what do you do on brownouts

We sit around the living room, lay a mattress, and take turns snuggling beside our mommy. There's not much to do so we get to talk to each other and have fun at it. Zero electricity times are one of the best times around the house.

Last Saturday, I got to spend 60 minutes of pretend brownout with Gail and the rest of my new family. Music team rehearsal was moved to Sunday morning so that we could participate in Earth Hour. Lights went off at 8:30 PM Saturday, and went back on at 9:30. Pretty much the same things: kwento and fun and playing with lights. I didn't mind the darkness.

This year's Earth Hour logo includes a plus sign as an encouragement to "go beyond the hour" and do more than simply turning off lights once a year. Here at home we will start by segregating our trash. It is not yet mandated in our community and we think that very few who do it, but we think it will send out a good message to the garbage collectors when they see our waste bags.

I want to participate in these and other earth-saving peace-promoting love-hugging advocacies, especially since I feel that the earth seems to be turning darker by the day. We need to love double-time so evil won't prevail! The future of the earth is more real now that we're building a family. Teary-eyed, I told Gail the next day that our children will very much likely be living in a harsher world than what it already is right now. He reminded me that God will take care of them and they will be perfectly fine. Of course. :)

So questions: What did you do on Earth Hour? And what will you do beyond it? Please do it for my kids who will be playmates of your kids. :)

PS: Can someone tell me why it's called a BROWN out? Is it brown when it happens during the day? Hehe.