October is Mystery Theater season. It’s Sunday evening and I just arrived home from a two-hour rehearsal session at the Seed. For a group devoted to making people laugh, we take our roles seriously. Sort of. Today we laughed so hard we had to halt rehearsal to pull ourselves together. We spent over an hour . . . Read More
We lead a surprise-filled life here at the Seed. After working this way for over 30 years, surprises have become the norm. I get used to quirky comments from kids, outrageously creative art projects from scraps of paper, and innovative teacher ideas for how to improve what we do every day in the classrooms. But . . . Read More
On Friday I stepped onto the playground for duty and was blasted by a hot wind. In the next moment I thought it won’t be long before a colder wind shivers our bones. Even with the heat, Friday’s wind was laced with a hint of fall, signaling the change in the air. I felt that . . . Read More
At this time of year many classes are studying families. Some are human families in their individual houses, and others are creatures that roam the earth. It’s often a beginning-of-the-year topic to get to know each other better. Children share news about their parents, siblings, cousins and grandparents. Family pets are high on the list . . . Read More
Last week I wrote about 9/11 and mentioned my friend Shelley, who lived through the whole event as a superintendent in the New York City public schools. Her response to my blog included these words: “I was in awe yesterday, listening to children who were born soon after 9/11, never having met their fathers. They . . . Read More
I planned to write about the beautiful apples we collected in Oak Creek Canyon last Sunday. It was a banner year for apples in the orchard where Bill and I were married in the rain 35 years ago. The apples made it all the way home and for dessert we had apple crisp. Under normal . . . Read More
I have a confession to make. Right now I’m totally obsessed with food blogs. I love gathering recipes and ideas about cooking. Even more, I’m enthralled by how different foodies write about what they eat and cook. My current favorite is Heidi Swanson, a food writer and photographer from San Francisco. She has a website . . . Read More
This time of year is one of settling in, learning routines, and forging new friendships. Although it’s officially still summer, we have big hopes for cooler weather. These days teachers have to be extra creative to provide the lingering summer energy levels a productive channel of expression. While we adjust to a new school year . . . Read More
In the last eight months the artist in me has come to life again. It’s not that I ever stopped doing art, I just realized that I wanted it to be more than something I do every six months or so. Art has always been a significant part of my life, beginning when I was . . . Read More
One of the best parts of summer is the chance to read more than the usual required documents that cross my desk at school. This summer I read several books that captured my attention, and some, even my heart. My pile of books (some in electronic format) included The Help, The Immortal Life of Henrietta . . . Read More
I decided to do something different these past few weeks and cut myself some slack. I took time off from my blog. The whole time, though, was a constant process of gathering writing material. Everywhere I turned, as we traveled the coast of northern California, a blog topic appeared. Foggy mornings, a pile of seals . . . Read More
I’m back in the desert after a week in northern Minnesota, a place intensely dear to my heart. Just prior to our departure on Saturday morning, I noticed the lake completely fogged in. Assuming it was the combination of excessive moisture and warmer temperatures, I’ve never seen the lake so quiet. In our final . . . Read More
This afternoon on my way to see our Granny, my husband’s 95-year-old mother, I pulled over to photograph the storm rolling in. It was hardly a storm in comparison to the “haboob” that blew through the valley on the evening of my 60th birthday, but it looked like it held potential for more dust and . . . Read More
A string of Annes has embellished my life. Some with the “e” and others without. A few Annas have been thrown in to make it interesting. My notorious aunt Ann at 4’10” earned her reputation by regularly smoking cigars. Nobody messed with her. I have a niece named Annie and my best friend Annie from . . . Read More
Last weekend our family went to Denver for our niece’s wedding. It was a rare moment in time when our entire family was present, all four generations of us. There were my parents, still healthy and active in their 80s, and our newest additions, Ike, Ivy, and Braxton, cousins born this past spring within two . . . Read More
The quail perched on the block wall wasn’t just resting, he was on guard duty. I realized this moments after I caught my first glimpse. Right below, among the rocks and desert plants, his mate scurried along the base of the wall with a brood of babies in tow. I tried to get closer . . . Read More
Saturday was a day devoted to the light. It started on my morning walk as I considered the theme for my 8:30 a.m. yoga class. Each month the studio selects a theme and June’s is light. As much as I can, I try to weave the general theme into my specific intention for each class. . . . Read More
In three days the Seed will harvest another crop of graduates. Each year my friend Gayle at Changing Hands Bookstore gives a gift card to each Seed grad. She’s done this for years and says it gives her hope for the world, knowing that another group of Seed kids is heading out into the world. . . . Read More
Our garden is full of surprises these days. Yesterday I was trimming dead growth from the underside of a lavender bush and discovered an abandoned nest of quail eggs. It looked like it had been there awhile. I pondered what must have happened to the parent birds to desert their future offspring. It wasn’t the . . . Read More
The day of the cancer call I knew we wouldn’t be going to India. For years India has been on my list of places I must go and the trip was the one and only request for my upcoming 60th birthday. I thought perhaps this year I finally might use my new passport for the first . . . Read More
One morning last week I noticed a burst of red glaring out of the green foliage. Looking closer, I saw the first tomato of the season. Tomatoes have been elusive members of our garden for most years, last year being an exception. They can be so temperamental, requiring just the right amount of sunlight, shade, . . . Read More
What I love about hollyhocks is how much they give and how little they ask in return. Right now they’re in their prime and when I’m working in my study it’s hard to get much done because I just want to stare at them. Each spring they take over the southwest corner of our garden . . . Read More
In the rural Nebraska town where I grew up, May 1st was always a memorable day. We called it May Basket Day because we made little baskets out of paper and doilies, stuffed them with flowers, popcorn, and candy, then delivered them to the doorsteps of our friends. We’d set the basket on the doorstep, . . . Read More
On Thursday morning beneath sunny blue skies, our whole school gathered, most children donning their favorite costumes, to remember and say goodbye to Gwen Van Kirk. Gwen was one of our beloved preschoolers who unexpectedly passed away in her sleep at home on June 11, 2010. She was four years old, full of life, and . . . Read More