Kid votes instead

The Man writes...this morning the giant, electronic billboards by the Interstate on the way to work proclaimed a special message: "It's your vote. Don't forget to use it!"

The vote in question was for the school budgets. Schools are largely funded from property taxes from the surrounding district. On paper our district's budget seems generous, equivalent to $17,000 per student - much higher than the average rates in the UK.  Nevertheless, the school board has had to make a number of painful cuts this year and is still proposing a 4% tax increase - driven apparently by spiralling health insurance costs and a reduction in the State contribution.


In each town every adult resident can vote on the school budget  -although, as signs make clear, you must be a US citizen of course.  Judging by the huge queue of voters outside the High School this evening, passions are running high this year.

Democratic participation was turned into a jolly evening out, with a concert in the auditorium, food and drink, and an art show.  Also there was a special vote for elementary school students for a new food choice in their canteens:  they could opt for squeezable yoghurt, cinnamon cookies or teddy grahams. This was carried out with splendid solemnity - names signed off, secret vote on an iPad in a curtained booth - and thankfully even my (entirely British) son was allowed to cast his first ballot.

Diner might

The Boy begged me to take him to the local diner for an ice-cream after his school concert tonight.  We slooshed down there in the pouring rain.

I like our diner. Nice and quiet. You can always get a table. It's the sort of place where you sit and spoon your way silently through a couple of scoops of watermelon sorbet and watch the tumbleweed blow by.  The sort of place where it'd be great to work if you were also writing a novel and didn't want to be disturbed too often...

...but not tonight!  It was BEDLAM in there - half the (200) kids from the concert had had the same idea.  We had to queue up to place our order.  Unheard of!  The servers were developing RSI from all the scooping.  Hey-ho, though, it was rather nice to see the old place buzzing for once.

Then as fast as we'd all swarmed in, we all swarmed out again, leaving the servers shaking their heads and nursing their scooper's elbows, and the parking lot once more empty of all but puddles. Phew.

LOFTy ambitions

So, about all that fabulous food I mentioned yesterday...

The theme of the party was "LOFT-luck" - a Local, Organic, Fair Trade potluck [bring-&-share].  I invited guests to bring a dish that included at least one ingredient that met any of those criteria.  I'll admit, I wasn't sure how people would take to the challenge - would they find the whole idea a bit precious?


They didn't seem to.  Everyone willingly rose to the challenge. Dishes kept arriving and soon filled our extended dining room table, most including far more than just one LOFT ingredient.  There was huge variety: fresh local salads, chilli made with locally-sourced organic beef, fair trade quinoa, home-grown rhubarb, organic cheeses...  And, as they say, much, much more.  Everything, without exception, was delicious. Some people even brought New York wine and beer brewed in Troy.

Just speaking for myself, I know I had to put some extra thought and effort into producing a couple of dishes that fitted the bill - and that was really the point of the exercise.  I'm pretty good at talking the sustainability talk, but not often that great at putting my so-called principles into action.  The LOFT-luck potluck was, as I'd hoped, a fun way to make myself try harder.

I'm hoping others may pick up the idea and try it out in their own social circles, faith gatherings, book groups etc.  Yesterday's experiment certainly proved that a little LOFTy thinking produces great-tasting results (and, lucky us, as the party hosts we're still enjoying the leftovers).

If you decide to try a LOFT-luck yourself, please think of sharing your experiences here. 

Party people

We've just had another party.  Lots of lovely people came.  The weather was perfect.  The food was exceptional - more on that, in particular, tomorrow.  For now though (*yawn*) definitely bed time.

Just ducky

I took the children up to Indian Ladder Farms again after school, for some more baby animal fun.  Lots of bunnies, chicks and ducklings to handle this time, and of course our goat friends to pet. 

The Boy started petitioning me to buy a rabbit...or maybe a duck...  The Girl would like her own goat, of course.  Which farm animal would you most like to have? 

Good luck, by the way, to everyone involved with Linton Children's Bookfest this weekend.  I know there have been some wonderful literary happenings going on in the village already (not least a Civil War rebellion last Sunday!) but the next two days - when the Village College will be packed with authors, illustrators, musicians and storytellers (and families there to enjoy them) - are the heart of the festival.  I know it will be fabulous.  Oo, I do wish I could be there!

Dish of the day

A lot of people will be coming to the house on Saturday (I don't know why this somehow surprises me, since I invited them all), so I'm in the throes of tidying and cleaning.  As always, sadly, it's a gargantuan task. 

I took time off after lunch to visit my former neighbour who now lives five minutes down the road.  I hadn't seen her for a while, so it was fun to catch up on her recent trip to Paris (lucky thing) and other news.  She always serves me tea in dainty tea-cups, I think in honour of my nationality - it does make a change from my everyday mugs.

This evening, over to the Boy's elementary school for the annual Art Show plus Ice Cream Social.  Lots of lovely artwork, and the Girl enjoyed a bowl of ice-cream, but the Boy turned up his nose at it because it was vanilla.  He announced that he would have to have a bowl of chocolate ice-cream after dinner instead, because his teacher had set the homework: enjoy eating ice-cream.  I can just about believe that.  But I'm not convinced that she had really also asked her students to get your parents to clear your dirty dishes - I think the Boy might have made that bit up.

Scene changing

Today I took my refugee friend and her toddler along to Five Rivers for a change of scene and some fresh air.  The day was overcast and muggy, but it was still good to get outside.

My friend pointed out all sorts of edible plants and fungi - when she lived in the jungle refugee camp in Thailand she had to do a lot of foraging for food.  We also spotted some turtles in the lake:  "You no eat?" she asked, with perhaps a hint of disappointment.

We saw several other forms of wildlife - chipmunks, geese, a muskrat - and on each sighting the two year-old cowered next to her mother.  Yet when it was time to leave she sat down on the path in protest, so I think she must have had a good time.  Would that my own kids would demonstrate such regret when we finish a hike.