It's cold again. Very. And I can't help but think of those who are living rough, who are unhoused or are "couch surfing" from patient friend to patient friend. Most of us are just a paycheck or two away from making those same hard choices. The overnight shelter in Littleton is open, and there is a giving tree at the Coop with needs tags for them. There is an ongoing collection for basic necessities to benefit those who are having a rough time. There are several "little free pantry" sites. But it's not enough, and the need is growing. When I hear from certain pundits that prices are down all over, that gas is about 2.00 a gallon, that an extra dollar or two won't break anyone... I get steamed. Seriously angry. How dare they spout such fallacies? I've read "so what if beef is a dollar or two more a pound" too many times lately. When hamburger is a luxury item, there is something radically wrong. Health care costs are already spiking, ...
Mid-40s and rainy/windy start to the day. It's messy, to be sure. Today, I'll be shuttling Holly here and there, and in the interim, I hope to get my gift-wrapping done. And probably some house chores. The kids at school have a sub, and I'm told he's a good one, so I'm not going to worry. So, good stuff: when a student admits to having actually cried at the death of a character in Hard Times (Dickens!)-- others were outraged at his death. They are appropriately irritated with other characters, too. Just goes to show, Dickens is still relevant. Maybe even more-so these days, given the wealth and power inequities that are all around us. The lack of agency for the common worker. The lack of safety measures, clean air, water, the insufficiency of the mandated educational model... yeah, read it, if you haven't. It's not very long, but it packs a wallop. Dickens railed on and on about these issues in just about every one of his books. Change came, eventually. ...
Woke up to 8 degrees. And snow. And dark. It's flat out wintery. I'm still clinging to the hope that we'll be able to go to the Nutcracker, but Old Man Winter and Momma Nature are being cranky. It's not until Wednesday, so maybe? I hope so. Either way, I think I'll keep the personal day I have scheduled-- I could use a day to get some holiday stuff and probably laundry done. What are we doing today, on this cold and dreary-ish Monday? Work. My juniors in AP Lang are working their way (happily!) through Braiding Sweetgrass , and I think we are scheduled to do another practice essay on the College Board website. The Brit Lit kids are reading Dickens' Hard Times ; I hope they see the connections, especially with the character of Bounderby. It's kind of hard to miss. Other than that, it's a matter of survival until the break-- I'm in sore need of some quiet time. On the fun side of things, we went to the bookstore to hear Santa read The Polar Express ...
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