Happy New Year from Mooklettes

i hope that 2010 was a good year for each of you who come to pay me a visit here. for us, 2010 brought some challenges, but also many blessings...we are very lucky to have so much: family love, dear friends, health and well-being.

in 2011, with some luck and hard work, one of the mooklettes will be leaving the nest for the first time and all of us will be rooting for him along the way.

i hope that the coming days give us a chance to be in each others company, to share a laugh, or offer support.

may all the blessings of 2011 be yours!

peace

merry christmas

The Christmas stories in the Bible - and they are multiple and contradictory - are obviously myths. They are obviously not to be taken literally. They are meant as signs to the deeper, profounder truth that Christians hold to: that the force behind all that exists actually intervened in the consciousness of humankind in the form of a man so saturated in godliness that merely being near him healed people of the weight of the world's sins. This is so enormous and radical an idea that it is not suprising that early Christian writers told stories to bring it more firmly to life. But they were stories, telling of a deeper more ineffable truth. If only contemporary Christians could let go of the literalism in pursuit of the far more extraordinary fact of the Incarnation.- andrew sullivan

 - peace and good wishes

to a special group of "monarchs"

this is a little love letter to my former 6th graders...who are now all in their 20's...

one of the best things about facebook is, (and i'm grateful to those of you who have 'friended' me) it gives me a chance to see who you have become, to be so proud of watching you all go into the world to use your talents, and reminds me of the incredible journey we took together.

there was something very special about being a class of 17 kids who stayed together all day, and even if at times, it felt too small, it gave us a chance to work things out, to communicate and to grow together. all life skills i see you guys using everyday.

i have to say that you each pushed me to be the best teacher i could be- i knew i owed it to you and you all expected my "a-game", because that is what you were bringing.

our philosophy at the time was "joy in learning" and i'm pretty sure we nailed it. i know i had achieved great joy in my teaching, which is not a small gift. one that sustains me and guides me today.

i just wanted to take a minute and tell you that i'm still rooting for you all, gratified to share in your lives, then and now, and so grateful to know that such fine people are in the world...

my favorite things

as my nemesis, oprah, closes out her show (props to her for being successful and all. whatever.) i thought i'd take a page from her book. sadly the page i take won't be running a marathon in 4hrs (credit, where credit is due). she always does this crazy give away show, which i have never seen, but hear plenty about. so if i had a bunch of money, an obscene amount of influence and the entire top floor of a downtown chicago high rise, what would i give you?

• every episode of 30 Rock, so you could laugh with me instead of reminding me that i am a total nerd
• your choice: vibram five-fingers or crocs, because no matter how ugly they, like broccoli, are good for ya'. also, it would be really cool to see a whole bunch of people walking around wearing either of them, without shame or irony
• a prime rib, as made by mr. mooklettes. i don't know how he'd feel about having you all over for dinner, but honestly you have not lived until you have had his prime rib...
• a copy of Food Matters, by Mark Bittman. after that prime rib, you're gonna need to be a "lessmeatatarian" like I am.
• a comfy sweatshirt: nothing screams sexy like the sight of me in my 20 year old Loyola sweatshirt with holes and frayed cuffs. you should be able to rock that look, too. (bonus, add in flannel pj bottoms and my crocs. i KNOW, hot, huh?)
• ivory liquid: it's not just for dishes. guaranteed most dependable bath bubble for all your soaking needs
• steel cut oats in a five pound bag: sure to induce guilt over not giving your body enough whole grains. tasty, too.
• now this one is really personal: a big case of Hefeweizen (and not the crap from costco). just the thought of giving beer away makes me weepy, but it is important to share. spare me the "i can't see through this beer" comments, grab an orange slice and be quiet.
• your choice (again): my nude portrait (thx Louisa), my boxed set of vintage Erma Bombeck paperbacks(thx Cheryl), my Picasso (yes, it is real, don't ask-long story), or my amazing Polaroid (thx Jen). I can't give them to you, because I'd miss them too much, but you can come over and spend time with them.
• a day off work: on a day when every one else is working. just us, hanging out, shooting the breeze. (what can i say, i'm a giver)

what i really would love to give you is time to play, time to be free from worry and stress, time to enjoy the lives you work so hard for. but, i'm not omnipotent, i'm not oprah!

peace!!

here's one thing i'm thinking about...

every now and then we enter the presence of the numinous and deduce for an instant how we're formed, in what detail the force that infuses every petal might specifically run through us, wishing only to love us into our full potential. usually the closest we get is when we love, or when some beloved beams back, which can galvanize you like steel and make resilient what had heretofore only been soft flesh. it can start you to singing as the lion pads over to you, its jaws hinging open, its hot breath on you. even unto death. Lit, Mary Karr pg 386

sometimes writers so capture a moment, it takes my breath away. this is one of those times, where as writing, it just works. those sentences are a universe unto themselves. beyond that, the idea they represent is so real and stunning, those words nearly glimmer for me.

i hope each of you have moments where you are able to so clearly realize why you exist and are able to make that love/passion real for the universe. i am trying, and sometimes failing, to notice those moments and to hold them close.

our lives are fleeting, they move fast, we all have so much to do, but what is the point of doing all those things, if they are removed from helping us connect with others? no, i am not romanticizing doing the laundry, but isn't even that act a representation of showing care and concern for others?

i hope that each day i use my talents to make some one's life better, to show some care and concern for other's troubles, to make the load lighter for them. (i am quite sure that i often fail in this regard, so consider it a work in progress.)i also know it is okay to take time for oneself, to nurture the interior, to be alone and to be quiet. the trick, i guess is finding the balance.

as Conan O'Brien says, "work hard and be kind"- to do only that would be enough.
-peace

it's that time of year again...

paul, my fabulous brother-friend, over at www.peopleforothers.com blogged all this past week about gratitude, and even busted out the categories. of course, he has way more eyeballs visit his page every day, so i don't even try to compete, however, as always, i thought he did a great job, even if I was NOT specifically mentioned. (an oversight, i am sure)

as usual, i find myself a bit more reflective come november, rather than new year, because advent is beginning and it is time to turn our attention to christmas and the many blessings that this time of year brings.

in so many ways, it has not been an easy year, but i find if i pay attention, i can usually spot the good in a situation...(except when i'm being a lunatic- then all bets are off. i promise i try to avoid lunatic behavior, but i am human and it does happen).

*my kids and my hubby each work so hard every day to do what's right and to reach out to others. they are also good for a laugh, and excellent adventures when we are on the road...
*my sis: always in my corner
*my brothers (including Paul): you each go out of your way to love your pesky little sister
*my folks: it has been a difficult, difficult year, and once again, you have shown me how to handle tough times with dignity and grace.
*my extended family: i am richly blessed with a huge family of aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws, nieces and nephews. i am thankful for the times when our lives overlap and we are in each others company. i am also thankful most of you are on facebook, so the gap between visits doesn't seem so long.
*my friends: you push me to be my best self, you hold me close,you look out for me, you inspire me and enlighten me.

b-roll list:
as always i remain grateful for the following: books, going for a run, hot baths, good tunes, cheap wine, and my little laptop.

mary chapin carpenter is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. here is her "thanksgiving song". please ignore the cheesy video that accompanies it...

blogging for education reform

i have way more to say on this topic, as regular readers know...but here is where i am today:
-there is no magic bullet
-insisting that a group of kids be taught with only one method is wrong
-dictating to professionals how to do their job, and insisting they march in lock step with other classrooms leads to failure
-claiming that assessments are solely indicative of learning leads to kids who do not think for themselves
-eliminating personal relationships among students and teachers leaves kids feeling further disenfranchised and not engaged
-scapegoating teachers does nothing to make up for an epidemic of bad parenting
-you would not want your own child taught in the manner of which most of the current "ed reformers" are advocating.
-no matter how you try to parse it, every child in this nation will not be at grade level in 2014. that is just ridiculous, so stop it. take it out of NCLB and grow up.
-i am not a failure, neither is my school, neither is my district
-public schools take all comers and everything they bring into the classroom with them.
-teachers unions are not half as bad as you have been led to believe. in fact, without one, i'm pretty sure i wouldn't want to be in a classroom today.

solutions:
-let me do the task I was hired to do
-hold me to high standards and apply them equally to my peers
-don't micromanage my instruction
-stop tying federal dollars up with nonsense designed to co-opt public education and convince parents that charter schools are the only viable option
-recognize that there is more than one meaningful way to assess learning
-hold kids and parents accountable for state test scores
-stop trying to insult me with schemes like merit pay, which do nothing to change anyone's classroom practices, except make it more likely that someone might want to cheat on a test.

the only thing i ever wanted to be was a teacher. i'm proud of that. i could have done anything else, still could, but i don't. i am here for your kids, i bring my best self every day, i demonstrate respect for them by being prepared. prepared to engage them where they are. i build the bridge that gets them from "cat, bat, sat" to discussing a novel.i hold them accountable, correct,praise and motivate. i do it because this democracy needs citizens who can think and reason for themselves.i teach because as much as the kids may learn from me, there isn't a day that goes by that i don't learn from them.
-peace

funeral playlist

hmmm...not sure if I have ever posted on this topic and it bothers some people when i mention it...

i keep a playlist called 'funeral' on my ipod, just for when it is needed, so my kids don't have to quarrel over what music to play, and as a bonus, they could burn a cd for you when you leave...

some songs have been on it from the first time i started it, some get delisted. all of them reflect some aspect of who i am, have been, what i hope for, etc. some are religious, some are standards, some is schlocky pop.

can't decide if i should list the titles. it could be anticlimatic and maybe the actual list isn't important, it is just my little reminder for myself to notice, to remember, to be kind, to work hard, to love completely and to help others.
-peace

aggravation comes before gratitude this week

yes, yes, I'm grateful for all kinds of things, whatever. here's a list of things that aggravate me:
_teens who know everything
-running tights
-allergy induced headaches that make me want to slam my head on my desk
-tests that feel like they are tricking my students instead of just assessing what they can do
-beer that goes skunky
-dinnertimes where we reenact the "airing of the grievances" from seinfeld
-that they only keep 5 episodes of a show online
-editing a kiddo's rough draft, only to have them submit the final draft with all the same mistakes
-people who lie
-clean laundry that gets dumped on the floor, never to be put away
-papercuts
-when the bubbles wear out in my tub
So there, Universe. take that...

november, wow! really?

mooklettes update:
chris and i just got back from an extended weekend in carmel, ca. thanks to lynne we were able to turn off the mom and dad portion of our brains for a few days and enjoy some great runs along the coast, walking around without a schedule or nagging, and meandering wherever the mood took us.

joe is applying to the CSU system for college in the fall, or he may go the JC route. he is interested in becoming a lock smith, which i find to be right up his alley. he also seems to have a burgeoning career as a house/pet sitter. the kids needs dough, so call me. he is happiest about his U18 boys soccer team doing so well, and his leadership role within that team.

kate is a workhorse. she puts a great deal of effort into everything she does. have to say a big highlight was her singing to me at my birthday party. not only was she lovely, it was an unexpected treat from my gorgeous girl. kate is learning to drive and is lobbying hard for a car.

jt is addicted to anything with a screen. we are considering a 12 step program for him. he has also recently been named mayor. of our home! he keeps everything running around here: pets fed, table set, c. out of traffic, you name it and he knows what time it needs to be done and exactly to what specification.

c. is starting to print, but mostly she just wants to dance and sass. she is the champion of sass. (and coming from me? that is really saying something!) current favorite: What kind of girl do you think i am???

current life advice that i'm embracing

what is the source of your information? if it is only in your head, ignore it.
- mary karr, LIT

what i've been reading

i have come across some real treasures lately! now that i have a kindle, as well, i am actually able to read even more. no i won't use it exclusively, but i am surprised at how wonderful it is. for those who wonder, it does actually feel like a book and the type resembles a good old-fashioned paperback.

- The Liar's Club:Mary Karr. read this in advance of daughter needing to read it as summer assignment for sophomore english. i really embraced it. this gal takes some really bad situations and mines the humor out of them in order to make herself a better person. also, i was impressed with the bravery displayed by the teachers who assigned this work. surely they got complaints?
-LIT: also by Mary Karr. 3rd in the series of her memoirs. profound, changed my life, left me a different human being.(not engaging in hyperbole)there were lessons she learned that i needed to benefit from and the time was right. plus, that title works in 3 different ways, which is also an indication of the brilliance of the book.
-Particular Sadness of lemon Cake: i wanted to like this book, after all i waited for weeks for my turn at it through the library. in a word, it was awful.
-Star Island: Carl Hiassan this is one of his novels for adults and it is just fun, plain and simple. oh, and it is also filthy.
-The Red Queen and the White Queen: both by Phillipa Gregory. She is really a master of historical fiction and in this duo she backs up a generation or two from Henry the VIII and looks at those involved in the War of the Roses. Both are as wonderful and engaging as her previous works.
-Composed: Rosanne Cash. She is a poet and a true artist with a voice independent from her famous father. i have loved her music for years and this book made me love her more.
True Porn Clerk Stories: Ali Davis Um, really a little nugget of comedic wisdom and a meditation on human sexuality, feminism, and the human condition. Ali succeeds in writing about her experiences in such an arc that each chapter contains a very satisfying pay-off. (wonder how she knew that would work?)still, not for the faint of heart!
- I Remember Nothing: Nora Ephron. If there is a writer who more deserves the mantle of Erma Bombeck for truth-telling disguised with humor, I am not sure who it might be. in this slim-volume, Nora takes on aging and how she sees herself, and others, from the vantage point of 69 years old. the writing is brief, precise, moving and truly funny, no matter what alec baldwin may post on huffpo!

things that make me go hmmm

i think that people who compromise deeply held beliefs for a short term gain, wind up without either....

the big 4-0

...and the view is quite lovely. last year i talked about how i was going to keep counting the years, and not put a "hold" on myself at 39 and i still feel that way.

my sis went out of her way to surprise me with a very big party. the setting was desert-moonlight-outdoor-under the stars-amazing, and because MA organized it, everything was pitch-perfect, in one of those, *I'll never even hope to have night like THAT* kind of ways. what an evening! lots of wonderful people, whom i love, dancing and fun. it was amazing to be in the company of so many fabulous people who "get" me and love me anyway.

thanks to all of you who lift me up in so many ways!
-peace

pausing to remember

it's about more than the WTC...don't forget the pentagon and a field in shanksville, pa...and the more than 5,000 lives that followed the tragedy of 9/11...

where i've been

...or respecting the ebb and flow...
um, i've missed this space, and have tried to get back, but life just kept standing in the way of the quiet it takes to come here.

but, i'm here now and rereading some posts i've written and smiling...just like i hit a *wall* in my running from time to time, i hit a *wall* with my writing and wanting to share.

i have a good friend who blogs as part of his job, and it becomes an exhausting demand. i once referred to it as the "beast who must be fed". however, i come here by choice...

let's catch up, old friend...
still running, only sporadically. it just doesn't fit with my level of exhaustion right now. i had planned to do my first marathon next month, but my body and mind did not handle the increase in mileage well, and i am no elite athlete, so i'll do the half and be content at being out there.

teaching- still love it. i do have to admit that doing two curriculum at one time is the thing that leaves me most drained. and, as i start a new school year, the gulf between the two grades is huge and i find myself stretched way too thin.

in addition to teaching, i was elected to serve my teachers' union. it is a really interesting learning curve and i am proud of our local chapter and how hard people work for others.

the kids are great. busy, like everyone else, but still funny and rebellious and loud, just the way i like them, even when it aggravates me.

the mister is good. new school again, and trying to find his place, but always with his students' best interests at heart and focusing on doing right by them.

all in all...things are really good!
-peace