Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

Good morning! This week should be a less busy one (sort of?), but I already have a to-do list growing for today. But first, a little something to share with you: a review of What to Keep ! I am floored by the kind attention this reviewer paid to my little book!  MicroLit Almanac is a lovely publication, and I have nothing but huge respect for the editors. I love writing book reviews for them, but this is my very first time sitting on the other side of the desk, so to speak.  That said, I have one I am late getting written, and two more books waiting for me on my desk. I will be writing like crazy to get at least one done by the end of this week.  Take care, C

"Who do you say I am?" This is the question Jesus pressed Peter (who was still Simon at that point) to answer ( Matthew 16 ). And this is the central question that our new associate pastor, Fr. Rory Traynor, focused on as well in today's homily. It's not enough to give the "safe answers," such as "they say you are..."-- we need no apologia if we are convinced about who Jesus is to us personally.  It's a lot to ponder; it's not nearly enough to just parrot what we learned in CCD or Sunday School. It's not enough to quote Scripture. It's a question that we need to grapple with, over and over again, to find out what we truly believe. Not just reciting the Apostle's Creed or any other credo; what do we know to be true? That goes deep, doesn't it? And yes, we have seasons of doubt. And yes, we sometimes have to just cling to the words until we get our footing again. And yes, we will be tested, over and over and over again. We ca...

  We live in a toxic performative culture, one where the optics matter more than the substance. This holds true in everything from overtly cheering at a little league game (sports mom vibe) to the President of the USA. People spend thousands --millions-- on things like weddings (Bezos in Venice), grand pomp and circumstance graduations, funerals... where all the outer trappings are in place, but the meaning is all but eliminated. Shouting and chair throwing on talk shows, "reality" television, yelling over one another to cause a scene (in person or recorded), shock jocks on radio or podcast-- everything is brazen, boisterous, and hollow.  Not that I'm against a tasteful, well-decorated wedding, or a lovely video of a boat ride that shows seals on the beach. Those are things that help us remember the details of life events. But selfie culture is unhealthy, and not everything must be photographed, recorded, or digitally altered to be consumable by people you don't even ...

It's Saturday, and once again, rain is in the forecast. I'm actually pretty surprised it's not full-on raining yet, but the weather does what it wants. I'm not mad about it; the garden could use a day of rain (not monsoon, but a gentle, steady rain would be fine). The organizers of the Independence Day events moved the whole thing to tomorrow, so let's hope the day is a good one then. I kind of want to go: food trucks, pony rides, etc. could be a nice break from all the chaos in the news. Today, I will do all the things I didn't and haven't gotten to this week. I need to do some baking, and a cooler/damp day is just what I need. I have laundry to fold, bathrooms to clean-- the usual drill. I spent yesterday afternoon with Holly, so I shoved all the house stuff to today. Not a bad trade-off at all, because we had a really nice time.  But I'm also looking forward to a slower day today. If I get all my chores done by noon, maybe I'll sit and read for a ...

It's quite chilly (48 degrees), which is a real whiplash change from the 100 we had on Tuesday. That said, I'm also exhausted-- busy week, much busier than I thought I'd be, and I'm kind of grateful for a day that will be punctuated by huswifery: I already made a ham/cheese quiche, and I have laundry and groceries to get to. But not a lot more than that. Physical therapy, and the attendant "homework," have me a little sore. The various events all week have been great, but I am feeling the results of not being home, or being ruled by the clock.  But not today.  Yesterday was super fun, even if I never actually landed back home until almost 8:30 last night. Holly and I went to a story/craft hour at the Coop in the morning, then I scooted off to the radio station to do the interview (that was loads of fun, for real--I'd do it again anytime), I stayed and chatted with Nate (the interviewer/former student/guy who runs the station), then hustled home for a very ...

Much cooler day today-- I don't mind a little break in the heat. Yesterday was pretty nice, though-- great weather, and the pool water was ideal. You know, when you can't tell where your body ends and the water begins... it was perfect. We had a delightful visit/lunch with old friends yesterday, and it was really great to catch up a bit. I always wish the visits were longer. Maybe someday! If anything "good" has come out of our national crisis, it's the realization that we are on borrowed time, always, and we have to connect in person with the people we cherish.  And we have to do the things we cherish. Tonight, I'll be at the Abbie Greenleaf library in Franconia, listening to this year's poet in residence at the Frost Place, Nathan Xavier Osorio , read from his work. I don't know him, and I've only read a couple of his poems online, so this will be awesome. Likely, I'll be coming home with a book. I usually do.  That said, I've spent a lot...

Well, yesterday was not a pool day. I, who love the summer heat, could not stand being outside for long stretches. One hundred in the sun, humid... yeah, headache and queasy feeling as a result. I'm glad for the A/C. Today, however, is supposed to be mid-80s, so maybe we'll get our daily dunking in. And we have friends coming for lunch! I treasure old friendships so much. One reason I even stay on Facebook is so I can keep up with who and what is going on with friends. But first, I have my second PT session-- yay! I'm really hoping that insurance covers all of this, but I need to be able to walk without tipping over, so I'm committed to getting some mobility back. The "homework" is not hard, but my knee sure feels it.  And the radio interview is rescheduled! Thursday at noon, I'll be chatting with Nate on NCCR , and we'll see where that conversation goes. It ought to be pretty freewheeling, at any rate. I'm looking forward to it.  Before that, ther...

It's a strange dichotomy: the wider world is engulfed in chaos and hurtful, dangerous conflict. But my own tiny sphere is pretty peaceful at the moment. I'm fighting feeling guilty for enjoying things; I suspect I'm not the only one who feels this way. That said, the last two days were really wonderful and restorative, and I want to keep that feeling going.  The weather is just what I like-- yes, others do not, and heat issues are a real problem for those with health issues-- but for me, I love a stretch of hot, humid, rose-scented weather. The pool beckons, even this early in the morning (not yet 8am)-- it's already 75 degrees out! I have very few plans for the day that require any strenuous activity, and I know I'll be in the pool at least one time today (though it might come out to more). The danger is sun exposure; it's funny, but when I was a kid, I could be outside all day and not get burned. Now, an hour, and even with sunscreen, it gets a bit toasty. Tha...

Today is my birthday, and I'm giving myself a gift of time. I'm also hoping to be giving myself a gift of healing, too. I have an appointment with physical therapy to see if there's anything I can do to heal/strengthen my knee/ankle/foot issues. Mobility is important to me, and I need to do something about my lack thereof. Not surgery-- not yet, anyhow. But something.  The afternoon is more fun: Meg and I are going for mani-pedis. Then pool time. And Holly and I are going to make pizzas for dinner. We had a bit of a family party last night-- first Holly came over to go in the pool, then we put an assortment of my favorite things on the grill for dinner and finished it off with lovely strawberry shortcake (with Meg's home-made whipped cream!)-- perfect meal.  Actually, yesterday started pretty well. G and I went to Polly's for an impromptu breakfast, and I got to reconnect with a former student who is a gifted young writer. That was lovely! Then, the rain ended and w...

Well, it seems that we have entered into another conflict.  All on top of domestic unrest, economic uncertainty, climate emergencies, rampant diseases that are preventable with common sense and vaccines, the reintroduction of asbestos, unregulated coal emissions... and a forcibly de-literated (is that a word?) populace due to willful ignorance, censorship, and the unchecked use of AI. Pray for us. I don't have any idea where we'll land on all of this, and to speak out is dangerous enough: "my credit now stands on such slippery ground" (Julius Caesar, Act III, sc. 1). C

Sunny and crisp morning-- the day promises to be a lot more pleasant than yesterday's weather. I sure hope so. And I hope the pool water retained some of the accrued warmth. We'll see. First, though, I have to get groceries and so on. Ah, Saturday. My journeys yesterday landed me at The Frost Place, and while there are changes up there from my many years of being a docent, much is the same. Some landscaping has occurred, pruning of shrubs and removal (sad) of the rose bush by the porch. I didn't go inside the house; that can wait. I was there to talk to the director who is also serving as a docent (arts budgets are tight all over), and I put five copies of my chapbook up in the Barn for sale. It's neat and tidy, and the video is the same... but clearly, it's not set up for in-person readings or conferences. Those are not on the schedule yet again this year, with the exception of Frost Day, and in September, there's a poet running a workshop on a weekend.  I miss...

Funniest thing, the dude who runs the NCCR project is a former student. And, true to form, I prepared for the interview, chose poems, got clean/presentable clothes on (and it was 91 degrees), and ... no one at the station. Lights off, even.  He called an hour after our set time (I had gone home)-- he's lost his planner. Like, nothing changes, eh? (Where's your homework?) We'll reschedule sometime along. No rush. That said, it was truly sticky and summery and yeah, I was happy to change back into old baggy shorts and a tank top that should not be seen in public. At least I was able to hit up the Coop for bananas.  G put the air conditioners in-- I love fresh air, I love the bird song, but it's flat-out oven-like upstairs. I'll turn it off when we don't need it.  And this morning, after a night of rain (and maybe a little thunder? we didn't get it bad at all), the world is washed clean, and it's damp and cool. I have a couple of appointments, and I need to...

Today feels like summer weather. It's foggy, humid, and the forecast is for thunderstorms later on. But there's fairy laundry on the lawn-- that is a pretty solid indication that there is good weather in store. So, we'll have to see. I'm on the side of the tiny denizens of the grass and flower world.  I don't have a huge agenda for today; I've already done the small trashes around the house for pickup tomorrow. I will sweep and tidy the floors (why is there so much sand and grass tracked in? ugh). And I have a scheduled interview with Nate at   North Country Community Radio this afternoon. How strange, but how much fun! The dumpster project and cleaning out the green cabinet/shed went super fast yesterday, so that's off the to-do list. Holly had a great first day at her PreK summer camp, and she is excited to go again tomorrow.  Other than that, I'm likely to wander around, read a little, and see what comes up. I'm feeling rudderless, so maybe I...

Damp and drizzly start to the day-- I hope it warms up/ clears up soon. The dumpster arrives in about an hour.  Today's Holly's first day of PreK summer camp-- she is so excited. She'll love having other kids to play with and things to do. I can't wait to hear about it all! I am getting a very late start to my day. I slept 8 hours. Shortly, I will trundle off to the shower, then get breakfast. I'm not lazy, I'm working through mental and physical exhaustion. I need to remind myself of that. In three weeks, I'll be at the AP Summer Institute, and cooped up for an entire week of nerdiness that may or may not be something I need or desire. We shall see. Likely, it'll be the first nice weather week, right?  I'm not really resistant to the conference; I asked to go, and I know it will be useful. But a large part of my asking to go is to be "the one" who actually went to get trained (others on our staff have not, nor will they). Why do I always h...

Well, today is the day I schedule both a dumpster and (I hope) some physical therapy for my stupid feet/ankles/knee. And we likely are going to buy a new gas grill --ours is kaput.  Expensive day ahead. That said, all things that need doing, so-- it's summer, and this is what teachers do on "vacation"-- right? I will find a minute to plant my new red geranium, too. That's called balance. The rest of the week is starting to fill up with "stuff"-- online poetry reading, interview on the radio, bringing some of my little books to the Frost Place to sell in the barn, and maybe going to the movies. All of that is, of course, punctuated by "must do" stuff--  So, I'd best get doing! C

The pool is up and filled. Now, we wait for a few days (I hope only a few) for the water to warm up to a safe temperature. The nights are still darn chilly, so it'll likely be a few days, at the least. But it's up. That's a symbol of hope.  I'm officially not showered or have I had breakfast, and it's after 8am. That means a lot; summer break time! I have bathroom cleaning and weed killing (using vinegar) on the docket. Both can wait a bit. I have, quite literally, all day.  That rings nicely in my ear.  Meg and I may take Holly to the park to play later on; that will (I hope) keep her from agitating to get in the pool. She spent the better part of the afternoon yesterday running in circles in the spray from the sprinkler. She is a funny kid-- does not like to be too hot, doesn't mind cold water. That said I mind it, and since it's likely me that will get in the pool with her most often, that water better be closer to bath water temps.  But I digress-- Fathe...

I've been thinking about my dad a lot lately. Mourning him is an ongoing thing; it's not even that it comes in waves, it's more that the stuff I know he'd like, or the issues I know he'd be wildly angry about, that trigger a short bout of melancholy. I know for a fact he would have wanted to be a part of the protests; he raised me to give a damn about things like this, and I feel like I can't quite measure up to the expectations, to the ongoing task at hand, in a lot of ways. I know, I do what I can-- but still, my voice is not loud enough to be heard, most of the time, anyhow. But I'll keep hollering in my own way. That said, I hear some folk songs, protest songs, and I hear him singing, too. My dad played every string instrument you can imagine, and he'd met and seen a good many amazing musicians in his time. I hear Dylan or Baez, or Peter, Paul, and Mary, and I'm catapulted back to my childhood, learning about what matters, what is worth getting r...

Well, that's the end of my 37th year of teaching. I went in yesterday and puttered about, then attended the staff meeting. There are a lot of changes and so on, mostly good ones, coming. Finishing the (seemingly never-ending) roof project, Boys and Girls Club is renting out space in our building for the summer (a little unexpected bit of income--yay!), and some new things on the horizon regarding staff. We have need of paras, no surprise there. And some folks, mostly ancillary staff, have gone on to other things. We've already hired new people for the music department, the other English teacher (current "new" one is moving along to an alt school in Vermont), working on a high school special ed teacher position-- other folks are shifting positions in-house, too. The big news: We are looking for a new asst. principal.  If you know, you know. =) The party at IFB was fairly subdued; not that many people attended from the high school, and the admins were not there, either....

Last day.  I got a little sunburned yesterday (pinkish, not omg burn)-- it felt so good to be outside. Then my boss told me not to even go in today, but I will-- it would not look good to not be there for the final staff meeting (he says, five min. meeting), and then go to the gathering at 3pm. So, I'll go in, tidy a few things more, and shut down my work computer for the summer.  I'm usually quite excited about this part, but I feel a strange melancholy. Maybe it's because work is one of the maybe two or three constants I can depend on in this turbulent time. But summer is going to be good for me, I think. Yes, I have that AP conference, but it could be interesting. The organizer seems nice (through email, anyhow), and I will be much more confident about teaching those classes as a result of training. And I have the poetry seminar online to look forward to! And I hope I can work on things that I've put off; there are some cleaning/reorganizing projects. And I want to p...

Good morning, dear readers! Today is "field day" at my school-- shenanigans at the community field, and early dismissal at noon. The middle school student council raised money all year to feed us all as well-- something or other on the grill, I guess. It's a nice gesture. And there's going to be a food truck selling customized ice cream floats. Sugar-tastic! Now, if the weather would not be so darn iffy that would be good. We have a couple of hours, so maybe the sun will break through this early morning overcast. I sure hope so.  Then, tomorrow is IT. Tidying up, a staff meeting, then out out out.  This is a good thing. I am looking at my garden, the weeds and the trimming, the fact that I have not even finished putting out deck furniture... granted, it's rained almost nonstop for a month, but yeah--time to shift to summer mode.  I'm hopeful we can put the pool up this weekend. I have no illusions of getting in it just yet, but the longer range forecast for ne...

Poetry news! Yesterday was a pretty good poetry day for me. First, I got a lovely blurb from my poet-friend Sarah Audsley for my next book (coming out in May of 2026). I got a nice one the other day from my poet-friend Meg Kearney , too. I am blessed with super friends! Then, I got a poem acceptance from a regional journal. Then, I got to spend over an hour last evening with two poetry friends, and we laughed and talked about poems, and it was just the thing my heart needed. To top all that off, I got a message from the person who runs the NCCR (North Country Community Radio) , and he wants to do an hour chat next week, live and on the air! O my! He's a former student from way back when and he heard me read a few poems at the open mic at the Coop-- this is going to be a riot, really. I expect a wandering conversation that will include some q/a, some poems, and likely we'll slide into unexpected territory about who knows what. I love those types of conversations. So, next Thursd...

Here is my late, late post for today! Family first-- Meg came over early to hang out/have coffee before I went to work, so the computer was not a priority. It was super nice to start the day that way!  Work was okay-- okay, a little dull, because it's the end of the year, I have two students total, and not a lot of cleaning/paperwork left to do. I will finalize grades tomorrow (mainly because if I did it today, I'd have nothing to do tomorrow). I wrote out my purchase order today. I don't have a huge budget to spend, so it took little time. I already had the numbers and so on researched, so it was a transcription thing. I was a little disappointed that one of the books I wanted to get was no longer available, but I found a decent replacement for a lot cheaper, so--win?!  And my two students chose to watch Twelve Angry Men to end the semester, which is a very good choice, I think. We'll finish it tomorrow and have a chat about the play/film. Speaking of tomorrow, my bos...

Graduation went well, and it was just under an hour-- not bad. I didn't do any gardening when I got home-- I'll do it today. Instead, I did laundry.  We went to the diner for dinner, too-- a nice change of pace. And I watched most of the Tony awards-- it was a welcome distraction. Note: I'm not commenting on the LA protests. Note: I have no civil words about that. Note: I'm constantly worried and scared about this shift in our country. I hope you have a good day, C

This afternoon is Lisbon's graduation ceremony. I'm actually attending this year, and I hope it goes without a hitch. There's already one small issue, but no one else is likely to notice. Their class quote is attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but it is not his words-- and I let their advisers know this. However, the banner was already at the printer's, so-- yeah. All those months and years of "check your sources" comes down to a quick Google search by a few and they didn't do their due diligence. O well. Likely, I will be the only person who is annoyed by the fact that they didn't verify it. I only reviewed one of the speeches-- not the valedictory or salutatory-- so I have no idea what we are in for. They will be fine, if not memorable, as these things go. The one I did see, I helped with a little, and it will be short and to the point (it's the "thanks for coming" one). I don't know what songs they chose, but I assume they will be typi...

Warm, damp start to the day. I don't mind, really, not at the moment. The garden looks pretty, and I have new plants to put in probably tomorrow, but maybe later today. I am ready to take a day slowly. Getting seniors across the finish line was not too bad this year, and awards went well yesterday-- the rubber ducks I gave out for "having their ducks in a row" went well, too-- it was fun and lighthearted, and the recipients all liked their ducks.  We went out to dinner last night; tried to go to IFB, but they had a private party that booked the entire barn area where the music was to be (not nice for the rest of the patrons), and it was too darn hot to fuss with sitting upstairs (no fan, no a/c, no open windows). So, we regrouped and went to the Freehouse, which turned out well. The salmon I had was lovely.  Home before 7-- we are old?-- but then I got to watch most of the college softball final game (fell asleep, missed the ending). Like I said, old?  Yeah, but mostly ti...

Drizzly and warm morning, with thunderstorms in the forecast for later. Boy, did I play my hand wrong! The storms were supposed to be yesterday, so I chose not to work in the garden boxes. Ah well. Sunday looks okay, and I will have some time either before or after graduation at 2pm.  Seniors are all done! Well, almost: I have one who has been out sick all week, and we have to finish up her finals. There's always something. That said, I'll have time today during what would have been their class time to read and assess their final papers. Get 'er done, eh?  Awards are this afternoon, too, and I have a fun little chat to go with the academic honors I'll be handing out. I got them rubber ducks. More on that later.  That all said, I have to get to work a little earlier because of all this, so this note is a short one.  I hope you have a good day, C

  ...and just like that, the local high school softball season is over. Both Littleton and Lisbon girls were defeated in the first round of playoffs. And there's no summer ball for that age group-- yet.  Some of my very fondest memories are rooted in summer softball. Meg started playing softball when she was nine years old; there was no "all stars" for her 10U age bracket, and she was too young and inexperienced to play 12U post-season. But after that year, things were a little different. She took to softball like a duck to water, and there was no looking back. When she was twelve, she was playing middle school ball, 12U ball, and practicing "up" with the older teams as well. She ended up playing with them, and showed that she really did have drive and talent. Summers were tracked by the softball schedule, including playing in Montreal a couple of summers. It was heartbreaking when we were just one player short of an 18U team-- you never know when the last summe...

Well, today is the first half of the final exams for my seniors. I don't give a "traditional" exam-- instead, they have two tasks to accomplish. Today, they will be presenting in a round-table discussion. I assign each a modern poet (one that I think they'll like), and they need to talk about the poet and then share one poem with the whole class and discuss it. This way, we can cruise through many more poets than I would be able to in the short time we have left, and they get to explore one I have chosen for them, with their interests in mind. The other half of their final is actually started the first week of the semester. They have written five personal narratives that are reflections on things we've read, and how those things connect with their own experiences and aspirations. Then, there's a sixth section which serves as an opportunity to think and write about the "big picture"-- what have they to say about the literature and what we've talke...

Cold again this morning-- just missed a frost again. And it wasn't supposed to get that cold. Not a great thing-- we sure could use a true warm-up. The days are nice, though. I went to the middle school softball game yesterday afternoon, and the weather was lovely, the girls (Meg's team) won by a huge margin (OK, 18-1), and it was really nice to ignore chores for a few hours. Today, I have to stay at work late for a meeting. Tomorrow, car appointment. I will sneak in some sunshine hours one way or another, though. I am currently reading Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass . Yes, I know I'm a little late to the party on that one, and many of my friends have already read it. We got a small set of them for school this year, and I grabbed one to read. I suspect that the students who were supposed to read it (not in my classes) did not; the books are pristine. That said, it is on my AP Language and Comp syllabus to be read in its entirety. Somehow, while I'm readin...

Okay, I have refrained from ranting on the subject of the deeply flawed HHS "MAHA" report, but I am entirely steamed by the bullmalarky "excuses" that there were "formatting errors," and that the anomalies (read: made up sources) did not change the substance of the report. Seven fictional sources. Most of them having to do with children's health.  O FFS. First, fictional sources would get the paper and the writer a/ a failing grade anywhere in high school class, b/ possible dismissal of a writer in college, c/ fired from any regular job, and d/ ineligible to run for/keep public office in times past. Fraud is fraud. Lies are lies. And to use actual scientist's/researchers' names and tag them with fake studies and papers is to undercut their professional standing as well. Muck-slinging. And everyone and everything it touches plain ol' stinks as a result. And the report is filled with bad "science" and debunked cracker-assed theories...

UP, and it's a grey and damp start to the day. It's Sunday, and I have a few things I want to accomplish, but gee whiz, Mother Nature, can we have a dry day? Less wet, maybe? That said, if I can't get things done outside, then I've got a list of indoor stuff, so-- I'll be busy doing something or other. Why do I always feel like I have to be busy? Parent tapes--my mother-- run deep. What I really want to do is sit and read, gaze out the window, and maybe even doze off in the afternoon. But I digress. At least I don't have papers to grade today-- the end of the week, I sure will, though. Seniors are all done on Thursday, academic awards are on Friday afternoon, and graduation is next Sunday afternoon. I will have their final papers to do, so I'll be busy. Luckily, none of them are failing, so getting the papers done by Sunday is not necessary. Thank goodness-- there have been a couple of years when it was quite literally last minute.  I'll be losing one of...