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!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
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!
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!
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!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Aug. 30: The Last Day
It's a lovely golden day and has been since about 12:30, when the sun fought off the fluffy clouds and the temperature went from about 50 to 65ish. I have written a letter on the deck, hung out two loads of laundry, planted the mums that Swimgirl's mom gave us, filled and hung three birdfeeders, and taken down the hummingbird feeder. I still need to decide what socks I want to make next, since this morning I sewed in all the ends and blocked . . . .
the February Lady Sweater!!!!!!
At this point, I'd call it a modest success--it'll be interesting to see what I think when the buttons are on and I'm wearing it post-blocking. The yarn, Reynolds Cricket, is the tricksiest part: as I was finishing I was thinking I wanted to start it all over in some of the natural Candide I have, and the other half of my brain was thinking that I didn't. ever. want. to. do. another. gull. wing. lace. repeat. again. In reality, I think I'll make a baby version in the rose colored Cashmerino I have in my stash and call that good. Oh: pic with my rinky-dink camera:
It's currently drying in the screenhouse; I'll bring it in tonight and hope that an evening inside will finish it off. We shall see!
Today is such a perfect late summer day: it's really too cold to swim, even! I am in a long-sleeve shirt and jeans on the deck, and I could use a fleece vest (Younger snagged my pullover). I had hot tea after we came home post-food shopping, and it tasted great! Next week is due to be gorgeous, dry, and cool (low 70's), so all the signs are there and pointing toward school. Let it be so!
It's been an interesting summer, for sure: July was hard. I don't know if it was my micro-managing side, my loss-of-school-people-fix withdrawal coupled with sunshine deprivation, or what, but man! It was a tough month. August, on the other hand, has been wonderful--I almost feel that having only August would've been enough for me! My Wabanaki class, my time with Julie, the weather, the family time, running with Younger, working on FLS, doing a little schoolwork each day (at least in theory), then our recent festivities of dinner with Bigfamily, Younger's b'day party/overnight/b'fast, BH's and my elegant anniversary lunch, and Elder's xc dinner, then yesterday's smash hit coupling of terrible weather, triumphant closing run, fun out to lunch, tons of movies, and deliberate knitting, knitting, knitting--WOW. I feel really ready to go back and make the most of it. I guess that's what a vacation is for!
So, in closing. . . a shot of Zeus personifying enjoyment in this green and gold world we're living in:
the February Lady Sweater!!!!!!
At this point, I'd call it a modest success--it'll be interesting to see what I think when the buttons are on and I'm wearing it post-blocking. The yarn, Reynolds Cricket, is the tricksiest part: as I was finishing I was thinking I wanted to start it all over in some of the natural Candide I have, and the other half of my brain was thinking that I didn't. ever. want. to. do. another. gull. wing. lace. repeat. again. In reality, I think I'll make a baby version in the rose colored Cashmerino I have in my stash and call that good. Oh: pic with my rinky-dink camera:
It's currently drying in the screenhouse; I'll bring it in tonight and hope that an evening inside will finish it off. We shall see!
Today is such a perfect late summer day: it's really too cold to swim, even! I am in a long-sleeve shirt and jeans on the deck, and I could use a fleece vest (Younger snagged my pullover). I had hot tea after we came home post-food shopping, and it tasted great! Next week is due to be gorgeous, dry, and cool (low 70's), so all the signs are there and pointing toward school. Let it be so!
It's been an interesting summer, for sure: July was hard. I don't know if it was my micro-managing side, my loss-of-school-people-fix withdrawal coupled with sunshine deprivation, or what, but man! It was a tough month. August, on the other hand, has been wonderful--I almost feel that having only August would've been enough for me! My Wabanaki class, my time with Julie, the weather, the family time, running with Younger, working on FLS, doing a little schoolwork each day (at least in theory), then our recent festivities of dinner with Bigfamily, Younger's b'day party/overnight/b'fast, BH's and my elegant anniversary lunch, and Elder's xc dinner, then yesterday's smash hit coupling of terrible weather, triumphant closing run, fun out to lunch, tons of movies, and deliberate knitting, knitting, knitting--WOW. I feel really ready to go back and make the most of it. I guess that's what a vacation is for!
So, in closing. . . a shot of Zeus personifying enjoyment in this green and gold world we're living in:
Saturday, August 29, 2009
August 28: The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday. . .
We've got 'em! I was the first up at 7:50, and Younger the next at 8:50--and we went to bed early, too! Rain started gently but has been hard on and off, and it's been a great day for me to fulfill my sincere hope of finishing sleeve #2 and blocking FLS today! I have flown through the two remaining House of Eliot episodes left on cd #3 and am ready to take a break from them and go for some real movies. While the show is lovely to look at, I feel that the stories have become a little set, and the plot features the kind of problem to which the reader can see the answer long before anyone in the story does. Tilly needs glasses, of course, but she can't afford them! If Bea would be less bossy, Madge would stay! Of course Jack loves Bea! etc. Sooooooooo. . . I'm postponing the rest till I need some good knitting background.
But mostly I want to boast about Younger, by starting off talking about ME. I'm a structure person: I tend to make plans and then try really hard to follow them through. Not everyone enjoys this approach: Elder, for example, and BH only sometimes see the wisdom of my approach. Younger, however, tends to be even a little too fond of structure. . . but when I was thinking about him and his upcoming cross country season, as well as his tendency toward self-doubt and chunkiness (at 13, granted), I thought that a plan might work for both of us, and we decided to run every other day during August. We started at 20 minutes on August 3, and he will have preseason on August 31, so today, August 28, we had our last run: 34.51 minutes, at a good clip, a 2 minute improvement over the same course two days earlier, and in the driving rain. Younger uttered no complaints, and he really pushed in the last half mile. I am so proud of him (and of me. Though I work out five times/week, running every other day, about 3 miles, is not what my 46 year old knees/feet/joints necessarily desire, especially when I spend some of my energy exhorting a less-than-excited 13 year old, so big cheers for me, too)!!! I feel that we've taken a huge step towards life-long fitness, and we've had a good time (ahem: all in all), and we did what we put our minds towards. Ha! We rock! And here we are, being tough, right after our return. Two hot showers, fresh clothes, and a celebratory lunch at Karen's Cafe followed. Yay!
But mostly I want to boast about Younger, by starting off talking about ME. I'm a structure person: I tend to make plans and then try really hard to follow them through. Not everyone enjoys this approach: Elder, for example, and BH only sometimes see the wisdom of my approach. Younger, however, tends to be even a little too fond of structure. . . but when I was thinking about him and his upcoming cross country season, as well as his tendency toward self-doubt and chunkiness (at 13, granted), I thought that a plan might work for both of us, and we decided to run every other day during August. We started at 20 minutes on August 3, and he will have preseason on August 31, so today, August 28, we had our last run: 34.51 minutes, at a good clip, a 2 minute improvement over the same course two days earlier, and in the driving rain. Younger uttered no complaints, and he really pushed in the last half mile. I am so proud of him (and of me. Though I work out five times/week, running every other day, about 3 miles, is not what my 46 year old knees/feet/joints necessarily desire, especially when I spend some of my energy exhorting a less-than-excited 13 year old, so big cheers for me, too)!!! I feel that we've taken a huge step towards life-long fitness, and we've had a good time (ahem: all in all), and we did what we put our minds towards. Ha! We rock! And here we are, being tough, right after our return. Two hot showers, fresh clothes, and a celebratory lunch at Karen's Cafe followed. Yay!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
August 26: From the Porch
A lovely morning after a perfect night for sleeping--breezy, cool, quiet. I was the first one up at 7:30, and Younger appeared next at 8:45! Elder was due for a late night good bye visit with a good friend and role model who's off to college, so he's sleeping in as long as he'd like. Emotional times are wearing, especially for boys, I think--but I'm so glad that Elder and his friends are admitting that and taking the time to say good bye. In any case, it's a quiet house this morning.
Five days left till BH and I go back to school, and we've got plenty planned in those five days. I keep trying to get a hike up Cadillac together, but can't seem to get anyone to go with me, so we'll see what unfolds there. Maybe it'll become a Labor Day/last gasp of summer outing instead. Younger is having his very belated friend b'day gathering here on Thursday night: two movies, cheap pizza, and six boys in our screen house. Friday night we've asked Elder's xc team over for spaghetti after practice, as they have their first meet on Saturday at MDI. Things are cranking up again!
The boys and I are on Artemus Fowl book four, having skipped book 3 since it was "out" at the library listening site (not sure how that works, but that's what it said). I'm hoping we can figure out how to work that site once school starts, since I'll be in the market for books on cd for my commute once again. As it is, I am listening to Artemus while I work on sleeve #2 on my February Lady Sweater (!!) and Elder listens to it while he works on his artwork.
I am thinking of a portable project for the various meeting days upcoming, and I am thinking SOX! I have four options at least, but I"m leaning toward making a pair for me from my Koigu PPM handpainted stuff in pink. I don't want to get distracted from the sweater efforts yet, so perhaps I'll wait till Sunday afternoon to get that decided.
In the mean time, I'm in the balance between getting stuff done and reveling in my lassitude. . .
Five days left till BH and I go back to school, and we've got plenty planned in those five days. I keep trying to get a hike up Cadillac together, but can't seem to get anyone to go with me, so we'll see what unfolds there. Maybe it'll become a Labor Day/last gasp of summer outing instead. Younger is having his very belated friend b'day gathering here on Thursday night: two movies, cheap pizza, and six boys in our screen house. Friday night we've asked Elder's xc team over for spaghetti after practice, as they have their first meet on Saturday at MDI. Things are cranking up again!
The boys and I are on Artemus Fowl book four, having skipped book 3 since it was "out" at the library listening site (not sure how that works, but that's what it said). I'm hoping we can figure out how to work that site once school starts, since I'll be in the market for books on cd for my commute once again. As it is, I am listening to Artemus while I work on sleeve #2 on my February Lady Sweater (!!) and Elder listens to it while he works on his artwork.
I am thinking of a portable project for the various meeting days upcoming, and I am thinking SOX! I have four options at least, but I"m leaning toward making a pair for me from my Koigu PPM handpainted stuff in pink. I don't want to get distracted from the sweater efforts yet, so perhaps I'll wait till Sunday afternoon to get that decided.
In the mean time, I'm in the balance between getting stuff done and reveling in my lassitude. . .
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