Beets are a crop you plant in early fall, then forget about for a long time. I planted golden heirlooms this year in addition to the usual blood red variety. I noticed they were still growing but hadn’t taken the time to specifically monitor the roots. On Sunday I saw that a few were . . . Read More
The Friday before spring break it hailed on the Seed playground. A huge dark cloud that resembled the kind Nebraska tornadoes dropped out of when I was a kid rolled across the valley, leaving us slightly stunned by the load of white icy pellets on our streets, yards and even the Seed playground. It was . . . Read More
By mid-week my blog topic usually surfaces. I was pretty certain it would be the book fair this week, with all its festivities, including visits from Clifford the Big Red Dog, the extraordinary collection of beautiful books, the over-the-top decorations by students and teachers, and the excitement of the Thursday night event. I planned to . . . Read More
It’s never too early to learn about compost. We have endless opportunities every day at the Seed. Snack scraps, lunch leftovers, stems and leaves from harvested produce. Even the toddlers and preschoolers are learning about this process. Earlier in the week I visited with the Preschool 2.5/3s to kick-start their composting project. With a load . . . Read More
“Winter” in Phoenix is always a random event. In January we had below freezing temperatures and several pipes blew out from the ice. Faucet drips turned into icicles and most of the sunflowers in my life were wiped out by the frost. Within days, it was in the 70s again and it felt like spring . . . Read More
Trash has been on my mind for as long as I can remember. In the early days of the Seed when we had ten kids in the school, we took everyone to the landfill to see what happens to all the trash. We saw piles of discarded items, including large appliances like washers and refrigerators. . . . Read More
This morning, while teachers began the important process of meeting with the parents of each child, I planted onions. They are the small type called I’itoi Multiplier Onions and have been grown by the O’odam people in southern Arizona for centuries. My backyard garden at home is loaded with them, so I thought I’d share . . . Read More
It’s a known fact that I’m a frequent walker and my walks, especially those by the canal, never fail to produce their share of surprises. The coyote sightings are by far the most exciting. One of my favorite days was when I saw three coyotes on the other side of the canal and right before . . . Read More
Monday morning I happened to notice our neighbor’s flag hung in honor of MLK Day and probably the inauguration. At first I walked past it, then something in the way the early light shone through the flag caught my eye. I paused to capture the moment before moving on into my day. I didn’t think . . . Read More
Bill kept busy this week with multiple broken pipes, both at school and home. The most exciting one was on the playground Tuesday when a gusher erupted on the big sand circle. The frozen PVC pipe that carries water from the main line to the misting system broke in two places, creating a lovely fountain . . . Read More
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