My wise piano teacher took time out from my lesson. She told me that at one time she'd had trouble interpreting and understanding Brahms. She also never knew what to say at funerals. How could she help the person who had suffered the loss of a loved one?
Then her husband died.
]]>My wise piano teacher took time out from my lesson. She told me that at one time she'd had trouble interpreting and understanding Brahms. She also never knew what to say at funerals. How could she help the person who had suffered the loss of a loved one?
Then her husband died.
She told me, "Daisy, there is nothing that anyone can say at a funeral. All you can do is be there. And being there is exactly what's needed."
And after that, she could play Brahms.
Well, it kind of put me off to Brahms for a few years. But this wonderful woman, musician, mentor, gave me the gift of more than Brahms. I attend funerals now: not for me, but to offer my friends my love and support. I know how important it is to be there.
My sympathies go out to Maddie Spohr's family. I wish for them the peace of knowing that she knew she was loved every minute of her short and wonder-filled life.
]]>I accomplished several goals: haircut, blankets/comforters to laundry, compost bin empties, compost spread on the garden, curtains washed and put back up, yada, yada, yada...
]]>I accomplished several goals: haircut, blankets/comforters to laundry, compost bin empties, compost spread on the garden, curtains washed and put back up, yada, yada, yada...
But most of all, I relaxed. I read. I twittered. I blogged, I plurked. I napped! I kept my family fed, got the teen to his appointments, but while he was sleeping in each morning, I chose mindless TV shows for myself, made my favorite coffee, and took things easy. Very, very easy.
There isn't much blog fodder in a boring week, so I was glad I had a few posts ready in advance. That, too, is fine with me. Boring means less stress, and that's a wonderful contrast to my usual workday level of hassles.
When school starts again Monday, I'll have my schoolbag filled with corrected papers and new lesson plans. But most of all, I'll welcome my class with a relaxed and revitalized me. And that, my friends, is what a Boring Spring Break does for me.
]]>You guessed it: Daisy's small but wonderful backyard garden.
]]>You guessed it: Daisy's small but wonderful backyard garden.
I've never formally defined it as a Kitchen Garden or a Recession Garden. It is what it is: a backyard garden of vegetables for the family, both human and rabbit residents of our fair home. The plot has grown a little each year we've planted it, and we've added simple environmentally-friendly tricks along the way. This year our goal is to use the space efficiently and get a better yield.
Here's the to-do list.
Move walkway boards out of the dirt. These are re-used from an old fence. When it started to fall, we knocked it down the rest of the way and used the boards as stepping "stones" between the veggies.
Move trellises and tomato cages. I'm still doing the research to find better and taller supports for the tomatoes now that I've discovered some of the techniques for nurturing them well.
Spread the compost. It's still in the bin, and I'm eager to get out the soil-ready batch and start anew.
Till. Husband now has his family's old rototiller, so we don't need to rent one any more.
Hook up rain barrel. It's ready to use; we need to set it on its blocks and direct the downspout into it. Painting optional: I would like to paint it, though.
Buy the seedlings. I have the seeds; the tomato, pepper, and broccoli plants will come later.
Sketch the new layout. I know what I want this year; I just need to make sure I'm putting it all in the right place to maximize sunshine and make for the best yield.
Plant!!
Ta-dah! list:
(That's the "finished" or "outbox.")
Make rain barrel! It filled with water during a rainstorm earlier this week; it's "shovel-ready," too!
Buy seeds!
Get excited and motivated! Okay, that's always a given. I'll never be a farmer, but I do enjoy my tiny plot in the backyard.
Relaxation is top of the plan. Stressful job, stressful economy, potential stress at every turn of the newspaper page or channel change: letting go is important. Very, very important.
Keeping up with schoolwork is part of the break. Amigo has homework to do, too. Our plans include taking the long weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) off from schoolwork, and then working on a little each day. When he's doing homework, I'll work on schoolwork.
Relaxation is top of the plan. Stressful job, stressful economy, potential stress at every turn of the newspaper page or channel change: letting go is important. Very, very important.
Keeping up with schoolwork is part of the break. Amigo has homework to do, too. Our plans include taking the long weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) off from schoolwork, and then working on a little each day. When he's doing homework, I'll work on schoolwork.
Preparing the garden is part of my plan, too. It's too cold to plant, and will be for some time, but I can start getting the soil ready. This kind of work could be tedious, but it's not. It feels good to get the garden ready to grow again. There's a definite connection between the garden growth and my own feelings of contentment and competence and calm.
Spring cleaning usually happens in June in my house, but I'll get a few things done. Mainly, I plan to bake and keep the kitchen in good shape! Amigo and I often make a laundromat trip with all the blankets and comforters in the house. It's an easy chore, but one that can't be done at home because the blankets are too big to fit in my regular washer.
Progress so far: Spring Break R & R update, Friday
Relaxation -- slept past 8:00 AM, stayed in pajamas until 11
Schoolwork -- nothing formal yet, but laundered the old socks I use as white board erasers
Gardening -- removed stepping stones and trellises and tomato cages from garden, emptied two pots of dead herbs & potting soil over the fence, took "before" pictures of garden to use for contrast when I finally reach the "after" stage
Spring Cleaning -- scrubbed kitchen (easier than it sounds; the cleaning service was here a few days ago. I just maintain what they've already done.) Mailing another Paperbackswap package could fit in here, too.
Relaxation, part 2 -- had a Funday Friday lunch with Amigo and Husband at a local downtown diner. I had their Greek skillet with hash browns; delicious. After lunch we walked down the street to a bookstore (an independent, no big chains) and bought a few books related to the city's upcoming book festival. The pleasure reading from these will last long beyond the week-long break.
This break's off to a good start, I'd say. Now I think I'll take another relaxation break with my laptop, check Twitter and Plurk, enter another drawing at BlogHer (I want to go this year!), read some of my favorite bloggers as well.
]]>I've established my liberal leaning, my support for Hillary Clinton, my choice of local candidate for state assembly, and more. I've even shared my favorite bumper stickers. When Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate, I worried a little. Biden has the credentials, the intelligence, the experience in D.C.'s trenches. He's been on the campaign trail enough to know how it functions. I worried more about the perception of the Old White Guy, the image of Obama picking someone to appeal to the political center.
Then John McCain picked Sarah Palin. Stylish, presentable, and female, the choice seemed to pander to the women who might leave Obama's camp for someone of their own gender.
Unfortunately for McCain, it's just not that simple. All politics may be local, but national politics do more than trickle down. What happens in Washinton, D.C. doesn't stay in Washington, D.C. It floods the nation. Women get that. We know that leadership at all levels needs to be in competent hands, whether male or female, whether black or white.
Michelle (Scribbit) and I have had many a civil conversation about our political differences, and none of those conversations even mentioned Palin's gender or appearance. Senator McCain doesn't get that. He doesn't understand that women vote with their brains, their thoughts, their philosophies. Women don't automatically pull the lever or punch the chad for the one who wears heels.
A Palin presidency (and make no doubt, it's possible) would be devastating to women's rights. Palin in or near the Oval Office would mean one giant step for one woman, but one giant step into quicksand for women.
]]>Amigo and I were home watching the game, so we jumped up and down and danced around the room and shouted wildly. The windows were open, but our neighbors know us well enough not to be scared by the whooping and hollering.
Husband was visiting his parents. Ah, the esandwich generation in action! He watched the majority of the game, including the incredible 421st touchdown pass, with them. He called me later to ask if we scared the rabbit. He knows us!
]]>Amigo and I were home watching the game, so we jumped up and down and danced around the room and shouted wildly. The windows were open, but our neighbors know us well enough not to be scared by the whooping and hollering.
Husband was visiting his parents. Ah, the esandwich generation in action! He watched the majority of the game, including the incredible 421st touchdown pass, with them. He called me later to ask if we scared the rabbit. He knows us!
La Petite text messaged me from her college apartment. "OMG, 4-0!" "Favre rules!" "He's the greatest!" "Hey, your text messaging is working again!" "Yeah, and I have voice mail again, too." Yes, we have unusual ways of communicating. At least we do communicate.
So yes, we're all Packer fans around here. We live and breathe green and gold. tomorrow I'll wear my "Deanna" shirt to work: my pink Packer polo. I'll call it my celebratory attire.
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