Creating a Glog

Well, this is really pushing me to new (what, heights or depths??) — anyway, I have created a glog (poster). It has only three pictures and a few objects floating around, but I am sure that if I had the time (like all day) I could get the other photos to load and the rest of the things to look integrated. If you want to see it, go to sophieruminations.glogster.com . . .

I can see how folks get pulled into this and suddenly it's the middle of the night and you haven't eaten anything for twelve hours and your head is pounding and besides you probably forgot to go to work!

Three Friends

The long pause is due to the fact that I was visiting friends in Virginia and attending an Exploritas (new name for Elderhostel) event in Charlottesville. The visits were fun but the really exciting part of the trip was learning about the three presidents: Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. I have a new appreciation of their efforts on behalf of the new nation. We visited the homes of all three presidents and toured the grounds. We toured the University of Virginia, Jefferson's creation. At Madison's home we visited the Center for the Constitution and participated in an interactive experience with the document. We even received our own copy of the Constitution! My respect for these three founding fathers has increased by leaps and bounds. Our country would not be what it is today without their efforts. Truly they were dedicated men.

Now I am happy to be home, and I'll be glad to sleep in my own bed, but the information I learned will stick with me for a long time. I also have some ideas that I will use with my adult students at RACC. What a valuable experience!

Dixieland Jazz night

Sunday evening I went to a jazz concert with Tom. What a wonderful night! The only thing missing was the sound of the N'awlins stride piano. They did not play "Bye Bye Blackbird," but I had a small daydream remembering an evening at a club with a bunch of friends, and the band playing that song and everyone beating on the tables with spoons and other percussive things, and singing at the top of their lungs. Made me smile. And the evening ended with "When the Saints Go Marchin' In." Lovely dinner and evening. What more could a person wish for?

Valentine's Day at the GoggleWorks

The crowd at GoggleWorks yesterday was surprisingly large, and a number of the visitors who stopped by the studio were first-timers. Everyone seemed to be delighted to be out of the house after the siege of snow we had last week. It was refreshing to see parents and children enjoying the day together. It's interesting to me that so often folks stop by and tell us a snippet of story about themselves. We had several of those. Fascinating.

In addition, a student from my class spent a couple of hours holding a conference with Mickey and me. He is writing a memoir about growing up in Sierra Leone, and it's compelling. He's courageous and talented, and his story is filled with life lessons. He ended his session by giving us a recipe for peanut butter soup!

Hooray for all the signs of the day, especially the red ties, dresses, scarves, jackets, etc., that were visible signs of joy!

Peace like a river

"If grandmothers and children were in charge of the world, there would never be any wars." —Naomi Shihab Nye

Words matter. Ideas matter. Actions matter most of all. I have been thinking about the current political climate of one-upsmanship, of obstructionism, of disrespect. If grandmothers were in charge, everyone would be cared for. Babies would be rocked and fed. The sick would be healed. Our jobless would have gainful employment, honest work that pays a living wage. We would help those in trouble, and celebrate the glorious variety of peoples, cultures, foods, traditions in the world.

Perhaps I am a dreamer. But I believe this is possible.

A new day

The snow shoveling elves have been at work and my driveway and sidewalks are magically cleared now! I don't know what they did with all the white stuff, though. I had a five-foot drift outside the front door, not to mention the driveway drifts. It is absolutely beautiful. I feel fortunate to have underground utilities so the electricity is on and the gas for heating and cooking, and I am snug and warm. I baked bread yesterday. The house smelled wonderful.

No school at RACC today. I'll use the day to get a little caught up on some editing, and maybe get started on my taxes.

Tug of War

Last September Tom and I were walking along the water at Long Beach Island. A gathering of gulls came for feeding in the surf, and this pair started a tug of war over a crab. The battle went on for almost a minute, till the one closer to us won and walked away with the prize. The other gull just turned and began poking around for another. Not a sore loser!

Volunteer Tutors

Today a group of volunteers who are training to become tutors visited my Adult Basic Education class at RACC. Tutors give students an opportunity to get someone's full attention for an hour, targeted to exactly what the student needs. The students appreciate them. This year's class is very bright, hard-working, and ambitious. They are anxious to learn and to overcome the challenges they face. I feel privileged to work with them because they are diligent and because they help each other. It is a real learning community!

Snowed in

I'm not venturing out in the car this morning, even though the driveway and street are fairly clear. Just for another few hours, I am reveling in the in-betweenness of being snowed in. Remembering all the snow days when I was young and school was cancelled, all the teaching days when I received the 6 a.m. call that we were not having school, or there was a two-hour delay. Time shifted gears, slowed down, and I seemed to slow down with it. I could read a book, uninterrupted. Paint, sew, write. Create. And if I had to shovel, well, so be it. A good excuse for hot chocolate!

Vacation Fun

I saw the Terracotta Warriors on Thursday. Qin, the first emperor of China, took office at age thirteen, and did amazing things. Henry Ford did not invent the assembly line; Qin had 87 teams of workers making these pottery soldiers (perhaps 7,000 of them) to accompany him in the afterlife. He also standardized the length of axles, diameter of arrow shafts and the diameter of lance shafts. Interchangeable parts! He was a brilliant tactician and organizer. He died young — age 49 — probably of mercury poisoning.

We had great lunches and snacks in DC; enjoyed the sunny day; loved walking through the neighborhoods; and enjoyed the ride on the Metro.

Friday morning I left town two hours ahead of the snow.

New day, new adventure

Good morning! This is the first post on my new blog, started with the library's group learning 23 things. I expect to be enlightened and entertained by this class. Probably will spend even more time online!

I am leaving today for a trip to my cousin's house in Maryland. We're going to see the Terracotta Warriors at the National Geographic Society in Washington, DC. I'm looking forward to it.