I stayed up watching lost. On Sunday we had another massive breakfast, with Emma trying my tofu and egg concoction.  Sam went off with Jamie and the gang to see Alice in Wonderland.  I took Emma to rendezvous with Joanna and her crew to go clothes shopping.  We had a wonderful time drinking Berry's Tears of Suffering which sprung eternal every time she was denied buying yet another thing.  Eventually we retired to Applebee's for lunch which had considerably less screaming. John came over to play with Sam while Emma and I did a library run.  I returned to yet more household chores and picking up pizza for a special Sunday Pizza and Mythbusters.  Joanna and her kids came by, ate relatively well, and then played cheerfully in the basement until it was time to return. Now Emma's in the bath, Sam's putting his lunch together, and I'm thinking of all the things I need to do before bed.  Life's very full and busy, but happy too. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=1&PostingID=7571 Gregory has just colonized Zimbabwe, and is nonchalantly adding more columns to his massive fortress. Dear God, is all technology made out of hegemony?  http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=9&PostingID=7570 Happy Birthday Dad!!  I hope you have a great day, with just the right amount of rest and family craziness!  We love & miss you - can't wait to see you in April! http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=7&PostingID=7569 I find myself alone in my big, empty house, a fire crackling next to me.  I'm sitting at the antique library table, staring at my massive TV/monitor and sipping a freshly made mocha.  I do like the quiet on occasion, though I keenly miss having small children scurrying about.  Banana bread is cooking in the oven.  Last night was sweet potato casserole, which is practically candy with the amount of butter, cream, and brown sugar I put in.  Man does it taste good, though.  I've yet to actually get out of my pajamas yet, though fortunately I have some time before I need to leave. Yesterday was my bachelor day, which I filled with cooking and Skyping the kids.  Sam called as I drove home from food shopping, asking about gifting video games online.  I did what I could, but mostly I listened to he and Chase talking video games and playing video games as he never did turn on his video.  Eventually Emma connected with me and we proceeded to chat for an hour.  There was a lot of singing and dancing and typing messages to each other.  We both left feeling a little sad, but it was good to reconnect with her while she was away. As for tonight, I think Joanna and I will end up at a gardening store and perhaps move some dirt around.  I was hoping to fill the rest of the raised beds last night, but darkness fell and my motivation went with it.  In time we'll get the garden put together.  The water spigot is nearly ready to be installed.  Plant placement planning is underway.  It's all very exciting. Tomorrow is dad's birthday shindig at Jenny's.  As usual, I have no idea what to get him.  Joanna and her kids should come along as well, so it will be quite the introduction to my somewhat large and extended family.  It'll prepare her for Easter. As for the rest of the weekend, I'm hoping to just hang out with the kids.  Perhaps Emma and I can visit the library.  If it's nice, I'd like to get outside for a hike or gardening.  After last weekend's practice, Emma's nearly to the point where she can ride a bike by herself.  Perhaps I can get both kids down to the park for more of that.  Regardless, it'll be nice to spend some time with them. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=1&PostingID=7568 Like many homes affected by last summer’s hail disaster (true story- we got FEMA money), our home is being repaired and resided. Unfortunately, the two weeks that I have to finish writing my Master’s thesis are the same weeks that two friendly, hooded men are drilling at my second story windows. Said siders were disrupting my special Thursday Grafton study time with “I Am Legend” zombie flashbacks, so I hit the road for a quiet writing factory. I have two exacting standards for public quiet places: a hard place to put my laptop and the absence of internet. The Grafton Public Library is usually my vaulted, polished hardwood hideaway, but it doesn’t open until 1pm on Thursdays. Following a recommendation from my dear neighbor, I snuck onto the Cummings Vet School campus and hid in a corner of the beautiful the Elms Café, which was once the Grafton State Hospital for the Insane (ugh, more I Am Legend anxiety. Will Smith, why do you creep me out so much?). The food is great and cheap, and the café was pin-quiet until 11:00 am, when students flooded in from a true/false test that they loudly recited to each other. Once they collectively decided to go drinking at 11:23 am, I was again left alone with Nanci Griffith, coffee and huevos rancheros (come to think of it, this may be the best food in town). My capstone itself is churning along. There simply isn’t enough time to read relevant planning and civic engagement literature, which has consequences for the authority and speed of my writing. Hopefully, 18 years of education will actually do some good in my last two months of education. Hopefully, 18 years of education will improve my chances of getting paid come May.   http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=9&PostingID=7567 Wednesday was interesting. Berry's school thought she had pink eye, so Joanna and I took her kids over to the hospital to see a pediatrician. Berry was fine, just a cold causing goopier eyes than normal. Even though I work for PeaceHealth, visiting the hospital is a rarity. The views are amazing. After tasty split pea soup for dinner, Joanna and I headed over to song circle, which was just a few blocks from my house. There were fun songs and uplifting songs. I picked If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof, as well as Don't Put Your Finger Up Your Nose from that childhood album we played endlessly. The hostess also sold this amazing sippable chocolate that was delicious. I missed my kids, trying to see if anyone was around for Skyping last night. Emma called, but had a hard time saying anything beyond "hello, hello, hello." Maybe I can call her after school when she's not so tired. I'm being surprisingly productive these days. My bills are all switched to auto pay. The water spigot for the garden beds should be installed today. Hopefully I can finish my taxes and get the rest of the dirt moved over. Maybe I can even power wash the driveway and move the computer desk upstairs. We'll see how much energy I have. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=1&PostingID=7566 Well, everytime I've tried to open my today my internet kicks off-line, and the last family post I wrote was lost, so I'm going to keep this short!  A huge thank you to Mom for the little packages of magazines and goodies.  They came on my night off, so we all scoured the Smithsonians at the lodge.  If anyone knows what the Easter plan is please let me know so I can make travel plans.  I can't wait to see everyone - though the thought of growing green things might be nearly as strong of a draw!! http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=7&PostingID=7565 I moved all the computers up to the main floor so that I might better keep an eye on the kids. It's a good thing too, as Emma took the opportunity last night to search for "poop" on YouTube after viewing Girls Just Want to Have Fun a dozen times. I turned off the computer and we had a lively discussion over dinner how I wasn't mad at her, and that I just didn't want her emotionally scarred for life. I have noticed that YouTube videos make for a good motivator. Initially it was watching videos of bunnies and puppies. Lately it's videos of people kissing, but "not How-To videos" as Emma kept pointing out. Last night she'd work on spelling, watch a few more seconds of teenagers kissing, and then get back to memorizing words again. It's fascinating that such things are so interesting to her. Sam couldn't care less about that particular topic, though perhaps that may change in a couple years. The other day, Emma Skyped Joanna and brought Jamie over to say hello. It struck me as surprisingly funny, something that should be the plot of a teen comedy. It's amazing how technology has put a new twist on age-old issues. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=14&PostingID=7564 I'm working very hard to put in a garden this year. I've ordered four planter boxes, three cubic yards of soil, and have assorted seedlings sprouting away cheerfully. Yesterday afternoon after work, Emma helped me haul dirt, which we spread around. I'm not nearly finished yet, but it felt good to get started. I also got some of the compost in there. I had this vision of opening up my compost barrel and beautiful black soil would drift out into my wheelbarrow. For starters, the wheelbarrow didn't fit. The compost was more like foul-smelling sludge with bits of twigs and dried leaves. Finally, I had to reach in and pry out they gooey mess, which was exactly as disgusting as it sounds. I hope the plants appreciate it. Tomorrow night I hope to finish moving the dirt, and Joanna was going to send along some peat moss and vermiculite. I've also got to call the irrigation guy and put in a spigot to run soaker hoses off of. After that, I need to put down weed blocker and bark to make it all look pretty. I'm excited to get some things growing in there. Hopefully within a couple weeks I can watch my little garden grow. http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=3&PostingID=7563 My cell phone will receive calls, but I burned out (or rather drowned out) the screen. So you can call me, and if I don't answer, call our home phone and leave a message. I can't see to tell that you called, and I can't go to voice mail, either. But I got my amaryllis to bloom. Love from mom http://familyofadam.com/default.aspx?NewsID=10&PostingID=7562