Weird Bird in Love

“Spanish Pipedream” is kind of the theme song of our move to the New House and the village. (Not so much the topless dancer part; more the chorus.)

The kid and the dog are so happy here. They love having a patio and yard to hang out on and in. The dog is noticeably happier than she was in Cambridge. She comes and does her happy dance at us several times a day, for no particular reason. Zag is a little sad that he doesn’t know any other kids yet - it seems to be intensifying his invisible-big-brother fantasies - but we’ll meet more kids soon enough. They’re around; we just haven’t crossed paths yet.

The only blot on our bucolic peace of mind is that Zag seems to be taking a long time getting over this cold. He seems totally fine in waking hours, but when he lies down to sleep, he gets very coughy after a while. It seems to be post-nasal drip  (rather than, say, asthma), and it helps if we can get him to sleep propped up… but we’ve all lost some sleep dealing with it, over the past three nights. I don’t think it’s an allergy thing, though we’ll try changing the bedding. Y’all had such good advice on allergies and stinky houses; it feels good to have this community out there. Any bright ideas about kids with nighttime coughs?

I’m trying to catch up (by reading through the archives of the exhaustive and delightful Thinking Anglicans website) on GAFCON, the latest gathering of Episcopal and Anglican conservatives who are mad as hell and aren’t gonna take it anymore. I’ve only gotten up to GAFCON’s official start date, so I don’t have very fully-formed ideas about it yet. I’m hoping I develop some soon, since I’ve been asked to have an opinion in public (not so much on GAFCON, but on the whole Anglican kerfuffle) sometime soon. Read the rest of this entry »

Turns out it was just a cold, which we figured out when Tilt got it. Something about moving house, then having it be cold and rainy for a full week. It gets cold up here at night! In July! We love it!

The trip to North Carolina was great - we had some quality time (not enough, but some) with a lot of wonderful people. Oh, and I got ordained to the transitional diaconate. Sometime I should explain that for readers unfamiliar with the concept, but I don’t have the words right now. The short version is that I can now say, as I did to my (bemused) neighbor on the plane flying back up north, that I am a clergywoman. I am, in fact, the Rev. Dr. Weirdbird, which I have to admit tickles me. Of course, after last weekend I don’t get to do anything especially deacon-y for another three weeks, till I start my job.  Maybe I should just wear my clergy shirt and collar to the grocery store, to start getting used to the funny looks?

Now we’re back in the New House and settling in. It feels awfully good to really be here, to stock our fridge and plan some outings and try out the local swimming hole and get our library cards. We love it here. I keep finding this big dopey grin on my face, while driving around to this and that. It’s so beautiful. I wonder if we’ll end up really hooked on village life, wanting to live somewhere tiny and gorgeous again, or if in two or three years we’ll be fed up and really ready to live somewhere with a Target three minutes away?

Tomorrow morning we’re going strawberry picking. And the little pizza place in the next town over, where the library is, has a tasty veggie grinder, decent baklava ($3 for two big slices), and a deck overlooking the river. We love it here…

We drove into town and went to a movie this evening - Wall-E - with Zag. He was rapt. I’m sure we’ll hear lots about it tomorrow. We can take our son to movies! At least, once every few months, when there’s a movie that’s his speed and we can afford the tickets! Amazing.

A big thank you to my friend PunkieMommie for some excellent advice on allergies, and for singing at my ordination, and writing about it beautifully on her blog. (I can’t figure out how to permalink that post; it’s the one from Sunday, June 29, 2008.

I promise I’ll start actually posting real thoughts, instead of rambling catch-ups, one of these days.

Best new line to try in a crowded singles bar: “I love you. Can my spit be friends with your spit?” (From Zag, trying to delay naptime with strategic cuddliness.)

The move went well. We had good help at both ends. Read the rest of this entry »

Our life is in boxes. Tomorrow we get up bright and early and go get the Big Truck. Then we spend the day trying to put everything in it. Read the rest of this entry »

- a partial list.

Seeing a small parade of protesters (for reform of the CORI system) and having him ask, “What are those people doing?”, and trying to explain the right of free assembly, and why it matters that we have it.

Singing him “Summertime” as he falls asleep.

Watching the very inclusive montage of families on “Elmo’s World” with him - so glad there are glimmers of a worldview that inclusive to share with him.

The intent expression on his face as he hears “Yellow Submarine” for the first time. (I know, it’s criminal negligence that this hasn’t happened already. He’s been so busy with TMBG and the Aquabats.)

Tilt, remember that ride-on rocket car that Alex had, back when Zag was spending Tuesdays with Alex? Well, they had one at the Davis Square Goodwill today. It’s in our living room right now. If you weren’t out of town, this object would not have come home with us. But I was unwilling to face singlehandedly the scale of the tantrum that would have ensued if I had tried not to buy it. It can get lost in the move, if necessary. I will say for it that at least the perky voices that say “All systems go!”, etc., are not all that loud…  Read the rest of this entry »

Seems like a while since I’ve done a thrifting report. (I haven’t, for example, mentioned finding two NWT suits that fit me, for $40 and $28 respectively, plus a black linen Flax jacket - really sort of a frock coat - that I adore, at a consignment shop near where I was staying last week.) I’m actually a little tired of shopping at the moment, believe it or not, but Zag and I went to the Davis Square Goodwill this afternoon because Tilt says the kid needs more T-shirts. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve tried to do my academic business while Zag is napping or with other people, during my years at Hogwarts, but now and then I’ve had to haul him along while visiting a professor to consult about a paper or some such. Apparently this has left an impression upon him which I had not heretofore realized. Yesterday he was playing in my office while I puttered at my desk, and he tried on a pair of slip-on garden shoes of mine and said, “I’m a professor! You can come visit me.”

Intrigued, I asked him how you can tell that someone is a professor. He said, “They have blinky eyes. Kids don’t have blinky eyes. And professors have long feet.”

Hmm.

Zag’s veggie bacon, at lunch, to his bread (voiced by Zag): Hey, come on! Let’s go down in Zag’s tummy!

Bread (also voiced by Zag): OK!

(Both dance across the table to Zag. He eats up the bacon.)

Bread: Hey, wait for me!

*   *   *   *   *   *

Zag (singing and jumping on the bed): It’s good for the anteaters… it’s good for the anteaters… it’s good for the anteaters….

Tilt: What’s good for the anteaters?

Zag: I not telling you about them. I just singing about them.