Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

It's warmer still this morning; it's zero. I guess we can call that a warming trend, right? Expected highs today will be mid-teens, but it might surprise us yet. At any rate, I don't have to rush out the door this morning, and for that, I am grateful. It feels like I've been rushing hither and thither all week, and I'm intentionally taking this morning to slow things down. I don't have a huge to-do list, and my papers are already graded. So, after a leisurely morning (during which I will fold only two loads of laundry), I will take a shower, then go to the grocery/do errands later on today. Let the sun come up. Let it try to push the temps a little higher. Let the early morning slide into day.  I think the work week went okay; the kids enjoyed writing in form this week in creative writing. We all enjoyed listening to Padraig O'Tuama read and discuss a poem by Armen Davoudian . Yes, if you don't follow the Poetry Unbound podcast that is part of On Being, ...

So damned cold. I'm getting tired of it. The steering wheel of my car is just insulting.  That all said, it's Friday. We have an "activity day" (well, half day) at work: classes in the morning, then watching movies in the afternoon. The kids picked the movies (one per grade) as part of the upcoming winter carnival; they are to watch the film, then plan how to remake the trailer as part of the competitions. It's an interesting idea. The Sophomores, for whom I am an advisor, chose Men in Black. Great...we can all be aliens in human disguise for the dress day. Neat. So, I'll be off to work shortly, to work with kids on a/ poem drafts (would you believe they liked writing pantoums?) or b/ literary analysis papers--today's fun: the thesis statement that identifies the complexity in the story. Woot. Have a super day, stay warm, and we'll catch you later. Hugs all around, C

Hey, it's warmer-- just seven below zero today.  Sarcasm for days.  Yesterday in APLit, we read Jack London's "To Build a Fire"-- seemed appropriate. We had a conversation about how setting can become a character. I made the connection between that idea and the second half of the Patriots/Broncos game-- the snow and wind became more than just the physical setting. It became a force of its own, something that took on a life, could have been personified. And so it is in London's short story.  I don't feel bad at all for pushing these kids into a new zone of understanding when it comes to reading fiction -- or anything at all, for that matter. Close reading and deep analysis has gone by the wayside in our contemporary times, and I truly believe that it is a skill that can save lives, whether literally or figuratively. Wait'll they get a load of how we need to really take a hard look at the narrator of a story! They are so used to just dismissing the narrator ...

A quick post today, because a/ I'm running a bit behind and I have to leave time for my poor car to warm up in ten below zero temperatures, and b/ I've got nothing new to say, really.  The news cycle grinds along, leaving dry crumbs of expectations and hopes in its wake.  I have to plan out a book pre-sale full-court press. This is the second time I'm trying to birth a book in times of crisis. I'm starting to feel like one of the Lost Generation, churning out words, but in exile. Except, I'm obviously here, but where did the country go? I wonder if that's how they felt. Or if they generally just wanted to live on the cheap in Europe while shit hit the fan everywhere.  I can't go to Europe.  OK, enough of that line of thinking. Have a good day, friends. Keep your loved ones in your orbit.  C

Two hour delay-- I'll take it. Would I have liked another snow day? Sure. But then they do start stacking up in the spring, don't they? I'll have a slower cup of coffee this morning, and I will leave for work a little before 9:00, instead of 7:00. It also means I'll be home later, but I'll figure that part out.  In the meantime, I'm trying not to obsess about the national news cycle. It's so freaking dystopian. There are myriad books and movies, not to mention historical events, that are parallels, but not real parallels. We are watching the implosion of a structure in real time via social media. It's frightening.  And yet, I still have to figure out teaching sonnets to my creative writing class, and short stories with a focus on complex characters and situations to the AP Lit crew. I have my Academic Team going to a tournament locally in less than two weeks. There are real concerns that should be occupying my mind. Joy is always being tempered, too-- it...

Snow. Lots. And it's still snowing. The predictions are about spot-on, this time. Lucky for us, it's the fluffy kind, but even so, a foot or so of fluffy is still lots of snow. Our snow day was called yesterday, mid-day, which is a blessing. Parents don't have to scramble to find child care, and other preparations can be made in a sane moment. I honestly do not mind one bit; it's early enough in the semester that a shift in the plans is no big deal, especially since it's a Monday.  So, I'll bake a pie. Clean bathrooms. Fold laundry. And sit here with a cup of coffee, wrapped up in a fuzzy fleece robe over fuzzy fleece pjs. It's cold-- no lie. We warmed up to 6 above during the night. Yesterday never cracked zero. My heart goes out to those in deep south states who are without power and without the means to manage this sort of thing, but even so-- this is not the first time, and their governors should not pooh-pooh much-needed infrastructure upgrades. They st...

A bright spot in all the dreary news... my new book is now available for pre-sales!  Love you all, C

Mr. Rogers famously quoted his mother, that when things get scary, look for the helpers.  Most of us want to be the helpers, and often are. But when we see what happens to the helpers, it causes real pain. We find other ways to help. We do our best. But it's scary to be a helper, too.  God bless all who are helpers. Please keep all helpers safe.  Amen. C

The pellet stove is humming along nicely. I'm grateful for the fact that G cleans it just about every morning so it runs well. Today, it will be my best companion as I sit and write and laugh with friends on Zoom in my writing class. I'm grateful for the class; too much of the outside world has seeped into my poet-mind, and I can't seem to write much of anything, and what I do write is angry and boring. I'm hoping that today will give me a new rabbit hole to fall into.  I'm grateful for a lot of things. I spend far too much time worrying and bemoaning the disastrous state of things. It'd be hard not to-- I don't even know how some people are just floating along with no idea about what's tearing our country and our world apart. They don't see (or don't want to see) the generational damage that is being done. So, I tend to get sucked into and caught up by the horrors. Most folks I know are feeling a level of anxiety that eclipses that of the pandem...

Are you ready for the wintah weathah?  We are expecting not only a deep freeze this weekend (high of zero tomorrow? yeep), but maybe a "significant snow event" on Sunday-Monday.  Either way, it is still January, and it's gonna be wintery.  I have a writing class online all day Saturday, but I will still need to get groceries at some point. I'm trying to figure that out. I may have to dash out right after my class, brave the cold, and get the goods.  I just don't want to be out long, nor do I want the pellet stove to be off long. Maybe I'll see if Meg can come over and sit with the dog and keep the pellets going.  At any rate, it's not today. This morning is a balmy 16 degrees, dark, and slick under foot.  Be safe all, and yes, this is a boring morning post. I'm feeling a little boring. I promise you I'll be more interesting another day.  Take good care, hold loved ones super close, keep an eye on your neighbors-- we'll get through all this icy ...

I had an interesting conversation with a young woman who is working as an intern at the Congregational Church here in town. Her small liberal arts college requires that students do an internship every year, and she is contemplating the connections between faith and charitable acts, among other religion-centered things. She's particularly intrigued with Catholicism; her family, in past generations, were sort of practicing Catholics, and she has found herself drawn to certain elements of the faith tradition. She's particularly interested in the lives of the saints, with miracles, and other sacred mysteries that date back throughout Western history. She approves of the work of the most recent popes, and she especially likes that Catholicism has "hard and fast rules" of living. We talked for about an hour, a sort of free-associated Q/A that touched on a lot of things.  I started out with my thoughts that my faith tradition didn't cause how I view other people and work...

Well, winter's definitely dug in. We have plenty of snow. We have the cold temps back in force, with even colder ones on the way. Yay. Highs in the single digits by Saturday. I'm glad I have a writing class to be in most all day. I yearn for sunshine, warmth, not having to wear a/ boots, b/ coats, c/ gloves, etc. I don't like scraping my car windows, Sam-I-Am.  But it's second semester, and the first day went well, I think. I am down to five (from seven) students in my creative writing class, but they are a nice crew, and we'll get on well. I have a full house for AP Lit, and they seem willing to get on with the whole biz, so that's good, too. Most of them have had me for at least one class (some two) before now, so they know the drill. The new three will catch up.  I got my grades done quickly (even the requisite parent emails telling them that their kids who did no work did not pass), and had plenty of time to eat lunch. This new term will be better in a lot o...

A new semester is upon us. I watched a more recent version (2000) of Hamlet starring Ethan Hawke as the title character (and a solid cast along with him) while I had the house quiet and to myself, and I was really pretty impressed. I have been very resistant to teaching Hamlet to high school students for most of my teaching career. There seems to be an overwhelming pressure in the AP Lit world to do the play, though, so I thought I ought to revisit it and see how I can make it relatable and palatable. This film might just do the trick. I've seen other versions of it, and I noticed that there's a new one being released in April of this year, too-- which, if it comes to our neck of the woods in time, might be a fun thing to try to get to. That all said, since Hamlet is so damned dark and twisted, it's a hard one for most high school kids. Let's be honest: if a kid is coming from a situation where a dead parent's ghost is demanding that he revenge him at all costs, i...

Well, how about that. The Patriots won that game-- total shocker to me, but then, isn't that why we play all 60 minutes? Actually, it was not that close, even. Imagine that. And now, they go on to Denver to face the Broncos next Sunday. I honestly thought it was just going to be casual football watching for me after yesterday, but nope.  Alexander Pope was famous for his essays, and from those, come a plethora of pithy epigrams. One that seems appropriate for the football season, and, to be honest, for much of life in general is "Hope springs eternal in the human breast./ Man never is, but is always to be blest."  To always be about to be blessed, but never be  blessed? Grim, I think. But then, we often don't notice what our blessings truly are until they are in the rear-view mirror. It is only through recollection that we notice how good things have been, or what we've been given, or even what we were directed away from. But Hope (capital H) is a forward-thinkin...

Well, not only was my original plan for Saturday all sorts of upended, my bracket is busted for the NFL playoffs pool. The snow and bad roads forced me to shift things, which actually worked out pretty well: I got twenty final exam papers read, graded, and the grades entered. Now I just have to do the final grades stuff for both the school and the partner college through which many of my students have now earned college credit through the dual credit program. Woo! But that will wait. I can do all that on Tuesday, when I'm actually on the clock and being paid to do that stuff.  Today, church, then groceries, then football at 3pm. I'm thinking about dinner ideas, and I'm pretty sure it'll be lasagna. I want some gooey cheesy goodness. Comfort food. I might make a turkey soup with dumplings on Monday, which is also comforting, but requires my attention. I'm tired-- rough night's sleep again, and just brain-toasted-- so easy makes me happy today.  Thus, the fleece-l...

Saturday, cold, dark, slippery outside.  Holly announced to me yesterday that "it's actually spring, Mem." Well, no, dear... we have lots of winter left. But yes, we get a little more light every day, now that we've passed the equinox.  Did you know that equinox means equal night? How efficiently Latin.  The semester ended, generally better than I expected. And I have all papers in, even from the students who have done little work all term. I'll read them tomorrow. I'll do the grade thing online maybe Monday while we have a "day off" (read: day I have other commitments, just at home).  I could use a "me day"-- I used to do that once in a while. Now, I can hardly schedule a hair cut or a quiet cup of coffee. Balance is off a bit. I yearn for a day to read a book and not have to chase a schedule. Maybe I'll figure that out soon. It might help with the rattle-y brain. I can't seem to catch a good night's sleep: I fell asleep watchi...

Well, yesterday's post, as dismal as it was, did not hold true--mostly. The roads were fine (though my driveway was a mess), the road to work was clear where I had to get through, and they didn't shut off the water for the school end of things. Amen. I did not end up getting a hair cut either, though--no parking spaces. We have a bit of a midday parking crisis in town, and unfortunately, I could not find one single spot. So, I rescheduled. Bummer. But that's pretty minor.  Poor Holly has a hole in the toe of her boot. Thus, her foot/sock got soggy, and by the time I picked her up, the wet wool+ sweaty feet= stink was a factor. She got in the bath at 3:00. Then we did a cocoa, muffin, story time and all was well. She truly is a lovely kid, even if she is a bit hard on her clothes. In the meantime, Memere to the rescue: I ordered some new boots to get us through the rest of the winter. Those should be here on Saturday.  Speaking of which, Holly has basketball on Saturday morn...

Another short post-- trying to get all the morning stuff done, and it's a lot some days. Lunches are made, anyhow. It's 32 and raining-- yippee-- and there's scheduled road work on the one road to my school starting at 8, which of course, I will get caught up in somehow. And the roadwork is to fix a water main leak, so they are shutting off the water-- so, probably no water at school. Fun times. I am looking forward to getting a hair cut later today. I look like a sheepdog.  Two more days of this semester. Amen. A weekend of grading and other stuff ahead.  Woohooooo Hold your loved ones close to your heart. C

Wednesday, mid-20s, dark, and gonna be a long day...  Today, there's work, and a staff meeting, then home home home to probably fold a pile of laundry.  Fun, eh?  I fell asleep in my chair last night long before 9:30-- which, to be honest, was better than G, who fell asleep around 7 in his chair. We are tired people. The weather, work, and the underlying/overarching angst that has been infiltrating every moment of the day is wearing us out. I bet it is for you, too.  On a fun note, we've decided on a way to help Holly get a lot more adventurous about vegetables. I don't know why she doesn't like them-- won't eat anything green-- but here we are. We are a family of people who love veggies, who grow veggies, who have veggies every day. So-- it's weird. We've instituted Veggie Adventures!  On Tuesday, when Meg is home, we'll go and pick a new veggie to try. Yesterday, she picked peppers (which she does like) and brussels sprouts (which she then did not eat)...

Tuesday, mid-20s, dark and damp. Nothing new, really.  In football news, it appears that the Pats will play Houston at 3pm in Gillette on Sunday. Guess I'll be watching that. Houston is a very tough competitor, so I am not holding my breath. That said, my bracket is still unbroken. Go figure. Next weekend, it'll be a mess, more than likely. Work is work. Final week of the semester, final papers underway. Same few students owe me work. I'm gratified to see that the new assistant principal is working hard on a policy statement that addresses overdue work; yes, we have some rules, but it seems we need something relatively iron-clad. Kids game the system all the time, and it's disheartening. And when you say that you won't accept late work, then parents quite often get involved. It's messy.  That all said, it's been a quiet start to the day. Meg is home, so she's got Holly for drop off and pick up. I find myself with a huge stretch of time (have I forgotten ...

  I stayed up a bit too late... ...and the Pats won that battle of the defenses.  I'm kind of breaking dress code (do we have one for teachers?) and wearing my "Been there, Won That" tee shirt I spent too much money on that came in on Friday. I have a friendly rivalry with a few students, and it feels so darn good to see the Pats not only the top of the AFC East, but also moving along to the next round of playoffs. I know it only gets harder, but dang, something has to be bringing a little joy.  And my for-fun bracket is still un-busted. Imagine that.  I hope you have a good day. Hold onto your loved ones, check in often, and keep everyone in your prayers. This little football bubble isn't going to fix anything, but I'm living in it until noon, if I can.  C

Well, my bracket remains unbusted for one day, anyhow. We have a fun-only bracket thing going with students in our Fun Friday SportsTalk group. Suggested buy-in is a candy bar. I won't win, mostly because I will not jinx my team by putting them in the winning spot for the Super Bowl, but I filled out the rest of it just to see how I do. I follow football, so I'm not exactly picking teams based on their mascots or uniform colors, but I'm not a guru, either. We'll see how today goes. (nojinxnojinxnojinx) I also have a pile of papers to read and grade, and some house chores to do. I'll make a beef stew-- thinking about putting it in the dutch oven and letting it do the low and slow thing. But first, church. I'm the lector for the 8am, so I'm up and caffeinating. The first reading from Isaiah is pretty bold stuff, and I couldn't help thinking how it could be misused as justification for domination by a single person or political party. It's the one where...

We have one week left of this fall semester; it's been pretty good, most of the time. A lot of work, mostly mental, some self-imposed, but good. My overwhelming sense of responsibility for whether my juniors will do well on the AP test in May is eating at me, though. I know it's just a test. I know that it's only a snapshot of what they can/cannot do in an artificial environment (online, 2.5 hours, and the beastly multiple choice part). They are good humans. They are interested and interesting. They have questions. They have the ability to search out answers and make a pretty cogent argument for why they think as they do. So wtf with this stupid test? The anxiety they feel is made even more so for me. We've practiced a ton of stuff, and it's frankly not felt like a lot of fun most of the time. I don't like this way of teaching composition. I will give it a lot of reflection and see if there's anything I can do to make this less boring/rote/miserable. Snacks ...