Miscellaneous Missives

Lately, I'm having a problem blogging.  I think it's because I'm having a problem with general motivation.  It's a good thing Wing Young Huie visited my class on Friday to discuss his book (with John Coy) Their Great Gift .  He is certainly motivational.  I really appreciate that he let's me work with him on the presentation.  We discussed next week's visit over lunch at Andale .  It was a great end to the week. I have been motivated to follow Rethink Church's prompts for a photo a day during Lent.  Each day I pick a picture that I feel goes along with the word and post it to Instagram. I hope they appreciated my beer picture for fulfillment.  I wonder if anyone is humored by my picture of my new book, Watch Your Fucking Language, in the middle of the Lent images.  Oh well, at least I'm taking a picture each day. Here's my words from Watching Your Fucking Language for today:  "In Arabi, 'Muti' means: Jackass." Anyway, Febr...

Today is a crazy mix of Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday.  As I drove home from school, the news announced another school shooting on this day of love.  A friend had started a donation page for Everytown For Gun Safety .  I thought this would be something I could do also.  It's on my Facebook page.  I asked people to give what they normally would give on Valentine's Day to this organization.  I think it's fitting for all that today represents (First day of Advent, Love, and continuous gun violence all rolled into one). Since it is the first day of Lent, I've decided on my Lenten practices.  Each night I'm going to read the Beatitudes (Blessed are the...).  I'm also reading Pope Francis' Happiness in This Life, and he talks a lot about the Beatitudes.  In addition, I'll be following the words from Rethink Church's Lenten Photo Challenge.  Today's word was spirit.  In the spirit of love, friendship, camaraderie...) two of my col...

I'm ready for spring.  The cold weather has been a bit miserable.  I think snowfalls are always pretty, but I don't like the cold.  Yes, I try to embrace it by walking to do my errands, but it's too much.  February is a difficult month for me (and many teachers).  This year seems to be worse.  Our students are obnoxious.  It really seems as though this year is "two steps forward and one step back."  Last Thursday I was concerned about what to pack for my trip to Iowa.  Would I stay for one night?  two nights?  What night would I go?  What would I wear?  I packed my bag, had a glass of wine, and went to bed.  Friday morning I woke up with the stomach flu which turned into (???) the head/chest flu.  My weekend was ruined.  I know I'm whining, so the good news is that I read a couple decent books.  Plus, I had bought a big thing of Clorox wipes and was able to wipe al surfaces in my classroom. ...

What 'o Week!  It was a crazy week from sickness, to conferences to field trips, to weekend visitors...  In the craziness, everything turned out OK.  We had perfect weather for snowshoeing and kick-sledding.  Conferences went as one would imagine, and it gave us Friday off.  A three day weekend is always the medicine for all that ails one.  It's Super Bowl week in Minneapolis as everyone knows.  The weather has been snowy and cold, but I think our city (#mytown) has impressed folks.  All week I've been hoping to see Justin Timberlake and/or P!nk, but it's difficult since I really haven't gone out much.  Today, as I watch the Super Bowl, I'm trying to follow the above chart.  It's early in the game, and I've already done 20 pushups, 7 burpees, and 10 jumping jacks.  I plan an changing the push ups to reverse crunches at half time. 

Friday night a couple of friends came to hang with me for the weekend.  When I realized they were coming (Thursday), I suggested they join me on Saturday for the No Human is Illegal March.  Many groups participated and spoke at a small rally before the March.  After the march, another small rally was held at Indigenous Roots Cultural Center .  Even though I was disappointed that the Women's March didn't have an actual march in Minneapolis/St. Paul, I was motivated to march.  The last few weeks, I've been fearful that we (women, progressives, Democrats...) are losing our fight.  Yesterday showed me that we need to keep fighting and many still are fighting. To end the day, we stopped at Punch Pizza .  Even though there was only three of us, we played Cards Against Humanity while eating our pizza and salad.  I blamed losing on holding the KKK card in my hand.  "The KKK is rarely funny," I replied as I lost.  Everyone seemed to agree...

The students made this four day week seem like an eight day week.  Motivation is at an all time low.  We've been working on persuasive speeches, and I am not looking forward to speech day on Monday, just saying.  This week, however, was not a complete waste.  On Thursdays I have a small eighth grade book group.  Last week I found out one of the girls (C) doesn't have and never has had a library card.  We planned a field trip to the library which happens to be across the street.   The librarian started off my given her a choice of three cards.  Another girl in the group and I groaned aloud since we were never offered a choice of cards when we first received our cards.  We may have also groaned when C was offered a plastic case to hold her card.  It's all good. Even though their was disappointment, watching C's excitement about getting a card and learning how to use the library's website to reserve a book was worth it.  Ya...

I saw this activity and thought I'd follow through.  Of course this letter is relevant today, but I feel as though we, white people, are letting others down as we sit back.  Things seem to be getting worse every day. If you are home today because of Marin Luther King Jr. Day, take a moment to reflect. I chose three quotes. 1)" Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garmet of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provinicial, "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outside r." A friend recently told me she doesn't feel wanted in the United States after 45th's latest comments. She was born in this country and graduated from college in this country, yet she doesn't feel as though she is wanted.  Others were mortified by this on...