SOL16-8/31 - A Small Thing Can Become A Tradition

SOLC #8/31 - 

      I'm slicing with the Two Writing Teachers community for Day Eight of Thirty-One of the Slice of Life Challenge in March.  Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb.  

        I'd like to share a tradition I started in class a long time ago, from a colleague's idea. All through the year I took pictures of students, working, with friends, playing, on trips, and one individual specific one showing some special part of who they were. For instance, I might take one of a girl in full make-up, a rising star on stage; or I might take an action shot of a boy who studied the physics of skateboards, and he demonstrated on his board! Another might be someone peaking from beneath a table, a place he liked to read and write. And one more example could be a girl at our podium, making a fiery speech (future debater). 

Take Time To See!

We five students and teacher

strolled two blocks from our city school

to enjoy a near patch of green

on this warm winter day.

I’d thought more people would come

to catch the rays, enjoy the balm

but

no one came to see

that pansies here

on December second

were still in bloom.

I gave a thought to them

because others near

just walked right by,

oblivious

of this sweet gift.

Early Morning Gift

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

sunrise - July 26, 2011

I’ve spent a lot of time this summer taking photos of sunsets, here at home & with my grandson at the beach.  Whenever we’re going somewhere and it’s time for the sun to set, I take the camera. In the Rockies with the mountains to the west, the sunsets are indeed amazing. 

Yesterday morning I was up almost before the robins’ chirps, carried my coffee to the patio, and sat to watch the sky, light just arriving.   We live by a park and the backyard faces east, and there’s always a clear view that way, of sunrises, moonrises, etc. 

There is nothing like the gift of being alone for a while, contemplating so many ideas that roam around in my mind, taking them out one by one to examine them as with a magnifying glass, satisfying myself that each idea will be explored in its time, perhaps only a small chunk, until resolution.  As minutes rolled by, the sky grew lighter, a summer spread of clouds appeared in the east, flowing up above the horizon where the sun was to appear.  These clouds, like stretched cotton balls with a hint of lace at the edges, seemed only there to break the image of a clear sky. They were first gray with a hint of pink, and then the mixing colors turned the sky lavender.  The sun was on its way, I could tell.  Among the things on my mind, this moment carried me far back to people who greeted the sun with gratitude, appreciating that this precious thing had returned again. No longer do those in my culture celebrate the sun’s rising, but at this moment, I did send my own little message of thankfulness, for this beautiful sight at least, for the blessings of the day to come, the happy moments of my life and all that it encompasses.  The sky’s lavender faded, and the sun’s rays blew over the horizon, shooting up into the clouds, brightening now into gold.  The heat of the day began, and I turned into the house to start breakfast and call ‘good morning’ to my husband.

Rambling Thoughts

May 30, 2011


Rambling Thoughts During This Mini Vacation

     Yesterday was the third day I’ve had without  going to work, although I'm not quite finished at school, as we have two and one half days more with students this week, then final staff meeting and staff party.  The hourglass is nearly empty.  We had a lot to do the past days, running errands, going to a movie, and visiting my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter for a few hours, helping them with some lawn work (mostly though, playing with Ingrid).   In between errands, I’ve been doing those last minute school tasks, like wrapping goodbye gifts and writing thank you notes. 

Yesterday, we hung out mostly, so I put ingredients for a stew in a slow cooker, and I’ve kept busy on the mission of cleaning out things-first drawers, then some closets, etc.  I found no surprises, (or money), but did fill another box for give-aways & a bag of things for various people at school.  My mantra is use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.  It’s an old World War II saying, when many had to live that way in order to help the war effort.  It’s interesting how today there is much talk that supports that saying; we’ve come to believe that doing what we can to waste less is a good thing for the planet.

 School ending gives me such energy for home things.  It’s almost the same feeling when spring fever hits, and I yearn to be outside, in the garden, without a coat!  It is bittersweet to say goodbye to continuing students who are leaving for good, but we all feel the pull of summer, the almost visceral need to do something different, whether it’s to stay at home, go on vacation, or just take a few hours every day in the garden, tending the new growth. 

So today, I puttered, I cleaned, and I sat on the patio a while, and while there, a gift came by.  A hawk flew in, and landed on one of our fence posts.  Guess he was hanging out too, although probably for dinner.  He didn’t stay long, but it was a great thing to see.  I didn’t have a camera, and if I’d moved, he too would have taken off.  So, he’s just in my mind’s eye, a beautiful thing, making his way in this almost-summer world, just like I am.