From One to Another

Art found at the library table.

A quiet moment, a vision seen

Drawn 

Left 

for others to find. 

Beauty of the eye in the beholder.

A Gift

Rolling Thunder

 

In the quiet of the morning,

 

four minutes apart.

Rolling Mist

Addendum

No one can terrorize a whole nation, unless we are all his accomplices. 

                                                       ~ Edward R. Murrow

To Yesterday

The Future

             is in the past. 

                       What we do today, 

                                   the past of the future, 

                                                shapes our tomorrows.

And also on our streets and in our workplaces and in our social sites and bars. What we - all of us - are doing and thinking and believing will make tomorrow.

The World We'll Live In

A Night of Friends, Music, Fun

And Neon to Live By

We did.

Yarn In Syracuse

In Color, Just Waiting to Be

 

Found, at the Pines

Good Times

 

Love in the living room

Love in the morning

Come find me: and love from Lennie.*

Friends to start and music to end.

Spring! Now and forever.**

Madison, '25

*Photos by RKB

** Artwork by Julie

What She Said

 

NYTimes

Amen

The Width of Disbelief

Over the last few weeks of cuts to money and programs, working class people have been saying "I didn't vote for this." So, I get it. Perhaps not engulfed in news or getting their news from social media or Fox, a lot do nowadays, they felt Trump talked a game but wouldn't do all he talked.

Yesterday, though, a billionaire said the same thing. Duh. Really? Now that he's losing money - lots of money - he's upset? Give me a break.

It's sad where we are, and we might not be at the bottom yet. For those of who did vote believing everything he said, it's frustrating. 

  So Sad

Political

In politics today I have to have patience. Oh, I can make a sign (I did), write my politicians (I do, at least once a week) and keep informed (with various medias, but no social sites). I firmly believe, as this editorial finished with, that it is up to the Trump followers to change. I can't make them come to reason; they have to have their own tipping point. They have to say "enough."

In my personal life, though, control is mine. Oh, for sure, I lose it sometimes (okay, more than sometimes), but ultimately, I am in charge of me. And, I am getting a bit better. Day-to-day life some moments can be challenging and lonely. It is those moments when this quote is so apt. I have to "stand the pain."

Global to local, all from The Week's reading this morning.

Personal

Soup

With a side of paw.

Biggie

Stories

Yesterday I smiled at yet another comic in the paper. I think we all know people who tell stories that can go on forever. I know I do. I've been accused myself of doing the same, and I think, "Really? I do that?" I'm guessing if I think that, many other guilty people do the same. 

It's one of many traits I'm trying to work on: either being more succinct, or frankly, going on the premise that most people want to be the talker rather than the listener. Putting those two together is my goal. Make my point/story in a short humorous (or serious) way and then cede the floor. Tough to do spur of the moment though I believe I'm getting better at it. 

Flipping from fun, today on my A.Word.A.Day site, there came this quote

                               There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you.                                                                                                                                                 ~ Maya Angelou

Too close to home for me, I gave myself a thoughtful moment. It reminded me of last week when I decided to keep "an untold story." Contemplating the words, I respectfully agreed, and disagreed. I knew then and then had it proven this week, that some stories are better kept to oneself or at least to the people who were involved. 

Stories often times become entertainment, and some just aren't that. Being a teacher for 33 years and a sub for 11, I've gone to sharing little of my work life. It's just too easy for most people to have an opinion, have a memory, and then have the solution. Let's face it; we all have been students and then most have become parents. It's just way too difficult to take the past and the personal out of education. 

And yet, for good teachers, life isn't about the past. We're dealing with young people, not what happened 40 years ago, or ten years or sometimes even last week. Educators have to start each day with a good dose of "Today is a new day," or they should if they want to reach and teach the students in front of them. 

Angelou, an incredible writer, used her ability to entertain and to work to change the world. I understand that. Often times, though, for most of us, it's hard to rise to her heights. Sometimes it's best not to even try.

Told

Art

I'm watching a new show, AP Bio. It's silly and ridiculous but perfect for riding the bike. 21 minutes long and with a few moments of out loud funny, it makes my exercise time go by. No way is it truly like life in high school, and that's okay. 

In the pilot episode, a Harvard philosophy professor, through his own bungling of life, ends up the teacher of AP Bio in some high school in somewhere America. Yeah, so not life. But, when he comes in that first day and goes to sit in his desk chair, it collapses. Now, that is, truly, like life. 

This morning I sat, and knowing the chair, used the bar to lift it before then putting my weight on it, gently. Usually, if I don't move around much, it stays or slowly over time heads to the floor. I should have known, though, when it hadn't been at the desk, that something was up. But Pollyanna me, I'd brought the chair over, sat, adjusted, and down I went. Again, in optimistic mode, I replayed, and only on the third time did I get it: this chair's hydraulics were finally kaput. 

It's a good day when I can sit and the chair stays as it is. Someone on this show got it right: a teacher's throne, usually, isn't. 

That's what I call the art of the absurd. 

Imitating Life

Yesterday

I started an effort to cut down my swearing. It's been building for the last 10, 12 years - getting older, politics, the kids out of the house? Who knows, but I really don't want to see myself at 85 a cantankerous old lady who no one wants to visit because of her sour attitude and tart mouth. 

One day's tally? Five swear words, all related to religion. Three Jesus, one god and one Jesus Christ. Today? One so far (It's only 10:25). 

Today this came into my Time feed. The conundrum of the day: swear and sound awful and live longer or not and like myself, have control and use my mind rather than my mouth to say what I feel? 

Hmm, I think I'll go with my mind with a side of spice.

Today