Monthly Archives: March 2025

Postcarding: SOL25 Day 12

I love a great postcard. Anywhere and anytime I travel, I make an effort to find postcards, write them, and mail them (preferably from the place where I got them). I like the scarcity of space, the need to be succinct…maybe even pithy in my composition. I mostly send postcards to my grandsons. I want them to feel the pleasure of getting mail, of knowing that I am thinking of them, and sharing a tiny glimpse of my travel experience with them.

I encourage my students to write and send postcards to our class anytime they travel. I want them to feel the pleasures of snail mail, understand the connections their words can help forge, and to delight our class as we get to study the postcard, notice the stamp and postmark, and read the message written especially for us. We have quite a collection growing! When school ended last year, I sent each of my students a postcard (Target had National Parks postcards in their dollar bins) with a “would you rather” type of question on it. As school began this year, many of those students were eager to tell me how much they loved their postcard!

My youngest son is an artist. Over the years postcards have been a part of his art process. In the past there were times when he bought a postcard and used it as his canvas for creating art. The fun part of this medium is that the artwork then shows up in your mailbox. Here’s a couple of examples.

Nick’s most recent art has been the creation of blob sculptures. He posts a daily reel of his creation on Instagram @nickdouillard to the delight of nearly a million followers who sometimes watch his reels millions of times. Just last week he offered a sale at his site, which included a variety of one-of-a-kind handmade blobs as well as packs of blob postcards drawn by him. His sculptures sold out in no time–he has quite a fan base for these quirky, adorable pieces. I knew I would be ordering some of his postcards–and they come with sticker hats (another feature of his blob sculptures) to mix and match the blobs’ looks. My order came in the mail today!

Now the big decision…who do I sent my brand new postcards to? My grandsons are definitely on my list of sendees… I’m thinking I’ll also write an unexpected postcard to a friend or two I haven’t seen in a while and maybe a colleague who won’t be expecting it. I have ten…it will be fun to pick out people to send them off to!

Who would you send a postcard to?

(Shameless plug: cute blob postcards are still available, just visit Nick’s Instagram site. He’ll even send a postcard for you to the addressee of your choice!)

Melting in the Rain: SOL25 Day 11

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My dad always used to say, I’m sweet as sugar and melt in the rain.” He’s the guy who always knew when it would rain in this beautiful but arid place that we live. There was NO interrupting the weather report (night and morning low clouds, mostly sunny is our typical forecast) and he kept a rain gauge in the yard to confirm rainfall amounts. To be fair, he did work for years in construction, driving a water truck, which meant that when it did rain, he did not work.

So on a rainy day, like today, I find that my dad is on my mind. My oldest son has taken on the I’m sweet as sugar and melt in the rain mantra, so it remains a family saying. I often find myself telling my students you won’t melt when they point out a few raindrops. Rain is pretty rare in these parts–although we’ve had a few rainy years before this much drier year. Typical rainfall for San Diego measures at less than 10 inches annually.

Our school was built to take advantage of the ocean view and the mostly dry conditions. Our students eat outside everyday (except when it is rainy–in which case they eat in the classroom–ugh!), hang their backpacks on hooks outside the classroom (which are outside), place their lunchboxes on a wheeled cart that sits outside the classroom and we wheel down to our outdoor lunch area, walk through hallways with no cover, and we have this weird drain that directs moisture from the roof onto the sidewalk in front of the classroom door!

Needless to say, rainy days at school are not my favorite.

But…I do love rain. There is something about the sound of raindrops that feels soothing, comforting–the rhythm of nature’s percussion. After being cooped up with students (they love the novelty of a rainy day), standing with them at pickup time huddled close under my umbrella since we have no overhang to stand under to avoid being soaked, and rearranging my lesson plans on the fly since I had planned an outdoor activity during my language arts time today…my husband generously reminded me I could pedal our stationary bike instead of taking my usual outdoor walk today since the rain was still coming down.

But instead, since the rain had lessened, I was determined to take an outdoor walk. So when I got home, I switched over to a lighter raincoat (the one I had worn to work today felt too heavy for a walk), reminded my husband that he didn’t have to come with me in the rain, and got ready to head out. But Geoff being Geoff, grabbed an umbrella and encouraged me to grab mine…and then we headed out for a rainy day walk.

It was a gentle rain, with the soft pitter-patter tapping on the umbrella. The snails were out in force, their eyestalks stretched out as they slipped along the wet sidewalks of my neighborhood. Where are they when it is not raining? Do they hide in the leaf litter or under the shrubs? Raindrops glistened from the purple blossoms emerging from the trees and dripped from the branches of the leafing sycamores.

I came home damp and refreshed, relishing the sweetness of the rain and not worrying at all about melting. And I felt my dad with me all day today, his presence like a hug, a comfort that came along with the gift of rain.

What’s Your Organization Style? SOL25 Day 9

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There’s a million books out there professing the perfect approach to organizing your home. You can decide which items in your life bring joy and toss the others. You can work on a zone each day, beating down the clutter before it accumulates. Or you can be like me, and use the pile method of organization.

My piles work…until they don’t. For the most part, I know exactly what is where–as long as no one else touches my piles. In lots of ways they are quite geological, sediment building up over time. The oldest layers are on the bottom, providing the strong foundation for the newer layers. Some piles are piles of reading material: books and articles that I want to read…but cannot get to quite yet. Others are piles of reading I have read, but know I want to refer to or want to share with someone. Some piles need to make their way back to my classroom, some need to be filed away with important papers…

But at some point, the piles reach maximum efficiency and need to be culled. That’s the point where I have to make the hard decisions and either find a permanent place for the item or discard it. I’m at that inflection point right now. It’s time to dismantle the piles, sort them, and get them under control.

Conveniently, yesterday I happened by IKEA–you know the place, where you build your own furniture according to picture-based directions that those of us who are spatially challenged can manage to assemble upside down and backwards. Lucky for me, Geoff is great at reading these blueprints (rightside up) and getting them built in record time! Anyway, while strolling through IKEA yesterday, I decided that a three-tiered rolling cart would be the perfect solution to the teetering piles I need to wrangle. I am limiting myself to keeping only what will fit reasonably in the cart.

Now, I just need to find a bit of time to get started! And find a home for the cart itself! Be sure to ask me about my progress. It always helps to be held accountable.

What’s your organizational style? Does it work for you?

Touristing in Town–a Photo Essay: SOL25 Day 8

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When you live in America’s Finest City, sometimes you need to spend some time re-seeing your place with fresh eyes. Today, since we were meeting a friend for lunch downtown, we decided to make a day of it and headed off to Cabrillo National Monument. Located way up a hill, off the tip of Point Loma, this jewel offers breathtaking views on a clear day. And today we got just that.

After much needed rain earlier this week, this morning came in bright and clear…with the promise of sunshine and hints of spring. After parking, we headed to use the restrooms…and caught a glimpse of a large military ship passing out of the harbor. North Island Military Base is right across the bay on Coronado. Docents pointed out features of the ship as it passed by on its way out to sea.

We headed off to a favorite hiking trail that wanders along the bay. Native plants are just beginning to bud, lizards basked in the pools of sun along the trail, and we could hear the “orts” of the sea lions in the distance.

It wasn’t long before sailboats seemed to come out of nowhere, dancing along the surface of cerulean blue water. Military jets roared overhead as they rose into the sky and red shouldered hawks seemed to float effortlessly in midair.

The second half of the hike is all uphill, adding breathiness to our conversation as our hearts pounded in rhythm with our feet. We added an extra loop around the historic Point Loma Lighthouse and headed out to the overlook on the ocean side of the area.

This place is perfect for watching for gray whales as they migrate–although we have passed the end of the migration season. Looking down you can see the kelp beds and tide pools below, a reminder of another hike for another day.

What a perfect beginning to a very full day! After leaving Cabrillo we managed to get stuck in a protest parade (supportive of the cause–didn’t love the traffic jam), had a lovely lunch with an out-of-town friend that I haven’t seen for a while, pulled over on the freeway onramp while an ambulance sped by slowing traffic to a crawl (again), made our way to IKEA (because–why not if you’re within 10 miles or so) and then headed off to drop homemade sticky buns to my mom and sister before heading home in the dark.

The day was long and so satisfying. A perfect way to spend the day in America’s Finest City!

Quirky Birds: SOL25 Day 7

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For the first time in my teaching career, this year we have been allotted two days (we get a sub to cover our class) to write report cards. We do write report cards three times a year, but two days is better than none since report card writing always falls to “do it at home in the evening or weekends” time. So today was a report card writing time for me since parent-teacher conferences begin soon.

As I was writing report card comments, I found myself thinking about the joy of quirky kids. You know, the one who has a million questions even after I have carefully explained what we are doing. Or the student who can’t resist singing in full voice while everyone else is quietly working. There’s the student who wears the chunky gold chain–an aspiring rapper? Or the one with the cat ear headband (when did those become so popular?).

I think I may be drawn to the quirky birds. I know when I am walking on the beach, I notice the birds that stand out in some way. It might be that shore bird that hops along on one leg with the other tucked up tight against its body. Or the osprey that swoops down and then rises up with a fish firmly clutched in its tremendous talons. But more than likely it’s a snowy egret.

I love snowy egrets. There’s something about these tallish birds with long graceful necks and long beaks…and wait for it…bright yellow feet–that always make me smile.

Just last week I saw this character.

And fell in love!

That wind ruffled hair…and that foot! A bright yellow foot in action. Snowy egrets use those quirky feet of theirs to stomp around and stir up fish and shrimp and other seafood delicacies from the tide pools. I’ve learned to creep up quietly with my camera in hand to take photos of these beautiful and often quirky birds. I love to capture them in action…somehow freezing the movement into a still that still shows their liveliness.

So here’s to quirky birds and quirky kids…celebrating all the differences that make life lively and interesting.

In the Trees: SOL25 Day 6

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Phew! It has been quite the day. This blustery, rainy day began with an early morning mammogram (just routine). I love the mammographer at our local Kaiser–that woman is efficient! I was in and out before my official appointment time and arrived at the university at my usual time. Thursday is my work with adults day–and there was much to accomplish today. But right in the middle of a meeting this morning the fire alarm went off in our building. Ugh! For someone who is only there one day a week, I have had more than my share of fire alarm evacuations in the last couple of months! So after milling around in the chilly windiness around our building (no rain at this time), we got the all clear from the firemen and were able to head back in to resume our work.

I struggle a bit with an office day. My usual work is wrangling first graders–which means that I seldom sit. Instead I am constantly moving, crouching, leaning in, keeping life in the classroom on an even keel. On my office days with too much sitting, I feel called to head outside and walk the campus just to keep my head clear and my body in motion. I think so much better on my feet! So after some work, I bundled up and headed down the stairs for that much-needed walk!

UCSD is a beautiful campus with a very special feature: The Stuart Collection. The Stuart Collection is public outdoor art installations located throughout the campus. I often walk by Nikki de Saint Phall’s Sun God, the Snake Path that leads up to the iconic Geisel Library, and stop to photograph Fallen Star, a house perched atop the engineering building. But today I felt pulled to go in search of the Red Shoe. I headed in the direction I thought I would find it, enjoying the smell and color of the purple black sage in bloom along the way. As I got closer, I pulled out the navigation on my phone and found myself wandering through the Theatre District and into a stand of eucalyptus trees. The trees called me closer until I glimpsed the bright red of the sculpture of an enormous red, high-heeled shoe.

As I headed back to the office I remembered that the Sound Garden was nearby so I made a short detour and soon heard the music of the wind through the trees. Here’s how it was described in an article about the installation.

Thirty-two eucalyptus trees have been fitted with motion and light sensors that translate varying forces of wind and changing light patterns into sound instantaneously using sophisticated software. Speakers high in the canopy above project the sound, louder during strong gusts and sunny, summer weather; while subwoofers at ground level emanate more subtle, deep tones as darkness descends and winter prevails.

I stood and listened, feeling the wind on my cheeks and my ears filled with the symphony of a eucalyptus grove in full and beautiful voice. Calmness settled over me, I took a few photos and then made my way back to the office feeling refreshed and ready for work.

I wish I could say that the rest of the day proceeded without a glitch and that I was productive and settled. Unfortunately, in the midst of a working session on Zoom, the UCSD wifi failed, cutting off my video conference, dropping my connection on the Google slide deck we were working on and I was forced to use my phone to complete the meeting as a phone call…and to head home afterward to have internet access to get my work done!

In spite of the fire alarm and the wifi failure, my walk was uplifting and energizing. It is probably why I ended my day feeling productive in spite of losing so much work time! Note to self: take more time to listen to trees!

Weather Conundrum: SOL25 Day 5

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The calendar says that spring is a couple of weeks away, but the weather seems to be putting us all in a state of confusion. Of course I made it worse on myself by heading to Kona, HI during our February break and feeling all the summer feels: warm water, warm weather…no need for a jacket, even in the evening. Flowers were in bloom, the landscape was lush…no wonder people call it paradise.

Orchid and tropical plants in bloom in Hawaii in February

Here at home in Southern California, we’re often accused of having only two seasons: spring and summer. Where I live it never snows, but I’ve been zipped up in my down puffer jacket all week. When the highs are in the low 60s and wind is blowing hard off the ocean, it feels cold. Rain (rare in these parts) is beginning as I write and expected for the next few days. I know, I know…weather is much rougher in other places and I acknowledge that I have it easy here.

I started this post because I had noticed that it seems that spring has sprung around here. Our blueberry plants in the backyard are in blossom with fruit beginning to ripen. Trees are beginning to bud and Trader Joe’s has their daffodil bunches piled up so we can all have a vase of sunshine in our homes. I just heard on the news that the Carlsbad Flower Fields are open and the ranunculas are in bloom while the meteorologist reported a winter weather warning and the snow level down to 4000 ft (which means we’ll have snow in the local mountains)…and just to add to the weather conundrum, Daylight Saving Time is back on Sunday and we spring forward!

So tonight we have hunkered down with chili and cornbread while the rain begins a gentle pitter patter, a backbeat to the sound of my keyboard. I’m going to enjoy this little winter interlude and sip hot chocolate while wrapped in a blanket for a few more days before barreling full-speed into spring and all the craziness that is spring in schools. Is my weather conundrum solved? Probably not!

That Magical Buzz: SOL25 Day 4

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Some days in the first grade classroom chaos rules. It seems that everyone needs help at the same moment and a single word (think birthday, soccer, lunch…) makes every voice rise in frenzied simultaneous conversation.

But today was different. We had started a writing project on Friday, but ran out of time (and focus) before we got it completed. And since it is March and I had some time this morning after our class watched another first grade class perform a play, I gave my students a list of four things to do.

Reread the writing from Friday and finish, making sure all five senses are represented
Use voice to text (something we have done before) to type the writing into Pages
Meet with me for a quick review and a reminder of how to share the document with me
Go onto a particular app for independent math practice

When we started this, I wasn’t sure I would be able to meet with students with others working independently. But…my students proved their maturity today and that magical buzz settled over the room. Students focused on completing their writing. They helped each other navigate the iPad and reminded each other how to make the technology work. If I was working with a student, others waited patiently for their turn with me. And those on the app worked without needing reminders to stay focused. It wasn’t quiet, but the noise was productive. Most students were able to complete and share their writing and everyone had meaningful learning work to do.

I love when this breakthrough happens. Now I will stay alert for opportunities for students to exercise this independence and work as a team. That magical buzz is priceless!