San Diego and Back

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

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

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

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

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

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

scruff

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

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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.