Clippings

Bread Time

2012-01-30T16:50:00.003-05:00

Today we baked bread from the dough we made yesterday.

Flouring the dough.

Putting cornmeal on the pizza peel.

Making the loaf

Towering Achievements

2012-01-26T09:31:00.002-05:00

Reuben has just started building with blocks. Development every day!

Random images from the last few weeks

2012-01-23T16:00:00.002-05:00

The cart in front of me out of which the couple was performing an intricate scanning and bagging that left me to believe that most of the items were not being purchased.
The sign above the cart which claims that this is an express lane and that only 15 or fewer items should be purchased. Hmm. Perhaps they only purchased 15 of the items in their cart!

I rode the new elevator at Harvard Square! Yay. I doesn't smell like urine, yet. It is bigger, and it moves faster than a sloth with a hangover.
First real snow coats the top of the evergreen out of the window.

First snow

2012-01-13T11:53:00.001-05:00

A light dusting a few fat ago.

Ragged Edge of Silence: Chapter 1

2012-01-12T09:32:00.001-05:00

I am reading The Ragged Edge of Silence: finding peace in a noisy world by John Francis. Each chapter has an exercise, so I will chronicle my responses here.

Chapter 1: Beginning

Exercise in listening to sounds

I am sitting in my dining room with one window cracked barely open to let in sound. Rain and cold also vie for entry into the house, and I can feel a cool, damp New England winter's breeze at my chair. I welcome the fresh air and the moisture. I will turn off the constant hum of the humidifier that battles with the forced air heating to keep our living space livable.

The most prominent sounds are the rain pattering against the windows and siding of the house and the regular whoosh of tires on wet pavement. An occasional bus hums by on Mass Ave, a few blocks away.

The wind chimes on the back porch ring, bell-like, in the wind. They rise and fall from clear to faint. And the wind gusts blowing across the window screens and through the mostly bare branches of the trees. It follows the contours of roofs and sighs at their sharp angles.

Running water in the gutters and on the pavement now appears in a traffic lull. It is almost the sound of a stream in the forest bubbling over rocks.

Now, faintly, a train in the distance adds a rumble to the assembled sounds, and a siren fades in and out.

A lone horn calls out in the distance, a driver letting others know of their misdeeds.

And the siren continues to hover in the background with the hum of distant traffic. The hum pulses. Perhaps the gusts of wind bring sound in even intervals or the beating of my own heart opens and closes my ears.

Barbapapa

2012-01-10T22:55:00.001-05:00

I looked online to see how much Barbapapa books would be. Shockingly, they range from 20-100 bucks! I loved those books when I was a kid, but replacing them is not in the budget.

Rose meets Zeus

2012-01-07T17:48:00.001-05:00

This was outside a local store tonight.

New Books!

2012-01-07T09:57:00.001-05:00

Books are a constant in this house, and our recent trip to St. Louis and Seattle infused our house with some new ones. Rose is currently sitting on the toilet reading The Family Book that Gwen gave us. Rose is adding much more detail than the story has, creating her own story for each page and building on each type of family represented.

Kids, what kids?

2012-01-02T14:35:00.003-05:00

Haven't posted pics of the kids for a while:

Rose and Hazel playing in the "boat."
Reuben is in the stage of putting everything in his mouth.

Flying Home

2012-01-02T11:40:00.002-05:00

This is the Rockies from the plane window. The snow-capped mountains were picking up sunset's colors.
Ah, Boston skyline as seen through an iPhone camera!

Seattle to San Fran and then on to Boston. The first leg was ok, but the next was one of those times that expands my understanding of the word patience. Beautiful scenery as we passed over the mountains, though.

Cider inside

2011-12-31T00:43:00.001-05:00

In this time of paying for checked bags, Reena and I deal by carrying on everything needed to support a family of four. This time, our flight is much of tomorrow, and we will arrive in BOS on New Year's Eve. Gwen gave me a bottle of berry cider that unfortunately can't be taken on board our flights (to San Fran and then to Boston). As much as I would like to consume a bottle of cider on these flights, it ain't gonna happen. The cost of an equivalent amount of alcohol in flight would be about the same as another ticket, so I am sitting here in the evening sipping a glass of very nice berry cider before tomorrow's adventure.

Glass Tile Effect

2011-12-29T00:12:00.002-05:00

As I sit at my sister's table, the glass pitcher is refracting light and the spoked chair behind creates a striking image reminding of one the work on one of my now-defunct favorite art blogs, Fractal Beanstalk.

Blogs, Twitter, and more

2011-12-28T00:56:00.002-05:00

Well, feel free to check out some new feeds I am working on:

Technologicalontogeny: a blog of my growth in educational technology

Dadding Ideas: a blog of my thoughts on parenting and being a dad

@rilesdan: (don't know if I have formatted the link correctly) my twitter feed- just because much of ed tech happens here. I am a neophyte tweeter.

Have fun!

Lewis Park

2011-12-24T14:34:00.002-05:00

Today I stopped by Lewis Park, a place near my house where we often went to play. There is a pond, inhabited by crawdads and frogs in my childhood, that is ringed by fossiliferous limestone. I spent many hours looking for impressions of ancient life in these rocks. We also had this limestone in our back yard dividing the grape arbor from the garden.

At the Round Table

2011-12-23T13:44:00.002-05:00

Rose and Reuben eating at the table at 750 Harvard. We bought this table unfinished, and one of my childhood memories is when it replaced the blue, Formica-topped, wobbly one.

A New Leaf

2011-12-21T23:23:00.003-05:00

The last few days, amidst travel to St. Louis and Rose being quite sick, I have embarked on reorganizing my digital life.

This is my first post using blogsy.

It is the beginning of many adjustments; keep tuned for more!

Where the woods are free

2011-09-19T09:22:00.001-05:00

With Drumlin Farm closed on Mondays, looked for a place to take Reuben. Walden pond was near, but it cost money that I did not have to park there. I found the Minuteman National Historic Park which is where the Lexington Concord battle happened.

Some photos

2011-07-07T08:39:00.003-05:00

It has been a while. I have photos from my camera and some from my phone.

From my phone:
I was coming home from school one day, and there was a wild turkey walking down the sidewalk a block from our house!
When the family visited Philly, we made a stop in Manyunk (sp?) for dinner. I am always looking at and taking pictures of building details. This one caught my eye.
I finished one year working at Derby Academy and am going to work elsewhere next year. One thing I will miss is Derby's natural setting. I waited for the bus along the ocean's shore where the tides, the atmosphere, and the animals soothed anything the day brought along. I did love the work I did with students and teachers at Derby.
On a walk through campus one day, I happened upon this scene at the cove.
We had quite a run of trouble with the tires on our double stroller. They seem to work now, but it is hard to trust them after all the issues. We love the design of the Phil and Ted's, but the tires blew out too many times to feel completely secure. They, however, do seem to be fixed at this point.
Yard work! Finally got to it. Finally chopped the hedges down to stubs so that I can reshape them from the towering, twenty-foot-tall monsters they had become.
The garden that Rose and I planted (with help from Cassie, Allie, and Rachel) grew. The peas did the best.

The carrots finally started showing their feathery leaves. Lettuce did ok, too. The only ones that have really to get going are the tomatoes.

Dramatic sky and spring seemed to go together. Actually it seemed to rain all the time this spring.One amazing foggy morning on the coast near Derby.
Rose and Reuben interacting.Rose is carrying Polar Bear around in the child carrier. She treats her animals as her own children-feeding them, tucking them in for naps, and even nursing them.

Rose plays guitar with Mike
Reuben hangs out in the Baby Bjorn bouncy seat that have been the best thing for both kids.

Peas appear! They were tasty.

On a walk through the Back Bay, Rose and I stopped at the pond featured in Make Way For Ducklings where the swan boats are pedaled around for tourists.

Rose enjoyed riding the statues of the ducklings and Mrs. Mallard.

Reuben learned how to hold his own bottle!

Rose revisited the sailboat outside the sailing club.

Rose looks at a sleeping fur seal at the aquarium

Where they also have an amazing jellyfish display and a shark petting tank.Post Office Square has a terrific fountain for hot day splashing!

Reena and I took the kids on a walk yesterday. It was drizzling, and fog swallowed the tops of buildings downtown.
We saw fancy boats.
Rose got to drive a bus at the Children's Museum.
She and Reena collected virtual butterflies.
Rose feeds Polar Bear.

Pictures from my camera:

This is a shot of Rose's third birthday party at the park down the street from us. Lots of kids!

The other day, I saw this albino squirrel on the back porch and mimosa tree in our back yard. Haven't seen it since.

Roots, Rootlets, Rooting

2011-03-24T10:51:00.006-05:00

The cornerstone of the Delmar Building of Delmar-Harvard Elementary school. It will be shut down next year.

Grandma and Rose sweep up sweetgum balls, an activity that Rose eagerly repeated.

Rose rides the carousel at the zoo.
Grandma burps Reuben.
Rose washes play dishes, ones that Daddy used in his childhood, at the sink.
Rose and Daddy pet animals at the zoo.

Just got back from taking the kids to St. Louis for a week. There it was balmy, hot even, and all the flowers were blooming. Magnificent magnolias colored the treeline with white and purple while the ground was dominated by golden daffodils and accented by the purple of late crocuses and reds of early tulips. A few redbuds, my personal harbinger of spring in the Midwest, bloomed next to the library. And I wore shorts!

As I look out the window, I see a few flakes of snow drifting by. It is springtime in Boston, too.

Last week, I took my usual pilgrimage to the U. City Loop. Much has changed there since my childhood including that it has its own website. It is also greatly upscaled (or even gentrified) which has its positives and drawbacks. I am no longer afraid to walk there at night, but many of the family friendly features are gone.

At the U. City Library, I talked with a childrens' librarian as I walked around the room in which a great deal of my childhood unfolded. The same tables and benches are there, the books have been reorganized, but the place has the same great welcoming feeling. It turns out that the librarian reads a storytime for the children of one of my elementary school friends. My roots still run pretty deep in that place.

On that walk, however, I happened to be in the right place at the right time (or perhaps it was all wrong) to see a feature of my memory's landscape pulled down and removed from reality forever. The circular entrance to Cricket Walk was a place that drummers gathered, children romped, and I was even once approached by a drug dealer (I ran away).

It was fun to take my children in the stroller around the neighborhood and to the main park of my childhood. My little rootlets loved the flowers, and they loved being with my parents. Rose improved her potty training, and Reuben moved into 3-6 month clothes.

I can't think of St. Louis without a nod to the Cardinals. Spring Training is underway, and a bad one for them this one has been. I managed to catch most of a game on the day of my return, so my season of rooting has begun.

aaaaaaaahgh

2011-02-27T08:09:00.003-05:00

more snow

Rueben's commentary!

Rose in the Snow

2011-01-29T12:58:00.002-05:00

We took a trip to the park at the bottom of the street.

Blog, what blog?

2011-01-23T11:37:00.002-05:00

Pictures and video from my phone.

This is Reuben at the Hospital. Hey, wassup?
An amazing rainbow; look closely and see the double and even triple rainbow!
Rose is laughing, having a ball.

We have tried sledding. Rose is still not sure about it.

Reuben Rowen

2010-12-22T22:04:00.003-05:00

Reena and I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Reuben Rowen Freedman-Riles. He was born December 9th in good health and weighing 7lb 2.3oz. The name Reuben derives from the Hebrew name of Reena's maternal grandfather, Robert, who passed away this past June. He was an amazing man who we miss very much, and we hope Reuben will embody his industry, immense knowledge about the world, and love for family. The name Rowen comes from Dan's paternal great-grandmother. Bertha Belle Rowen loved gardening and music, and she was ahead of her time in advocating for fairness and equality both on a personal and national level.

We hope those of you who are local you will get a chance to visit us and meet Reuben! Phone calls and visits are welcome anytime.

Rose playing with her friend, Allie, and the big, green ball.

Rose and Animoto

2010-10-25T20:40:00.000-05:00

Playing with Animoto yeilded this:

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

New School, Year beginning

2010-10-24T07:43:00.003-05:00

Beginning a new year at a new school is always a bit of work, and thus nothing has shown up on my blog for a while, but things are good. For those out there who are starved of Rose photos:
We went to Drumlin Farm yesterday. Among the highlights were sitting on an old tractor, picking potatoes, and the chicken house.

Boats

2010-09-05T18:56:00.002-05:00

Rose loves all forms of transportation. This morning, we took the train to the Charles River and watched sailboats navigate the choppy water. There was a boat in front of the public boating facility that Rose enjoyed pretend sailing with Daddy gently rocking it to simulate waves.

A Morning at Drumlin Farm

2010-07-02T18:58:00.003-05:00

At Drumlin Farm, Rose encountered many animals and tractors.

Here she is watching a cow. The front end of the one in the background is a much better view than the one she was looking at.
Lots of goats and sheep in this building. There was one chicken which Rose pointed out immediately. She really loves chickens! No photos of her in the hen house, though.
Waiting for the train to come to take us home.On the commuter rail going home. It passes pretty close to our house and the park on our street, and it stops nearby.

Back to the Fishies (penguins, turtle, sea lions, etc)

2010-06-30T19:41:00.003-05:00

Today, I took Rose and Zora to the Aquarium. I used Zora's family's double stroller that fit through most of the elevator doors on the T. I had to take off a wheel to fit through two of them. Time for a new strategy--a smaller stroller!

Here are the two of them sitting on the sill of the big central tank looking at fish as they swim by.
And looking at penguins.
The other day, I made these puff pastries (I have to learn better rolling technique). This was what I tried to do to make kohlrabi leaves more edible. Not a fan of kale and other dense, leafy greens, kohlrabi leaves had water repellency of a high end raincoat. I blanched them, sauteed them, and added spices before wrapping them up in puff pastry with some Parmesan. The result is moderately edible. I really hope it is high in all kinds of vitamins and such though I suspect all the cooking I did probably lessened their nutritional value. Raw, however, I imagine they would have just passed straight through impervious to any digestive attempts made on their integrity.

Summer adventuers with Rose

2010-06-28T13:34:00.003-05:00

Rose and I have been going out on adventures. I decided to walk from Park Street to the Aquarium because from Park, one has to transfer twice to only go two stations. The time waiting for trains and spent locating and riding unpleasant smelling elevators is not worth it, especially when there are exciting fountains to be found on the way.At the aquarium, Rose was fascinated by the turtle rescue tank. The turtle in this tank was recovering from cold shock. I think all of Boston is still recovering from cold shock, and lazing around in a tanks would probably help me, though I wouldn't want thousands of folks walking by and peering at me.
Penguins were a favorite. We returned to these Plexiglas portals regularly to see and listen to the swimming birds. Rose loved following their trails of bubbles in the water.
At the top of the massive central column of water about which a walkway spirals, there is a surface reef ecosystem. Rose was fascinated by the huge turtle, the rays, and the divers who submerged to feed the large fish and sharks below.
Outside, the sea lions were swimming and one was scratching itself. Rose was transfixed.
But of course, it is the boats that are the real attraction. Even while inside (except for penguin watching) Rose would repeat, "Boat?" So we went outside and walked the waterfront to look at all the boats. The sun shade is off only for the sake of the photos. This stroller is one of the only ones we found with a real sun shade that actually shades most of her body. Other strollers had these miniature afterthoughts that required ill-fitting third-party accessories. The one shown in the link is a newer model that has solid tires. We like the soft ride of the air filled ones.
On another day, we stopped by Raymond Park
A happy light near our house.
I've seen this being pedaled around before. Frankenshoppingcycle.
Rose and I went to Chinatown. It is amazing how it is another piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is Boston, and it now clicked into place.
Looking at garden tools at Tags.

Ice Cream Castles in the Air

2010-06-21T14:03:00.004-05:00

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Taken from "Both Sides, Now" by Joni Mitchell

Glorious sunsets are not confined to the American Southwest and other equally amazing places, though they are pretty spectacular there. It just takes looking up and noticing they are there amongst the buildings and wires. On the day I took this picture, I was walking down to Porter Square to get some groceries. I had a great view of the clouds pulled from N. C. Wyeth illustrations or other books from that era. These clouds invited Bostonians to enjoy their sense of wonder if they would just look up.
During one of our many powerful rainstorms, worthy even of Midwestern thunderstorms, about a third of our tree fell down. I wrote about it in a previous post. Here are the photos.Neatly chopped pieces
The very big stack of limbs awaiting chipping.The previous owners of the house set up the black composter in the middle of an ivy patch, added lots of non-compostable items, and left it to sit there. I have cleared thorn bushes and other things, including a mosquito breading pit known as a pond, from next to the garage and set up both the drum composter for kitchen waste and the black one for yard waste and finishing the kitchen waste. Yardwork continues. I just managed to convince the bushes in front to not encroach on the sidewalk. Had to use the hedge trimmers to do the convincing!

Transition

2010-06-18T12:07:00.002-05:00

Today is the last day I sit in my classroom at the Atrium school. I have returned my key, wiped computers, organized files on DVDs for teachers following me, and organized materials in the class as well as the storage room. Everything is neat, organized, and ready for a new teacher to step in. This does not mean that she has to use what I have left behind; she has the choice. At the beginning of every teaching job I have started, I have walked into a less that useful chaos of old files, random materials, and often a very dirty space. It feels good to not be adding to that trend.

Impressed!

2010-06-03T19:25:00.002-05:00

During dinner, Reena saw a third of our tree in front slowly fall to the side. Because I was facing the side of the house, I missed the show and heard only the quiet sound of a branch cracking. The limb, if a third of a tree can be called that, miraculously landed on the sidewalk missing several cars, the house, and anything else valuable. It did dent the hedge, but that is easily remedied. However, the whole thing was hanging from the wires both to the house and between the two poles on the street. We called NSTAR, the local power company, and a friendly but distant representative said that people were on the way. I then called the City of Cambridge Dept of Public Works. Wow! They got someone out here right away, got the cogs moving to get the NSTAR crew out quickly, and are about to show up with a chipper to clear away the debris. Everyone involved was very polite and professional. I am thoroughly impressed. I think I hear the chipper pulling up right now!

Yep, chipped and gone in about 20 minutes.

Super Duper job.

blast from the past-scanned

2010-05-19T18:22:00.003-05:00

When I was in the height of my Magic playing days, I saw a piece of art someone had made from cutting multiple copies of cards and gluing them together to make a mini-shadow box diorama. I did the same with some magic cards and some cards from the Milestone series of comics.

I took one of the Magic ones to the Comic convention in Philly when I saw that the artist was going to be there. He enjoyed it and signed it for me.

Barcode

2010-05-19T17:59:00.005-05:00

An article in a magazine pointed out the obvious, one that I had already dabbled in but forgotten, that the scanner can be a fun toy to make art.

The decorative grasses that emerge at the corner of the house near the garbage cans create a small island of emerald and cream contrast. While I must do battle with this probably invasive and aggressive species, I do admire the plant's beauty. When lined up on the scanner, I could almost read the leaves at a grocery store checkout.

What would my work be without the requisite spiral. I lightly dampened this shell before putting an old, faded piece of construction paper over it.
I tried some still life compositions with materials found in the yard. I like them, but I will certainly have to spend some time with the medium before I achieve the look and feel I want. I do love ferns, and this is their season!
Lastly, I created a high-resolution close-up of one of the purple flowers. I cropped to what seemed to me to create an other-worldly image. Imagine a yellow rocket launching from a purple landscape.

Probably my scanner is unhappy with plant residues, but I like this promising start of a new hobby.

Cards baseball

2010-05-01T09:30:00.002-05:00

Thanks to Sarah and her family, I was indoctrinated early into fandom for the Cardinals. Living out of market, I have in the past received only a few telecasts a year when they were playing on national tv at a time when I could watch. Last year, I purchased the cable extrainnings package. It was disappointing to say the least. Most broadcasts were the away team, and many games were just not broadcast at all. This year, I switched to trying mlb.tv because more games would be available, and with the premium package, I could choose the broadcast I wanted to watch. Initially, I have had to watch it on the web interface either through the mac mini connected to our tv or on my computer. The feed is choppy and very unsatisfactory. Today, I updated the roku player upstairs and the version of Boxee on the mac mini downstairs. Now they both play mlb.tv and do so much better than the web interface. yay!

San Diego and Back

2010-04-26T18:28:00.006-05:00

Rose eating crackers
Serena who Rose led around the house and yard for quite a while.
Cousin Jenny, Serena and Tyler's mom.
Dad (Granddad) and Tyler
Uncle Dave
Aunt Judy
Uncle Roger

Missing due to Rose's love of the delete button are Grandma Linda, and Toby dog.

There is nothing like leaving the New England area on a plane and touching down where rows of palm trees and cacti declare unequivocally that you have left home. This last week we visited family in San Diego where my aunt lives. Rose was a great hit and spread the love with her cheery personality. One of the presents she received was her very own camera. After some trips to get batteries, a memory card, and a small screw driver, we were able to put the thing together. Rose loves the sounds it makes when turning on and off, when moving through the pictures she has taken, and unfortunately when she deletes them. She also loved the pictures of the various folks visiting and living in San Diego.

recycling and more

2010-04-19T11:37:00.005-05:00

This is the new composting center that just fits next to our back door. The bins are easy to take out, it fits a very small footprint, and it is not garishly colored. Quite perfect for what we need. Bins as a bit small, but that was stated in reviews online. We just take stuff out a few times a week to the larger bins on the back porch.

Other than that, busy, busy, busy.

flowers

2010-03-17T21:08:00.002-05:00

Crocuses are opening, the sun is shining, and spring may finally be here. The appearance of flowers always tremendously lifts my mood.

The mad dash

2010-03-16T19:30:00.002-05:00

I have just finished reading Stones into Schools after having read Three Cups of Tea in preparation for a whole school reading event. The book, newly out, is on a speed read program at my library which means it can only be checked out for one week and is not renewable. I didn't fully grasp this until the two days until due email appeared in my inbox. I have since then become absorbed in reading in a way reminiscent of my childhood. I would disappear into Narnia, Moomin Valley, and many other fantastical or realistic realms only to surface for food, sleep (as necessary), and other necessities. Only when the book was done would I want to go back outside and join the neighborhood games of tag or practice soccer. Books have always been able to draw me in, and it was refreshing to be so deeply immersed in the narrative of how the vision to promote education, and specifically girls' education, to rural Pakistan and Afghanistan has unfolded over time. Both books were beautiful, moving, and inspiring. I highly recommend them.

Mariachi

2010-02-18T13:04:00.004-05:00

My writing group met for a social dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Amy's husband plays in a mariachi band there on Wednesdays. It was great food, great company, and great music.

Rose and Bubbles

2010-02-17T12:34:00.003-05:00

Rose loved drawing with crayons.
I got a new sodastream carbonator. The plus is no more bottles from the store, water from the tap. The minus is carbonation doesn't last too long, refill canisters are pricey, and supposedly customer service is bad. I am using fruit juice and some flavored syrups to add a bit of flavor to my drinks.

old video

2010-02-08T10:06:00.003-05:00

scruff

2010-02-08T09:56:00.003-05:00

A heroic effort this morning removed the two week old scruff. This is always an important step in my mental attitude toward recovery.

of snow and shoulders

2010-02-06T21:45:00.003-05:00

Snow on the tree in front.
The new deli is finally open. Guess why I've been waiting for this one!
Maya hangs with Rose.
Mom and Rose share a laugh.

I guess if you put the two together, snow and shoulders, you get a cold shoulder. In my case, it is just winter in New England and shoulder surgery. A torn rotator cuff was the diagnosis for my pain, and surgery was the answer. I am now going to PT in order to regain range of motion and strength in the arm. Mom came for a little over two weeks to help out with Rose while I was recovering, and she has just left.

I got a new camera in order to aid my taking photos. My old one, a Canon S80, was a bit too bulky to carry around easily in a pocket. My new one, a Canon SD780 IS, is sleek and easy to slide in a pocket. It doesn't have as good a lens or feature set, but I think being able to carry it will lead to more photos. We'll see.

Huh, so the school year started...

2009-12-06T18:34:00.005-05:00

Yep, I have been inundated by a very challenging school year. My blogging has dropped off considerably. Here is a month plus of photos.

Harvard Common has a very cool new playground.

Rose explored the kitchen drawers when my parents were visiting.
Fall was beautiful this year. The tree in front has these amazing multi-colored, Rorschach styled leaves.

Rose is amazing.
Snow is not.
Rose likes to read and tear up catalogs.

Mind Stretch

2009-10-18T18:30:00.006-05:00

The beginning of this year has been quite a mind stretch. I have not had to dig this deep into my teaching skills and rethink my basic approach for quite some time. This intense focus has kept me from things like blog posting and such. Here is a sampling of the last month.

The Autumn season brings lots of fairs and child centered events to the parks nearby. This is Rose enjoying walking near the big fire truck at one such fair.
Rose is showing off her one-handed drinking skilz.
Rose is happily playing with a comb after her first haircut. She no longer has hair poking in her eyes all of the time.
Snow! This is the second snowfall of the year, and some of the gloppy, wet stuff is sticking. It is heading into the night, so temps might drop enough for some significant shoveling in the morning. I really hope not.

I had quite the scare on Friday. Sudden sharp chest pain on the right side had me worried. After visiting the doctor and the hospital for various tests, I come away from the experience believing it to be a rib cage muscle pull. Not fun, but not too serious either. Anyway, I am feeling much better at this time.

The Year Ends as the Year Begins

2009-09-21T18:33:00.005-05:00

In the ongoing attempt to reclaim space and get rid of stuff, I went through college binders and copy packets. I really don't think I'll be reading the articles from my Schools in American Cities course taken in '91. Along with those, many other papers filled the recycle bin to overflowing and cleared up much shelf space.
This moth alighted on the screen outside the dining room. Rose and I watched it for a while. The fabulous colors don't really show up in this photo.
Siamese Pin.
My room before school started.
Rose showing off her gangsta in pajamas look.
I drew two circles in green; Rose did the rest. Crayons are fun!

We have just returned from Philly and celebrating Rosh Hashana with Reena's family. It is the New Year in the Jewish calendar. Interestingly enough, it coincides pretty well with the new year in the academic world as well.

The crops are being brought in, some places are near or past their first frost, so the agricultural year is winding down in the Northern Latitudes.

I am finding my way in this new year. I only have four students this year, and I have not adjusted quite right to the classroom management needed for a small group. Another growth opportunity. I am looking forward to this year, but a lot of work has to be crammed in at the beginning to get them ready for a secondary school entrance test and for next schools applications.

Rose continues to be amazing and a wonder. She learns new things daily and delights in sharing them with us.

One of my great joys in childhood was taking apart anything electronic. I loved making the gears into tops.

The many distractions of life

2009-08-29T08:11:00.008-05:00

Sugar Hill is my all-time favorite contra dance weekend. It is a time of friends. Here are Joe and Ben. Joe was one of the first people to welcome me upon my return to St. Louis after living in Philly. He and I have held a great and wonderful friendship from that time on. Ben is a new friend in my life, and my life is richer for it. Sugar Hill is about maintaining and growing established friendships and being open to new ones forming.
Sugar Hill is dancing. The hall is one of my favorites with its arched wood ceiling, large enough but not too large space, nice acoustics, and nature views just off the porch. The kitchen is to the left in this image, and I spent Saturday evening in there preparing the annual meal of burritos.

This image of David captures the feel of the dance. Details in focus as the world blurs around you. David is also a must dance partner. He plays, calls, and does just about everything else including sound. David also makes it easy for me to get to the dance. I flew into Indy and he gave me a ride to Bloomington. One of the wonderful people that make me want to return every year.This picture does not do the place justice. This building is actually one that is hardly used, but it gives an idea of the architecture of the few buildings we occupy. Camping is another reason I go each year. I did not take my camera to the lake, and it was too cold to swim much this year, anyway. I did, however, make my pilgrimage to the other side by canoe to comb the fossil beach for treasures of crinoids and geodes.
Back to reality, and my classroom. It is in much better shape. All that is in my room is my own, and not much is not in my room that should be there. I am getting organized and ready with physical space for the year. Curriculum, however, needs much attention.
I moved the white board and screen so that they were anchored to studs. The space beneath the screan will be where the smart board is installed w

Rose does new things daily. She has clearly taken the "Bye bye" from her current care provider along with blown kisses into her vocabulary. A quick one can be heard on this video, though she is much clearer when walking around the room waving bye and blowing kisses.

This morning, Rose really took a liking to the blanket Uncle John gave us for our wedding.

Rose walking and school

2009-08-16T10:13:00.006-05:00

Rose plays with the shadows of late afternoon.
My class library spread out and ready to divide between fifth and sixth grades.

I continue to chip away at the work needed to turn my room into a functional classroom. I also have devoted time to getting my curriculum together. Next week will be crunch time for those pursuits leaving me less time to get things around the house finished. I, however, only have one bookshelf to construct, two to mount, and a computer to relocate to finish the livingroom shelving.

I installed magnetic childproof (we'll see) latches on one set of doors on the shelves in the livingroom. We will see how Rose interacts with them! I hope they hold up to the abuse because they are by far the most elegant of the solutions out there.

Rose continues to walk and be excited by her newfound ability. She also enjoys playing with Reena's flip flops and my slippers.

more productivity

2009-08-14T08:26:00.005-05:00

The cabinets arrived and were stored in the kitchen. Unfortunately, we found that the corner cabinet, closest in the image, was damaged and had to be returned. The others, however, are in place, and only the floor cabinet is awaiting its top.
Here is the floor cabinet. There is a perfect space to store the step stool next to it.
I put together Reena's rolling file cabinet first of all of the many boxes of things to put together.
I am bartering some work with Mike. This is the piece that is missing from one of his windows. Finding who manufactures it has been entertaining. I have sent them an email with photos to see if we can get a replacement part.
I have husked the dvds and put them in binders. The empty casings will supply my yearly dvd school project for years to come.
Here are some binders of dvds in the new shelf. The doors will get a baby proofing system soon, and then the pillows will not need to be stacked against them.
I finished this bookshelf yesterday. It is mounted to the wall, cut to fit around the archway molding, and has a height extension on it.
Now off to shower and to school where I am cleaning out a very filthy room. I love the space, but I have to get it ready just to think about how I am going to use this new room.

Many Days of Productivity

2009-08-08T09:54:00.004-05:00

This last week has seen a great deal of productivity around and in the house. We have painting and work being done to the exterior. The ladder in the photo below belongs to that job. The lined up branches and chipper belong to the company that came to remove two trees from the back yard and trim the front tree back from the house. We now have a back yard!

This is how the back yard looks with the massive tree mostly cut down. It is amazing how much light and how much more yard we now have. We will think about how to design the yard in terms of lawn space and garden, but it is nice to have these options!I also went in to school to do some work. This will be my classroom next year. Afterschool stuff and a computer lab are in there now, so some heavy lifting will ensue before I can make the space mine. I am happy about the location, and it will be the first time in the new building that I control my own thermostat! I will also be getting a smart board theoretically. yay.
This is the china cabinet we purchased from a lovely couple off of Craig's List. It fits our dining room perfectly.
Here it is loaded with Reena's grandparents' china and some of our own odds and ends. So starts the reorganization of the basement project!
Many friends have visited this week, and Reena's blog has much more on that. Anna Maria stayed the night and had a great day hanging out with Rose and us.

Burgeoning Artist

2009-08-03T18:57:00.004-05:00

Rose seems to be a Pointillist.

A Day Away

2009-08-02T13:03:00.003-05:00

Reena's father came for a visit, so we promptly left Rose with him and drove up to New Hampshire for a day of craft fair and friends. It is wonderful to have these moments away from Rose as they recharge us for the many wonderful hours we are with her.

The view from the cabin in which we stayed.After a full day of seeing crafts and getting a few for Rose, we ate a very nice dinner at a restaurant in a nearby town and then watched Ghostbusters before heading to bed.

Moving to the Music

2009-07-29T18:04:00.004-05:00

Today Rose was a bit cranky. To distract her, after putting on the proffered hat, I let the music roll. She particularly liked dancing to Creedance Clearwater Revival.

Hull of a good time

2009-07-25T20:06:00.003-05:00

Today, my writing group met in Hull, a beachfront community south of Boston. One of the members has a house there, and we spent the day writing, sharing writing, eating, and strolling around. It was amazingly nourishing for my soul.

Yesterday I took pictures of Rose playing with the toy that Tory the amazing librarian at my school gave to us at the end of the school year.

Pictures, both moving and still, of road trip

2009-07-23T19:00:00.008-05:00

I haven't taken a road trip for some time, so it was wonderful to hop in the car and head out. I enjoy solitude, scenery, and the cumulative experience of a trip.

I awoke early on my day of departure in order to get to Chicago in one day. The moon shone through the open window in my shower as the birds swung into full dawn chorus. The sky slowly illuminated the world, and the beginnings of pink fuzz peaked from the buds on the mimosa tree in our back yard.

After a hasty breakfast, I packed my last gear in the car and plugged in the iPod. "You Can Get It If You Really Want" by Jimmy Cliff greeted me, and I took that as a sign of good things to come.

The rolling hills/mountains of Western Massachusetts are covered by woods, and the mist rising from the valleys created a very beautiful send-off from the East Coast. As I came down from the mountains and onto the plains of New York, I noticed that drivers suddenly understood the rules and customs of the road much better. The right lane was used for driving and the left for passing. Amazingly, with only two lanes, the same volume of traffic that had been snarled with three lanes in Mass was moving smoothly in New York. This trend continued throughout my trip except for in Chicago where people drive like maniacs. Friends who only know East Coast driving wonder why I like to drive for 17 hours in a day, but in the Midwest, it is a peaceful endeavor.

I arrived in Chicago late, dealt with the crazy traffic there, and ended up at Sarah's house. This is soon to not be her house anymore as she is moving to Philly where I will be able to visit her and her family much more often. We chatted about childhood memories til late, and in the morning, I headed to Wrigley Field for the first ballgame of the trip.

I did something I rarely do--I left the game early. The Cards were on their way to a poorly played loss, and I had hours of driving to get me to St. Louis. As the sun set, the farmland in Illinois was lit up and contrasted by the cloudy sky. I whizzed past silos and farm houses that each could be a postcard of the Heartland. I had forgotten how much sky there is out on the Plains.

I arrived in St. Louis and made my way, like the swallows of San Juan Capistrano, to the place of my childhood. The old street signs, lit from within, glowed their welcome as I turned onto my home street.

In the following days, I enjoyed the activities surrounding the All Star Game. This game was the impetus to schedule the trip home at this time. I left Boston without a ticket, but wanted to be around as the city filled with fans and possibly get a ticket for the main event as well.

The highly promoted Fan Fest was somewhat disappointing. I think if I was a kid and had one of the armbands that let one cut to the front of the line, it would have been marvelous. As a single adults, there were hour long lines for the few batting and pitching activities, a few exhibits from the Hall of Fame and the Negro Leagues, and lots of things to buy. I bought a pin. Hmm.

The thing that made my day worth it was meeting Jackie Robinson's daughter who was giving away free, advanced copies of her new book about her father's courage both as a baseball player integrating the majors and as a parent who overcame his fear of water to test a frozen pond for his childrens' safety. Really nice book, and she was gracious and friendly. Rose has another book waiting for her when she is a bit older.
On my way to the Metro Station, I passed many lions decorated in the manner of the Cow Project (which Seattle did in pigs). University City is decorated with lions, so this was a natural choice. This one, located in front of the library in which I spent much of my youth, is titled "Reading Between the Lions" and is covered with pages from books.
Many of the older building is St. Louis are decorated either with paingings that look like architecture or with ornate terra cotta tiles. I enjoyed walking around down town looking at buildings on the day of the game while I waited for the ticket prices to drop and for the parade to start.
I also discovered the new sculpture garden in the middle of the city. It is a neat space. The limestone wall represents the river bluffs on the Illinois side of the Mississippi which is represented by quite a few water features. Kids were running around in an area in which jets of water spurted from the ground at random and timed intervals.
My walk down town inevitably took me by the arch. Unique is an overused word, but is applies to this structure. There are several needle-like buildings, many tall buildings, but there are no other grand, man-made arches like this one. Pictures don't do it justice.
As I wandered downtown and back in the U. City Loop, I saw the many things that were familiar, but St. Louis is surging and much is being remade or newly made. I came across this statue of Lewis and Clark amongst the granite cobblestones at the foot of the Eads Bridge. The statue must get covered each time the water rises.
This is a view of the arch through one of the stone arches of Eads Bridge.
This arch celebrates the World Championships of the Cardinals through their history.The parade finally happened. This car carried Albert Pujols who is a fan favorite in St. Louis.
These fine folks at Stub Hub helped me secure a ticket within my budget at the last moment. I rushed over to the stadium and got in to see the whole event. I am really grateful to them for their patience while I waited for a few hours and their quick work at the end. They really made the afternoon pleasant.
I was thrilled to see the President and the televized message from the living presidents about service to our country. Obama's first pitch looked good, and the game was a good one. However, the experience went way beyond being a baseball game.

My crazily expensive meal.
This is a bottle I used to play with as a child. Reena and Rose flew in the day after the All Star Game, and then it was about Rose and my parents spending time together. Mom pulled out many old toys, and Rose had a blast. She learned to put a cylindrical piece in a toy mailbox and sampled many new foods. Much joy was had by all.

I also was fortunate to hang out with many friends and even to go contra dancing. For some reason, I was not into taking pictures during the baby and friends times. Reena has some photos that she may put on her blog. Suffice to say, it was wonderful to catch up with friends and spend time in a community that is warm and welcoming.

Back and taking it in stride

2009-07-22T19:04:00.003-05:00

Well, Rose is taking it in stride. She did some real walking this evening. First she took a few hesitant steps while holding her sippy cup. Then Reena came in and she walked between the two of us a few times. It was really unaided walking!

I, on the other hand, feel like I need aid walking or anything else. Just put Rose to bed, and I was going to download pictures and video from the trip. Not going to happen tonight. After two days of driving, I'm taking it easy tonight and will do it hopefully tomorrow.

On the Road Again

2009-07-12T21:41:00.002-05:00

I am on the road. Many pictures and stories to follow.

Crazy Bird!

2009-07-10T11:50:00.003-05:00

This sparrow was gallantly fighting off its reflection in the Lincoln parked outside our house. Look just in front of the tire.

Physical

2009-07-09T09:18:00.002-05:00

Today I trimmed the hedges, played tennis, and went to the contra at Concord. Lots of physical activity.

The hedges had grown to take up quite a bit of the sidewalk. Last year, I did a big clearing of old, dead wood and a bit of a trimming back. Having looked up when to prune, I decided that it was too late in the season for a drastic cutting, but I did clear them from the sidewalk so our and other strollers can get through.

Dan came over (not me, obviously) and we headed to the tennis courts at the bottom of the street. After about 45 minutes of that, we were both happily warmed up, and it was time for Deana to head out. I went home, took care of Rose, and made a card for Reena. It is our anniversary.

In the evening, I went contra dancing. I have gone to the Concord Thursday night dance a number of times. It is held at the Scouthouse which is famous enough in contra to have a dance named after it. So far, the four or so times I have been, I have not been impressed with dance etiquette in Boston. People say they are sitting out and then are up in the line with someone else, and they book ahead. In other parts of the country, these behaviors are frowned upon, but I guess it is accepted enough here to make it ok. I still love to dance, and I do have a few good dances when I go to Concord, but I am repulsed by the negatives. I am so glad that I will be at Sugar Hill at the end of the year. Great dancing and great company to be had at my favorite dance weekend.

Busynot

2009-07-08T21:19:00.002-05:00

This was one of those busynot days. It seemed very busy, but it really was not. Reena got up early to leave for her conference. I woke up, and waited for Rose to get up. She awoke late, around 9:00, and so I just was sitting spinning my wheels because she usually doesn't sleep past 8:00. Then the washing machine repairman came. He installed a new control board in the machine. I thought that maybe I could do this, and having seen it done, I certainly could have. I looked online before we called a repairman for the job. Various posts pointed to a shot control board. This part is listed at Repair Clinic at $145.80. The end cost of having a service call to do it was $280, so it doubled the expense. However, I hope it was done correctly which is more than I was sure I would do. Now, I know much more about washer architecture.

The cleaners came after that. Yay! The house is no longer swarming with dust animals (bunnies to T-rexes).

Then Diana came again to give me time to get work done. Rose slept through two of the three hours she was here. I worked on a database for recordkeeping next year, but I hit the same wall as always--designing forms and reports. I called Mike later in the evening, and he offered to help me. again, yay!

Reena and I went to Home Depot to order some kitchen cabinets to match the ones already in the kitchen. The style is discontinued in the store, but they still support it through special orders. We decided it was time to order what we wanted before they stop carrying this line altogether.

Reena dropped me at home, and I fed Rose and put her to bed.

busy day but not really.

Composter

2009-07-07T21:25:00.005-05:00

Diana came over to watch Rose for part of the day as Reena is off at a conference all week during the day. I took that time to work on putting together the composter that has sat in the hallway in its battered package for months. Here is a photojournal of the process. This composter has two chambers which allows one to complete the composting cycle while the other is being filled. There was one screw missing, so I had to go to the hardware store to get a replacement.

Today, it rained. I sat on the back poarch during Rose's morning nap and read.

Big Boom

2009-07-05T22:58:00.006-05:00

Reena had a gig at the Danvers Family Festival (originally scheduled for Friday, but due to rain held on Sunday the 5th). Her group was the last to perform before the fireworks, but there were 20 minutes of announcements and other local flavor before the lightshow began. While it was still light out, Noam held the bottle while Rose pounded milk. The Similar Jones friends and family section cheered loudly for them, but we had to sit far back because the volume at the stage was too much for Rose. She jumped into my arms when the band before Reena's got started.
Here, Rose is showing off her coordination--playing with beads around her neck while standing independently. The standing on her own is a new thing.

The fireworks were fun and amusing. The cd soundtrack started skipping, and had to be restarted a few times. There were odd pauses in the show, the explosions stopped, and people chuckled around us as everyone wondered if that was the end.

The traffic getting out was a bit crazy, but Rose zonked out. The jerk who cut the line was cancelled out by the very helpful local who gave us good directions to avoid the major traffic jam.

late night doodles

2009-07-04T21:35:00.003-05:00

I finally installed a very unstable version of the program that Tim (mentioned before) uses to create some of his work. Mine, on Windows, crashes when I try to save the image. I can copy and paste into Photoshop, so I keep the work that I do. Took a while to figure that out.

I love the patterns that the block wave filter in Showphoto creates and have enjoyed Tim's work for a while now. Now I get to play with this tool. I think I'll download the mac version which should be much more stable.

Sun, ball, friends, eats

2009-07-04T19:34:00.005-05:00

Independence Day, as all holidays, has lost its meaning. Currently, it is at best an excuse to watch fireworks, cook food, and share time with friends and family. At worst it is another excuse for nationalistic flag waving and mouth-foaming jingoism. I don't think either of these are what the many colonists envisioned when at last the war was over, but the former probably comes closer to the hopes of those many people who took a risk to overthrow their current government for whichever reasons made sense to them.

History books have handed down a neatly packaged mythology of Founding Fathers, Revolutionaries, and historic horse rides. While all of that has a place, the reality of epic change rests on the shoulders of the many rather than the few, for the many have to decide that the great risk is worth it. There will always be rhetoric, leaders, and visions, but the times and the people must move behind them for change to happen.

Right now, we have leaders, rhetoric, and vision in abundance. What we don't have is a motivated populace to make change. People, even in this recession, are still mostly complacent. When public demonstration or action is attempted, it has been corralled in approved zones and hushed up by the media. What will it take before Americans decide it is time for a change?

Until then, we are stuck with the frat boys next door having obnoxiously loud parties in the middle of a quiet, kid-filled residential neighborhood. Independence day is just another excuse to set up drinking games, pee on the fence, and yell from garage roof to patio incoherently.

This is the tail end of a drunken musical interlude from the drunken shouting.

Reena and I went to Alicia and Leslie's annual kickball and cookout. It is about friends, fun, and food, and it doesn't irritate the neighbors. Rose got to hang out with Zach(sp?) who is very close in age to her, and I enjoyed running around kicking and catching the ball. I don't get to play active games all that much, so I love the opportunity to stretch the legs and have some fun.Rose's attention is captured but soon returns to Lesley. Zach looks on. There were a range of young children as well as expectant moms. Very young family friendly event.Alicia chats and comforts her beer during a break in the action.

Suny Days

2009-07-03T21:42:00.002-05:00

Summer is possibly here, now. With months of cool, wet weather, the flowers have been gorgeous, but it has only added to my inability to get yardwork done. The main reason was a very intense end of year. I finally got to hacking up some of the major vegetation that has sprouted up (small trees, etc). I did clear out the rose bushes along the drive and they are happier for it.
All I did for the back yard was whack a path along the walk and trim the anemic rose bush back away from the walk. The yard is a jungle, and I am not ready to wade in and do battle with the creatures within.

In Sync

2009-07-02T20:26:00.004-05:00

I finally synced my phone and got a few pictures and videos off of it that I had meant to share a while ago. During the spring, lots of pollen was floating about. Some ended up in this puddle in the street making wonderful patterns.
I encountered this fabulous moth on the fence of our neighbors' house. It looked like a leaf until I got close, and then its beauty really stood out. Too bad I didn't have my camera with me; the camera in the phone just doesn't do it justice.
This was the first time I took Rose out to the park to use the walking truck there. She loved it and later went twice around the park with this toy. There are an assortment of toys at the park, and they are in various states of disrepair. The park is great, however, and has the usual swings, slides, etc. It also has a water feature that many local parks now include. Ours has three metal clouds that mist water when a button is pushed.

Hat Day

2009-07-01T15:07:00.004-05:00

Rose has taken to bringing articles of clothing to me that she wants me to put on her. Yesterday it was socks. Today it was hats. She went around with the watermelon one, the green one from Charlene, and both blue knit caps at various times.

Another thing we are very happy about is that Rose is holding her own bottle. Probably because we just held if for her, she didn't learn how to before this, but now we just plunk it down in front of her and she has to do the work.

In honor of Tim

2009-07-01T09:04:00.005-05:00

Tim has one of the nicest blogs of digital art and writing. Art from Pushing Buttons and Turning Dials is an exploration into the minimalist approach to digital art. I tend to make the overly slick fractals he rails against, but I was playing with a new plugin for Photoshop (Harry's Filters) and found this reminded me of some of Tim's work.
Further fun with filters.
And a last one. All of these from the picture of the corn flower.

Summer Packets

2009-06-30T17:49:00.003-05:00

I went to school today to complete the summer homework and information packets. Kristen and I worked together to get this last piece of the year done. I am now completely finished with this year! Rose joined me yesterday at school. You can see the mess that is my desk behind her.
On the way home, I walked through Fresh Pond and saw the land restoration project on the north side that I had not seen before. It was absolutely lovely. Lots of meadow flowers and cattails. I have no idea why I like cattails so much, but I do. Also some lovely blue-purple flowers. Corn flowers?

Memories of Bryn Mawr

2009-06-29T07:04:00.004-05:00

How do you grow a pineapple in Boston?
On my walk yesterday, I passed by the garden at Radcliffe College that has always reminded me of a special place I used to spend many hours at Bryn Mawr College. The Taft Garden is located behind the building in which I spent quite a few hours freshman year. I took an archaeology course and found some wonderful egg-shaped, sleep-inducing chairs in a reading library where I spent many hours "studying." The garden was one of the most peaceful spots on campus and the reflecting pool was especially nice in hot weather. One time a fellow student and I decided to skip class, The History of Democratic Authority, and discuss the reading on our own in this lovely spot. It was too nice a spring day to stay indoors and plow through Marx and Hegel, so instead we did so in the shade of flowering trees and serenaded by the splash of the fountain. Upon returning to Haverford, we found out that class had been cancelled.

I have heard that some Mawrters used the pool after hours for more natural interactions with the environment. At Haverford we used the locked, fenced faculty pool for illicit swimming.

The one in Radcliffe was just remodeled and looks beautiful. It is surrounded by beds of irises which are in the last stages of blooming. A lovely, stone-filled fountain graces one end, and trees and benches line the sides. It is right next to a busy road, so some noise comes in, but it is a nice spot nonetheless.
I photomerged four images to create this shot. Probably should have take pictures of the corners to really make a good merge.

Worthy of Fail Blog

2009-06-28T08:37:00.002-05:00

I was looking at our Netflix account to see if my student had returned the movie I used in class when she was absent. Odd Girl Out is a very powerful movie about peer pressure, cliques, cyber bullying and much more, and it doesn't glamorize it as many recent movies have. Anyway, it was not returned. While skimming the suggestions, I just couldn't help copying this one for your pleasure in the sense of the absurd:

Pilates Workout for Dummies

Because you enjoyed:

Grave of the Fireflies

I really don't get the connection between the two of them.

About to turn the calendar

2009-06-27T19:23:00.010-05:00

Well, the big wave has passed leaving bizarre assemblages such as boats parked on top of houses. Perhaps not a tsunami, but my life for the last few months has been a force of nature, nonetheless. I have written end-of-year progress reports, gone through a job search process ending up remaining where I am and happy about that, taken my sixth graders to New York City, and fought a pretty persistent illness all the while. I am sure there are other things in there that escape memory right now, but it has been full--full enough to force me to take a break from blogging. I am back, hopefully to the daily level if not weekly.

Here are a few videos and images from the interregnum (yes, there was no king in my head during this time)

Rose has learned how to manage food not already cut up into bite sized pieces. It helps that all four of her front teeth are there. She is currently working on independence in holding her own drinking bottle. In this video, Rose chomps on asparagus, one of her favorite foods right now.

This spring has been glorious. It is amazing how people in Boston ritually complain about there being no or a very short spring. While much of it is obscured by the cold and rainy weather that follows the interminable, and this year snow-filled, winter, spring arrives with the gradual swelling of the tree buds. It is about this time that I really begin to get excited, and the process of life erupting from that moment took months and only just ended with the heat of summer. Flowers are still blooming, and nature is happening. Spring, this year, was glorious. Roses, in particular, had a great season.

The previous owners did very little to maintain the outside property. I have yet to tackle it this spring, see above reasoning, and the result is a wild mixture of intentional and wild plants. A few stray tulips and other flowers mix in with a dense spread of wildflowers along the driveway before it is taken over by the spectacular rose bushes that I spent quite a bit of time last year taming. I especially love the blue-eyed grass.Before we left for our week vacation, the roses were just about ready to bloom. Sprays of buds promised a richness resulting from the pruning I gave them last year.
Rose decided to change up her very convenient sleeping pattern. Formerly 6 to 6 was almost a guarantee except when she was ill. However, a few nights of screaming from 6 to 9 or waking up to screams in the middle of the night convinced us that things, indeed, fall apart, and we have only just begun to see if the center has returned let alone whether or not it can hold.
In the midst of all of this, we took off for Atlantic City. We left the day after professional days were finished at both of our schools and drove to stay at Reena's dad's place by the sea. This is a 180 degree photo stitch of the view from the boardwalk nearby. Click on it for a larger version.We had fun being in and outside. Rose seemed to have the same amount of amusement from this mechanical toy in a country store located in the midst of a casino complex. It was fun to poke around Atlantic City.

We then arrived in Philly to stay with Reena's dad and visit friends and family. Reena's blog will probably highlight visits with Michael and Wendy, her grandparents, and her cousin. This trip, we made sure to create time for visits with Emily & Eliza and the Speer/Zisook household. Rose took quite easily to Emily which was wonderful. Rose has developed a case of not wanting to be held by strangers (again).Eliza showed Rose how to make sounds with a beer bottle, and she cooked us one of her wonderful meals. We had mushroom soup with yummy bread. Their new house is wonderful and smack in the middle of the neighborhood in which I lived after college. I love the atmosphere there.Rose played with Leo at Jim and Helene's house where we got another amazing meal of quiche and fixings! yummy.During dinner, Rose loved to hold hands with Leo, but he got a bit tired of it by the time I got my camera out.When we arrived home, we saw that the roses in the driveway had burst into bloom. Now, I have started my summer list, made a dent on cleaning up my office, and started to wrap my head around priorities. One of those is to stretch daily and get back in shape a bit. I sign off now to see if I can still touch my toes before I go to bed.

And back to the cradle

2009-06-03T16:08:00.002-05:00

This summer, I am visiting St. Louis for the first time in two years. Back to the cradle indeed. Home will always at least a little mean St. Louis and especially University City. I had hoped to get some All Star tickets, but they were bought up by professional ticket sellers who are reselling them at $370 minimum for standing room only tickets. A little steep for our budget. It is too bad, and I am sure there are many fans who would love to go but can't afford these crazy prices. I do have tix for some games the next weekend. That should be fun.

It will also be great to see friends and family and the places that carry a bit of my soul.

back in the cradle

2009-06-03T15:58:00.002-05:00

Yup, the receiver has been replaced, the beeping is over. The one job outside my school that caught my interest called today and told me that I was out of the running. Not the most fun call to get, but now I have direction for next year.

I don't yet have full perspective on what I got out of this process to end up where I was, but I am sure I ended up here with more than I started. Appreciation for what I have, humility, more reasons to be tired. I dunno.

I am back in the cradle.

Busy signal

2009-06-02T17:48:00.002-05:00

One of those soon-to-be anachronisms: the busy signal. I remember when someone would accidentally knock a receiver off the hook or just not put it on squarely in the cradle. That loud, penetrating noise would fill the house and people would shout to get it turned off. It was obnoxiously loud in a time and place when such beeps were not yet part of our everyday life. I also remember the ritual for cutting ourselves off from the outside world. When we wanted no disturbance, and I really can't remember why that might have been, the receiver was taken off the hook and put under a pillow until the busy signal ceased.

There might even be people reading this blog who have never encountered the busy signal. I don't even think cell phones can produce such a loud and invasive sound, but possibly that is my memory when electronic noises did not intrude as they do today. I write this post in front of my computer as it whirs and the voice of my baby carries to me over the wireless connection of the monitor. At least there are many birds outside adding to my soundscape.

Today, however, there seemed to be a busy signal running through my brain. I am waiting to hear from the jobs for which I have interviewed. Do they want me? That vulnerable thought has pulsed through my brain stealing my focus and completely distracting me from work that I need to do when Rose is down for naps and now for a night of sleep. Well, she is not down yet, but she is in her crib happily ehhing and burbling away. She'll nod off soon.

Do they want me?

So I'll eat some junk food, watch some movie, and eventually try to take notes on student work.

Do they want me?

I am not good at this part of the process. I'll try to find some mental and emotional pillow to stuff over me while the busy signal continues.

Still over my head

2009-05-26T13:21:00.003-05:00

Hey there,

It is just one of those times. They often happen at the end of the school year, but this one includes job search and infant care. I just can't get the picture taking and blogging going right now.

Cool bike stunts

Longer time no see

2009-05-17T16:21:00.004-05:00

It has been a very full and trying several weeks. With a final project and end-of-term project due in my art course, yearbook and recipe book projects coming to conclusion, NY trip planning, and regular teaching duties, I was very occupied. On top of that, the job situation for next year is shaky, so I am starting a job search very late into the hiring season for independent schools. And I got sick this last week just in time for parent conferences for which we worked hard to get student portfolios together. Like I said, lots on the plate. Too much, in fact.

Makes me want to sit and spin.

Long time no see

2009-05-04T14:51:00.005-05:00

It has been a very hectic, stressful, and intense couple of weeks. Here are the photos and videos I managed to take during that time. I hope things will return to a daily post at this point.
Rose with her birthday cake.
Cornish Pasties I made.
From my Earth Day walk.
More.
In the children's section of Greenward.

Shiney!

2009-04-21T08:32:00.001-05:00

While I work away at my various school projects and Reena is at school, Rose spends time in her old co-sleeper that she never slept in as a co-sleeper. Just one of those plans that did not come to fruition. However, it is a good playpen, but she doesn't like being in there for too long.

In art class, we did egg tempera painting. We had the option of doing some gold leaf as well, so I chose to paint a rose surrounded by gold leaf. I am not a painter by any stretch of the imagination, and I experienced that aspect of this art class that was one of the reasons I took it. I like to put myself in positions where I am a novice to really feel what it is like to be a student. I believe teachers can become very separated from the anxiety and feelings of incompetence that students feel every day in the classroom. Well, today I got that in boatloads! The paintings around me were really amazing. There are a few petals on the rose that look like petals, but on the whole it was a novice effort next to people who have trained. I still enjoyed the medium, and I lived the experience though I ducked out a bit early as my students are not allowed to do. hmm.

shake it baby!

2009-04-20T08:08:00.003-05:00

I've made some new shakers for Rose. This one has rice in it. Another has small bolts. I see more down the road with different substances.

Magnificent Magnolias and Visitors from the past!

2009-04-19T08:02:00.002-05:00

The magnolias have arrived in full form. Gentle shading from purple to white and the faintest of fragrances have appeared all over town. I love these blossoms, though usually my preference in flowers tends toward the smaller ones. I took this photo on a walk with Rose as we passed the church that houses both Kesher and the music class we attend with Rose.
Sarah visited today, the day before her participation in the Boston Marathon. Sarah and I grew up on the same street, and we spent a vast majority of our time together as kids. After St. Louis, we both went different ways, but we have kept in touch. It was wonderful to see her face to face and chat. It nurtures a part of me that goes untended for long stretches.

Longest Break

2009-04-18T09:45:00.004-05:00

I have taken my longest break from blogging on the eve of potentially the longest break in which I am able to be healthy and home this year (knock on wood). Last break was supposed to be a time when I could catch up on school work and get some things done around the house. The fairly unpleasant stomach virus that hit us all ensured that did not happen. I am hopeful for better results this week.

On my walk to school on Monday, I came across this section of the cemetery that was covered with bluebells. It was a very beautiful palette of purple and green contrasting the whites and grays of the stone monuments.

Tuesday, I was home with Rose. She found this starfish toy and enjoyed crawling around with the orange ball in its center stuffed in her mouth.

On Wednesday, I went to school, and a local eatery, Matilda's, had my favorite sandwich as its weekly special. Folks from my school call up and order it regularly.

No best way home

2009-04-12T22:13:00.007-05:00

The Philly skyline from the car as Reena drove me to the train station where she was picking up Lisa who will be here tomorrow with Reena.
Philly has upgraded its train stations since my college days. There are clear signs that let you know when trains are arriving and on what platform. It is a wonderful modern addition to the very elegant 30th Street Station.
I love the sea coast from the train window. The sun was setting and painting the salt flats that run out to the sea with a golden color. The dried grasses picked up this pallette and reflected it back with subtle variations in hue.

Travel between Boston and Philly happens one of three ways: by car, by train, or by plane. There are bits at the end that can be by regional rail, subway, or taxi. The most comfortable but longest is the train. I like this method except for the very long time it takes to get back. Going to Philly, for some reason, is shorter. No security lines, easy access from home and from Elkins Park, comfortable seats, a quiet car, a snack car, and human sized toilets all contribute to the comfort of this mode. However, it took me from 2:00 P.M to about 10:30 P.M. to travel door to door today. Faster and still with some of the convenience of the train is auto travel. No bathrooms, and getting up to walk around stops the forward progress. Also, there is the stress of the driving itself, and there can be really bad traffic especially around New York. The most stressful for me, but also the fastest is plane. I hate airport security, and I get wigged out about getting to the plane on time. There are more restrictions on what you can take both in content and in quantity. Before I left Philly, I took Rose on a walk to look at the spring flowers that have arrived there ahead of Boston.

In the Pen

2009-04-11T22:10:00.000-05:00

Reena's family home in Philly has become childproof by the act of putting up a play pen in the living room. Rose loves to lick the walls to feel the texture of the holes. She also avidly climbed stairs here as well.

forsythia

2009-04-10T22:07:00.000-05:00

The first forsythia of the spring always makes me happy. The one in front of our house blooms late because it does not get much sun. I trimmed part of it last year to try to get more flowers. We'll se how that worked soon.

wiki and water

2009-04-09T22:23:00.002-05:00

This evening, I went to UMASS Boston and taught a lesson on using a wiki in the classroom to a group of graduate level teachers. I love the location on the bay with tidal flats exposed at low tide, seagulls swooping about, and water moving in the way that mesmerizes me. It brought calm to me. One thing it helped moderate was the missing iPod that disappeared from my desk.
This is a view of the campus center from the bay and through the trees.
There were some sycamore trees with the lovely patched bark that is typical of the tree. I took some photos and admired them as I ate dinner.
Somebody said,

busy busy in a quiet house

2009-04-08T17:54:00.002-05:00

Today I showed my class Odd Girl Out, a movie about cliques and friendship issues, as part of our ongoing health curriculum. The students took it well and really delved into the discussion. Tonight I am working on preparing the lesson I will teach tomorrow at UMASS about how to use Internet resources to create collaborative spaces for students. I am feeling better about this lesson that I have presented before. My prep this time feels right. I'll know tomorrow.

Tuesday is Art Day

2009-04-07T20:35:00.002-05:00

Tuesday night is art class night, so I am back from art class. The group presenting today was mixed media. There were three stations featuring wax painting, paper mache, and batique. All three projects were very classroom friendly, and I hope to get at least one of them in the room this year. All three definitely next year.

This is a picture of the wax melting apparatus for the wax painting. Paraffin wax was melted in the foil container, and crayons were melted on the hot plate surface. We used mini canvases to play with the technique. Lots of fun and bright colors. The paraffin in the tray slowly got colored and repeated dipping of the canvas gave the work a translucent coating on top.
Here are my three wax paintings and my batique. The resist for the batique was school glue gel which washes out with soapy water. It was very easy, and the results were quite nice.
Our final project of the evening was a construction with any or all of the techniques presented. This is a structure created from cutting and folding a piece of stiff cardstock. I then encased it in plaster of paris bandages, covered that with tissue paper, and attached some string. The base of the board is covered with paper pulp.

Inspired by Tim

2009-04-05T22:36:00.002-05:00

As always, I was inspired when reading Art from Pushing Buttons and Turning Dials. Of the many things I could spend a lot more time playing with, fractals and other digital art call to me. This is a five minute exploration of the piece he wrote.

Flowers and a beautiful day

2009-04-05T18:55:00.003-05:00

On my way to the Haverford accepted students gathering, I saw an abundance of daffodils. They must have been blooming for days, but these were the first ones I saw this season. I really love the small ones with trumpets of a different shade from the main petals.
Leaf buds are in full blossom. I am sure the pollen will get to me, but they are beautiful. I love these deep red ones that are sanguine drops of life clustered on the branches.
Usually, the photos import oriented correctly. In this case, the mis-orientation leads to a visual illusion. This is a picture of shadows on the sidewalk that looks like a wall because of the orientation.

Another Saturday Night

2009-04-04T18:52:00.001-05:00

The Atrium Annual Auction took place tonight. The hallways were transformed with food, wine, and tables of neat things to bid on. I loved that there were many inexpensive items which allowed more people to feel that they could participate. I don't think I won anything I bid on, but it was fun to get away for a night while Reena was out of town singing. Anna stopped by and looked after Rose, and we got to hang out after the auction. What a good evening.

Day of cooking

2009-04-03T08:29:00.005-05:00

Today, I went shopping with Rose and put her in the cart seat for the first time. Besides the desire to chew on the metal bar in front of her, she really enjoyed the new perspective. We got basic supplies and ingredients for dinner: chick peas, broccoli, pasta, anchovies, and fresh Parmesan. The resulting dish, though a little too garlicy, was very tasty.The result of lots of cooking was dishes piled high
Rose picked up the covering her face and hiding and then throwing her hands out and laughing from a couple of my students. She thinks it is one of the most hilarious games.

babe at school

2009-04-02T09:05:00.001-05:00

My photo for this is on another computer. I'll try to upload it later.

Rose was dropped off at around 2:00 which made the end of the day routine hard to manage. She captivated the attention of the students to the exclusion of what they were supposed to do. If she was there during school hours more regularly, I don't think she would be so disruptive, but who knows.

long day

2009-04-01T09:02:00.002-05:00

Today was one of those long days. Started at 7 something at school and ended past 9 at Brandeis. Once a month, I work with a group of new teachers, some not so new anymore, at Brandeis as part of a teacher induction program. It is a great place to do some professional work outside of the classroom.

Other than that, the kids were very energetic and talkative during the day. I was ready to sleep when I got home.

Boxes and Critters

2009-03-31T20:25:00.002-05:00

This was art class night. We had some demos and then worked on a found object critter.
This is a box made from pieces of chip board. Not carefully constructed, but done quickly to get the idea.
This foam and string sculpture was also quick and to get the idea of possibilities with this medium. I like the curvy nature of the bound foam.
We also got to play with clay. This box was made from slabs which I rolled with two different textures.
My creature is constructed from dryer vent hose, boards from a hard drive and from some other electronic component, pieces of a broken kid's toy, and cut off corks. It is very centipede-like.

Auction around the corner

2009-03-30T10:10:00.003-05:00

The Atrium Auction is next weekend. My class created the four glass plates, and I donated this fractal print. It is always neat to see how they look when printed and framed. This one is called Venus Flytrap.

Pottery

2009-03-29T10:05:00.000-05:00

Evelyn Ortiz, a potter from the Southwest, visited Atrium on Sunday and will be in school Monday and Tuesday for the students. Rose and I stopped by to see those folks who wanted to experience more on a Sunday afternoon.

Teeth

2009-03-28T10:03:00.000-05:00

Rose has been fussing at night recently. She may be teething or growing or something we just can't fathom. However, she seems to endorse Crest toothpaste!

The Route

2009-03-27T08:40:00.003-05:00

Here is a map of the route I take to go to school. Since Google Maps couldn't follow the path correctly because it is missing all the foot paths on its walking feature, I had to use an image editor to fill in the path as best as I could.