Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sept. 22: Love!

I am currently listening to Marilynne Robinson's Gilead in the car. I have read it before, though quite hastily, and liked it. On this dvd (a Marden's [mishmash clearing house store] buy last year?), I am not crazy about the reader, but

Oh!

the story, the words, the mindset, the humor, the images, the words, the words, the words.

I have that upwelling feeling that one gets when falling in love. Step two will be stopping friends in the street to tell them "listen to it, listen to it, or read it, it's wonderful". . .

So what are you waiting for? Go fall in love! And I hear there's a sequel/related book: my anticipation grows!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sept. 20: Serendipity

Today was one of the days (actually, the whole weekend felt like this) when I had to struggle to live in the moment, not to fret over all the time I didn't have to do the things I dreamt of doing. . . but the gorgeous weather helped to remind me that "all will be well, and all will be well, and all manner of things will be well" (Julian of Norwich). With the space that made, I went for a walk with BH and Zeus; BH stopped at the Y to swim, while I took my still-present cold (which precluded my usual Sunday am swim) with me to walk with Zdog instead. And there was the "aha!" moment: we ran into church friends who are readying their house for sale, and whom we hadn't seen for a long time. I taught both their sons, and we (I should say "I", as Z was busying snuffling around their underbrush and ignoring us all) had a great visit--nothing earthshaking, but just catching up, and the kind of visit that makes me feel connected and rooted in a warm and steady community. Glowing, I headed on up the road, and then coming past the woods path, on a place where my route on the road runs parallel and above the woods path, I saw someone with a dog down on the path, and that person was

picking up trash. Not just one or two pieces, but with a trashbag and one of those cool sticks, and he was going at it seriously.

This simple fact dazzled me: someone else was taking care of a piece of the world I love, and one that I can get all het up about the neglect of (ouch. Bad sentence), feeling that I am the only one who "ever does anything," and "why don't people. . ." and "There oughta be a law. . ."--and there was someone, who turned out to be a friend of mine from the Library board, out there doing more than I ever think to.

Okay, okay, I get it. Well, for today I did. Making the time for the walk in the lovely day led to that great visit and then the humbling but reassuring discovery that I'm not the only one on the clean up team around here. There's a lesson there, and it's not too far under the surface. I hope I can remember it for the rest of this year!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

September 5: Saturday Morning, and the birds are here!


Zeus and I are out on the deck because it was just too lovely to stay inside, and the birds are all over the little cheesy feeder I filled with sunflower seeds and cracked corn last week. There are at least two small nuthatches (maybe "yearlings", aka hatched this spring?) and a clutch of chickadees, also pretty small, but I haven't seen a lot of goldfinches for a few years, since we thinned out the trees around the house. Maybe I'll try thistle seed in one of the feeders, since the finches really like that. We might put feeders on the outside posts of the deck as well, which would make it easier to see the action from inside the house (it's chilly out here even with a fleece vest on!) and might allow more experimentation with less squirrel interference. I do love the way the birds aren't visible at first, but then you realize, if you take the time, that the trees are alive with them, and they come swooping out and really aren't even very timid: I just had a nice face-to-face with Small Nuthatch, and, far from being afraid, s/he looked like s/he planned to take a sip of my coffee!

The sun is just pouring down on the tops of the trees, and the leaves are glossy and green, rustling and shining in the wind. It's definitely not summer anymore, but it's due to be a lovely day, and even though I worry about H1N1 and teaching a good class and helicopter parents and no time to myself. . . . I think it will be a good year. And I love a sunny Saturday morning!

Friday, September 4, 2009

September 4: Ah, FRIday!

This school year is off to a TERRIFIC start: the district days were interesting and/or fun, and our own school opening days were really inspiring, visionary, and fun. The energy in the school is wonderful, and my advisees and my ninth grade students (who come today) were chipper, interested, funny, and a lot of fun.

Still: Friday afternoon is wonderful, and I realized that summer lacks that complete-collapse feeling. I am enjoying it now! Happy Friday!

(To add to the feeling of achievement: took Zeus to the vet with Elder's help and yes, Zeus does have an ear infection! We now have meds, ointment, cleaning stuff, and a sense of accomplishment!)

(and: Younger, on his first day of school in his newly remodeled school, was interviewed for the local news! Much excitement! Check it out. . . . . . but you can't, since I can't insert a link. Hmmm. Might figure out how to do that, sometime!