Monthly Archives: March 2025

Glue Guns and Buttons: SOL25 Day 22

There is something transformative about making. Today’s assortment of making materials included some fabric, felt squares, scissors, embroidery floss, glitter glue, rickrack (that word felt like a blast from my childhood!), an assortment of buttons, and a glue gun.

As Carol pulled items from her bag, it felt like Mary Poppins’ magical bottomless satchel. Interesting items just kept coming. (And really, who brings a glue gun to a writing project meeting?)

We’d read The Housewife’s Lament by Dawn Landes, a piece about the invisible daily labor (mostly done by women)…labor that can also become a joyful practice. Teachers also experience the phenomenon of invisible work—labor that goes mostly unnoticed and certainly under-appreciated.

A discussion with colleagues led to an opportunity to abstract those ideas into something made from the bits and bobs available. Soon the room was humming with cutting, glueing, stitching, arranging, even some researching and, of course, the chatting that accompanies the creating.

Pieces of felt and a stir stick became a broom sweeping debris—along with a study of the word sweep and all its connotations. Lace, a heart-shaped piece of fabric, and an overheard conversation became ” the aesthetics of framing a moment of human evolution with a new love.” A smiley face made with felt, button eyes, and lots of hot glue highlighted the value of laughter and joy in the learning process.

We made and wrote and shared both with the group, deepening connections to each other and our shared work. The commitment and passion of the educators in the room was palpable—offering hope in these times when our profession feels under attack.

Glue guns and buttons–making things is so much more than arts and crafts, just like so many kinds of mundane, repetitive, and taken-for-granted actions are necessary and sometimes even joy inducing, even when others don’t understand all that they entail or their significance.

Chasing Sunset: SOL25 Day 21

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I boarded a plane at 6:30pm…shortly before sunset in my place. A not-quite-full plane meant I sat near the window with my sister in the aisle and space between.

As we traveled north (not too far north), I watched the sun hanging out along the horizon…and about an hour later, I was still watching it as the sky began show off bands of red and orange.

And knowing that time was slipping away, I revised my idea for today’s post and settled on a 6-word story instead.

Chasing northern sunsets as we fly.

Wild Words: SOL25 Day 20

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In my experience, kids love nature and natural things. I also think it’s important for the adults around them to expand their exposure to the natural world and also to help them to embrace the role of caretaker and advocate for our earth and its resources.

Last week we learned a bit about Jane Goodall and her lifelong skill as a watcher. Then we did some watching ourselves. Since it was pouring down rain outside (not good weather checking on my part when I planned), I had to adjust my plan and instead of watching outdoors on our campus, I used a couple of animal cams for watching.

With our minds on nature and the natural world, I read students the book, The Keeper of Wild Words by Brooke Smith. The story is about the need for all of us to keep wild words alive (words like wren, dandelion, brook, blackberry…you get the idea) by paying attention to wild things and using these words in our lives or they will continue to be replaced by words like internet, chat room, and other non-natural words.

Recently I harvested an activity called the longest list from a colleague where students collaboratively work to create a list of words…in this case the longest list of wild words. Large sticky note posters worked their magic–students loved working together using markers to make a long poster list of words. Then I gave each student an index card-sized post it note and had them move from poster to poster with the goal of collecting the ten wild words they liked the best. I love the focused engagement during this stage of the work. First graders helped each other spell the words they came up with, helped each other read the words written by their classmates, and sparked ideas for new words all along the way.

Finally, I asked students to write a 7-up sentence (another something borrowed from a colleague). This sentence as I defined for the students (based on things I wanted them to demonstrate) must feature one wild word, have 7 or more words in it, begin with a capital letter, include ending punctuation (., !, ?), have no backwards letters, have very neat handwriting, and must make sense. I handed them each a 5×7 lined card and they set to work.

“Can I include metaphorical thinking?” I was asked. You know my answer! “This is so easy,” another student exclaimed. Everyone set to work, selecting a word from their list and composing a sentence to meet the criteria.

Here’s a few of their sentences:

J wrote: A fox scattering in the forest with the sun glistering in through the rivers.

T wrote: Friend look there is a redwood as red as my hair.

D wrote: The red roses are scattered around the forest because there is a panther coming.

C wrote: Roar I hear the panther scattering in the bushes trying to find food.

B wrote: Roses rising up in the air high up to the clouds.

While they haven’t yet perfected punctuating the complex sentences they are composing, the sentences are interesting. They are using active words and working to be descriptive.

Were all seven criteria perfectly executed by all students? No. But there was great effort and every student was able to compose a sentence that was pretty close. They were engaged and wanted to craft a sentence unlike other’s. And this was an ideal formative assessment–short and sweet, showing me where to concentrate next instructional efforts.

Best of all, we are working to keep wild words alive: in our minds, in our words, in our writing. And I hope this is another stepping stone leading to students becoming the stewards that our earth and all its resources and creatures need.

James—A Recommendation: SOL25 Day 19

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I’m a reader. I pretty much always have a novel going to read before going to bed.

I just finished reading James by Percival Everett. Knowing it was a Huck Finn story, I wasn’t sure I wanted to read it when it first came out. I remember Tom Sawyer at some point in my life, but I’m not sure I’ve ever read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I feel like I know about the story—through cultural references and other indirect avenues.

Then people started talking about James—exclaiming about the book. It started to win awards and was getting lots of critical acclaim. But it took a recommendation from my son before I committed to reading it. (He said he read it in one sitting!). I started by putting a hold on it on my library app. Because of its popularity it was going to be a several month wait.

Then after Christmas I had a gift card AND Barnes and Noble had their big hardback book sale. So I picked it up along with a couple of other titles and it spent some time teetering in my TBR pile.

I started it last week and the story immediately sucked me in. I could feel the connections to the Huck Finn story—but there was so much more.

Perspective matters. Assumptions don’t tell anyone’s truth. People are complex and multifaceted. I loved the dialogue and dialect and that surprised me.

If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read, pick this one up. I found it to be a pretty quick and compelling read. And I’m still thinking about it.

What are you reading that you would recommend?

Expect the Unexpected: SOL25 Day 18

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After a beautiful sunny day yesterday, I got in the car with a colleague to drive to UCLA for a conference event. We had barely gotten out of the driveway before droplets starting appearing on the windshield. Before we hit Camp Pendleton, it was a full-fledged downpour! And then the ribbon of sunset started to peek out from below the blanket of clouds.

The conference center/hotel at UCLA was tucked away from the freeway, forcing us to navigate narrow streets with cars parked at odd angles…and avoid the abandoned scooter right in the middle of the street. After taking the odd u-turn directed by Google maps, we arrived at a strange stopping place in front of a building that may or may not have been a conference center. Lucky for us Milton was out front–obviously used to confused conference center seekers. He was funny and welcoming and got us situated, checked in, and headed toward an equally odd driveway to a narrow underground parking lot.

When I arrived at my room and peeked out the window, I found myself looking out at a football field, bolding marked UCLA.

This morning after walking on the treadmill before what I knew would be a sitting day, I headed into the shower to get ready for the day ahead. As I was getting dressed I kept hearing a sound. Is that chanting? Does someone nearby have the TV on loud? I looked out the window to find an entire squad of young men in matching uniforms shouting through their calisthenics!

And as if that was enough of the unexpected, as we headed downstairs for the conference, we noticed a strong and visual security presence. We learned throughout the day that there was some kind of protest going on outside. (Although we never did learn exactly what the protest was all about!).

As we left for an oh-so-long and not-really-unexpected-LA-traffic-filled drive back home, the conference center was teeming with security. Men standing at attention, ear pieces in place, barriers everywhere. We actually had to have a guard move a physical barrier to be able to leave the parking area! (After another policeman jokingly told us we’d need to stay awhile!)

Luckily, the event was interesting and felt like worth the time and effort. And I didn’t have to suffer the long and traffic-filled drive home alone, instead my colleague and I were able to talk, debrief our experience, and otherwise entertain each other in the pain of stop and go traffic.

It was truly an expect the unexpected kind of experience–including the somewhat unexpected enjoyment of the event itself. I’m trying to learn to embrace the unexpected, and realize that unexpected is just another opportunity to learn and grow and make a choice to see what surprises me as a gift rather than an ominous talisman of trouble to come!

How do you respond when the unexpected shows up at your door?

I Love…: SOL25 Day 17

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It’s Monday and it’s St. Patrick’s Day and I teach 6 and 7 year olds and I’m wearing my pesto-green vans and completed 8 parent conferences today before 3pm.

Like most days I come home knowing I have a blog post to write and still have absolutely no idea what I will write about. And then, in the few minutes I had to check my ever-multiplying email inbox (that tripled–at least–in volume while I taught and conferenced today), I came across a wonderful recommendation from a colleague. My fellow writing project directors share their newsletters — so inspiration can find me with just a click.

She shared a blog post in her newsletter called A List of Things I Love, a wonderful rambling poetic meander through time and the little so-called ordinary things that make life extraordinary. I knew it was special when it began with the 2-word sentence: I love. (Do you hear the strike of inspiration hitting?) I could do that! Although I have no illusions of mine list matching the breadth and whimsy. But here’s an early draft that I hope to come back to later.

I love. I love a Monday afternoon when I come into the house and the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cooks wraps me in a warm and chocolaty hug after teaching and complicated and rewarding conversations with eight families. I love a blue-sky day after a week of rain, when my jacket hangs on the back of my chair and the sun feels warm when I walk outside. I love tulips in a vase, a whisper of spring color and a reminder of the beauty of daring to blossom, even knowing that these cut flowers will soon droop, dancing as they drop their petals.

I love the beach in all seasons, but especially when the tide is low and the beach is wide. I love the egrets and the pelicans and the tiny sandpipers that move in unison with the breath of the sea. I love the treasure hunt of the tidepool and the excitement when orange sea stars appear…a constellation of wonder and hope. I love learning about nudibranchs and finally seeing one in all its colorful glory in its home habitat.

I love books that invite a deep dive and force you underwater in the silence of words, immersing you in an experience so real that laughter and tears are necessary expressions of a heart touched. I love songs that curl into the corners of my ears, bringing long lost memories forward for remembering again and again.

I love when writing pushes time away making room for ideas to explore and expand as fingers and neurons intertwine. I love the mystery of a readers’ response, will my loves resonate and spark ideas and loves in another. What loves emerge for you?

Strike a Pose: SOL25 Day 16

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After a rainy week, the weekend was a burst of sunshine! While the temps are still cool, the weather was glorious. There is just something about sunshine that brightens up my mood.

As is typical, we planned our weekend walks around the low tide so we have an ample walking beach. The tides were not particularly low this weekend, and because of the storms earlier in the week, the surf was still in a turmoil.

Teenagers in our area see the appearance of sunshine as an invitation to practice for summer. They arrive at the beach in their bikinis and trunks, play games on the shore, (that smashball game is still quite popular–you know, the one where a group surrounds a mini trampoline like thing, hitting the ball onto it trying to get the next person to miss), and even plunging into the chilly Pacific Ocean. (The water temperature has been hovering around 57 degrees lately…brrr!)

In my jeans and jacket with my camera around the neck, I headed out to walk a few miles and take some photos. I did shed my jacket mid-walk, enjoying the warm sun and cool sea breeze as I opened up to photo possibilities. The challenge at this point is that I have taken probably thousands of photos at the beach. I photograph the surf, the sky, the people, the birds, any sea life, sea shells, rocks–the list goes on. So it’s hard to find something new for the subject of my photo. So instead, I look for a new angle, different lighting…even a new story to tell myself.

I’ve noticed the pelican overhead the last couple of days. They seem to be practicing flying in formation, perfecting their Vs as they glide along the coastline. Today there were also some shorebirds hanging out in groups, searching for snacks as they chased the foam along the edge of the shore. I watched some young girls also chasing the foam…and now and then they would eye the birds and lunge toward them, making them fly up in a group and then settle further along the shore.

And I got lucky enough to move in with my camera just as one of the birds took a moment to strike a pose for me. And voila! A jaunty little bird portrait was the result. I love the tilt of the neck, almost looking over its shoulder at me.

How did you spend your weekend?

Shoes: SOL25 Day 15

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I’ve always had a difficult relationship with shoes. I love pretty shoes, the ones with interesting straps, clever cutouts, heels that create an air of sophistication… But shoes do not love my feet. In spite of the struggle, I’ve always sought out shoes that enhance my wardrobe and are somewhat comfortable.

But something changed. I think it was the pandemic that was the instigator. Once the world closed down in March of 2020, there was no need to wear pretty shoes. In fact, most of the time, there was no need to wear shoes at all. As I taught from my kitchen table, most of the time my feet were bare. If I headed into the backyard for breath of fresh air, I slipped into my Rainbow flip flops. At that same time I also began a regular walking practice of at least 30 minutes a day, so athletic shoes were a necessity.

I found myself alternating between bare feet, flip flops, and athletic shoes throughout the day–depending on what I was doing (without much consideration to what I was wearing). And when we went back to school with students, we found ourselves spending a lot more time with our students–including supervising their playtime–and no one needs to wear cute shoes to do that! Meetings were still mostly virtual, so all anyone ever saw of you (if they even looked) what what blouse you had on and if your pandemic hair was standing on end! Again, no need to consider whether or not your shoes were fashionable or flattering.

Sometime between then and now, women began wearing white tennis shoes with their dresses, Birkenstocks made a major comeback (for both men and women), and my own footwear choices have trended to post-pandemic casual.

I can’t remember the last time I wore a heel (actually, I can. It was to a formal family wedding about two years ago) or anything other than flat sandals or athletic shoes on a regular basis.

I realized last week when I attended a conference that my idea of a professional dress shoe is a Vans checkerboard slip on! (I did opt for pants that were not jeans though!)

And just today as I wandered around the outlet mall, the Vans outlet called me in. I came out with some great green Vans lace ups (the ones called “old skool”). I think they might be my new dress shoes! I’m already wondering if they will work as “professional casual” for the meeting I’m attending next week.

Has your relationship with shoes changed since the pandemic?

Exploring Blue: SOL25 Day 14

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I’m reaching that point in this month-long blogging challenge where it feels like I have already written about the things that are interesting in my day. No one wants to read more about the rainy days we’ve been experiencing, the state of the streets in my neighborhood, or the outdoor public art at UCSD. So what to do? Weirdly, one of my posts is today’s inspiration for others…so maybe, just maybe, it can inspire me too.

I love to take photos and have an unimaginable number of photos on my phone (some taken with the phone, others taken with my Sony mirrorless camera and transferred to the phone). So today I decided to give myself a prompt and explore my camera roll.

I decided to search for blue, and with that single word as a prompt, so many photos came up for me to examine and think about.

Instead of going down a blue rabbit hole, I picked just a few for a short photo essay…an exploration of some of the blues that caught my eye.

I love to take photos of trees. Sometimes when the light and the background is just right, the photo offers a sense of the majesty and wonder of a tree. I love the blue of the mountains in the distance and the varied blues of the skies in the distance. There’s a moodiness that feels reflective, quiet…like a deep breath.

This Joshua Tree National Park sunset offers the deeper, more intense blues of the desert as dark chases the light across the sky. Once the sun dips, the stars will make their entrance crafting vivid pictures in the indigo as nighttime creeps across the desert.

But as much as I love trees, I am more likely to find myself walking along the shoreline. While it’s common to think about the ocean as blue, in this case it is the blue plastic bucket that stands out in the transparency of the water. I love the way the light and shadow also captures the subtle movement of the water.

I’m always a sucker for a shore bird, and this great blue heron was a wonderful surprise. Blue when it comes to herons is of the blue-gray variety and these tall, stately birds are a study in patience. They embody stillness–unless they are startled and then they spread and flap their enormous wings and somehow those large bodies take flight.

The ocean is never a single color–and that’s true of the sky too. Light and shadow shift the spectrum of blues and greens, purples and grays, pinks and oranges, offering a magnificent palette of colorful waves for surfers to explore (rightside up and upside down).

What will you find if you take time to explore your camera roll?

Ice Cream Anyone? SOL25 Day 13

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Cold, creamy, sweet–a delight for both tongue and tummy. I love ice cream! I eat ice cream in the summer, the perfect cooling dessert and in the winter too–even if it makes me shiver and goosebumps grow tall like mountains on my arms. It is definitely my sweet treat of choice.

Chunky and crunchy–rocky road or chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Fruity and tart–rainbow sherbet, raspberry gelato. Stain your tongue and mouth colorful–blue raspberry syrup on an ice cream-filled shave ice.

I can push away the elegant, rich desserts. Cheesecakes, mousses, creme brulee. I can skip cookies and cakes–even a chocolaty, caramely, peanuty Snickers bar (unless it’s the novelty ice cream variety). But ice cream? I can eat ice cream for dinner!

Need cheering up? Ice cream is the answer. Time for a celebration? Bring on the ice cream. Something to soothe a scratchy throat? You know the answer–it’s always ice cream!

Do you have a favorite sweet treat that is nearly impossible to say no to? Or a best ice cream ever? I’d love to know your sweet story!