Over winter break we took a road trip to San Francisco with one of our daughters and her family. While the other three adults attended the ASU bowl game, I orchestrated an adventure with my three grandchildren, ages, 8, 6 and 5. They dropped us off at the Exploratorium, a hands-on learning center for kids . . . Read More
Some days the weight of responsibility rests heavily on my heart. Last Friday was one of those days as the Seed’s director. As news of the Sandy Hook shooting filtered into our lives, the layers of implication piled up. Hearing that twenty young children were dead, along with six adults who gave their lives to . . . Read More
On Tuesday morning in the Seed parking lot, my husband and youngest daughter stood together negotiating the future of a few boxes of pictures, partially finished crochet projects, some old magazines, and a small collection of china figurines. That was about all that was left of our Granny’s possessions. Our Granny, Edith Glover, passed away . . . Read More
The creosote bushes in front of the Seed have become a world unto itself. Day after day, dozens of children enter and leave the school by “running through the woods.” Over the past decade, the bushes have grown huge, as have the imaginations of the children who have passed through them. On the way in . . . Read More
At dusk on Thanksgiving Day, a few family members and I ventured out for a hike around Scott Reservoir near Showlow. I’d been there before but not at sunset. It was such a peaceful day anyway, and the quietness of the trees surrounding the water made our trek even more relaxing. The changing light was . . . Read More
This year’s all-school Thanksgiving project is a lovely paper tree in the office. It’s our version of Shel Silverstein’s “giving tree,” called “the Seed’s THANKS-giving tree.” I wish I could take credit for thinking of the idea, but I didn’t. Each family was asked to write something on a paper leaf, expressing what it is . . . Read More
It was literally a truckload of food. On Tuesday Bill delivered over 1,600 non-perishable food items to the Tanner Chapel food pantry. Thanks to our generous Seed families and the hardworking food pantry staff, fewer people will go hungry in the Phoenix area around Thanksgiving this year. It’s a good feeling to be able to . . . Read More
It seems like once Halloween passes, the holiday season begins stalking us. In stores there’s hardly a moment between the Halloween and Christmas decorations. Already I can feel the pressure of the holidays breathing down my neck. Each year I vow not to let it get to me, to move through the upcoming season with . . . Read More
Tuesday morning I was out for my walk as the barely waning full moon was beginning to fade. I thought of all the people on the east coast who were hit by the monster storm the night before and felt grateful that I was walking on dry ground under blue Arizona skies. As I made . . . Read More
As if we didn’t have enough carnival excitement, on Tuesday morning two baby goats came to the Seed. They arrived with their twin human brother and sister to liven up the toddler playground for the day. As the goats familiarized themselves with the toddlers’ play area, teachers scurried around with the broom and dustpan, scooping . . . Read More
At our Mystery Theater rehearsal on Wednesday night we took a break from blocking out the action and laying down the tape for the stage to open the tubs of costumes we’ve accumulated over the years. It’s become a tradition within a tradition that always inspires a walk down memory lane. The recent night’s venture . . . Read More
If you’re a gardener, this time of year is one of hope and belief in miracles. A few weeks ago I ordered my year’s supply of heirloom seeds and I’ve been waiting patiently to offer them to the soil in our back yard. On Sunday I finally had my chance to do that. As I . . . Read More
Over the years I’ve grown to appreciate the creative opportunities that being a school director offers. I never thought I’d get to that point, which is one reason I resisted giving up being a classroom teacher for so long. I loved teaching, particularly writing. Even though most of my days are spent covering subs, talking . . . Read More
On Wednesday morning I had the pleasure of talking with Kevin, our Preschool 3s teacher of many years, who recently moved to Vietnam to teach English as a second language. While it appeared that his original intention was to work with adults, Kevin has found himself again teacher three-year-olds. This time he is employed at . . . Read More
It’s quite a leap from last week’s topic about the Twin Towers to this week’s account of our annual Seed tie dye event. I have to say, it was quite an event and I’m not really sure how I was drawn into it as much as I was. For the last several years we had . . . Read More
It rained during my morning walk on September 11. It wasn’t a big rain, just a light mist that didn’t let up until I approached our driveway on the return home. When I first started out I thought of going back to the house to get my umbrella, or at least a hat. But then . . . Read More
The toddlers’ counting bears took a field trip last weekend. Red, green, yellow and blue plastic bears were loaded up in their tubs and hauled off to my 96-year-old mother-in-law’s assisted living home. The bears were part of some volunteer work my granddaughter is doing to fulfill a high school graduation requirement. Along with the . . . Read More
Now that daily routines are mostly established, our first fire drill is out of the way, and good-byes are getting easier, attention is shifting within the classrooms. As I walked through several rooms this past week, teachers have their notebooks out to document what children are doing in their classrooms. Some have individual sheets for . . . Read More
It’s been a big water week around the Seed. Valley storms transformed our playground from a dry, grassy area to a lakeside recreation spot. Imaginations have had a heyday as children became sharks feeding on acacia seeds washed into large piles by the rain. Upside down pots and pans formed a trail through the sand . . . Read More
The other morning as I was out for my walk along the canal, I noticed a bird’s nest in a cholla. It had an elaborately constructed ladder made of sticks, precisely woven throughout the prickly thorns, to give passage to a brave bird through the treacherous branches to its nest in the middle of the . . . Read More
Yesterday morning I took a walk with a dear friend in a quiet neighborhood outside of Boston. It’s a neighborhood filled with history from before Revolutionary War times. Her house on Concord Road was built in 1830 and the whole area has deep roots into the past. Bobbi and I were teacher friends in the . . . Read More
I thank Frederick Douglass for my introduction to the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Years ago when I was teaching 2nd grade, we examined the life of the famous abolitionist as part of our annual human rights study. As I read his biography in preparation for my teaching I learned that the AME Church, of which . . . Read More
At the lake last Friday I photographed this delicate wild iris blooming at the edge of the dock. I spent considerable time getting the right angle and lighting. I’m so glad I did. By Saturday it was all shriveled up and drying out. That’s the way life is, always in a state of change, . . . Read More
In honor of Father’s Day, I thought I would write about mine. I feel blessed beyond words to have both of my parents still living and enjoying a meaningful life. My dad is 87 and still acts like he’s 30 sometimes. Tonight when I called to wish him a happy Father’s Day, I asked how . . . Read More