Mary Oliver

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious life?"









Saturday, March 9, 2013

I Used To Have A Knitting Blog

I am so happy that I adopted Gracie. When we first got her, the only way we could see her was by looking at her crouching under a bed, and now she rules the house. This is her favorite morning spot.

Although she loves sitting on my lap, something I was afraid she would never do.

And here's her playful side, enjoying another sunny morning.

Melissa came over a few weekends ago to raid my craft room. She whipped up a birthday banner for one of her roommates. I love her approach to crafting, it's so much more fearless than the way I do it.

Oh wait, I do have a knitting photo. Steve draped a cowl around his Napoleon statue. Cute.

I've been drowning in schoolwork this semester. Traveling from room to room instead of being in one place has been great for my organizational skills, but tough in other ways. I hate not having control on my environment, so much so, that I yarn bombed my cart. Hopefully next year I won't have to travel. We do it so no classrooms go unused, and the administrators try to make it fair for as many of us as they can. I didn't have to do this first semester, which was a blessing, so it's my turn now.

I love teaching high school English though, and I am so glad I made the decision to transfer. Every day is a learning experience and I love seeing what my students think about things and helping them make connections between their lives and literature. Quite an honor to be here, no matter how frustrating it is at times.

But today is Saturday and I am planning to meet a friend for lunch and then meet another friend for knitting. Not too shabby, eh?

11 comments:

  1. Love the statue, draped with the cowl. YOur baby is just so beautiful, glad she has come out from under the bed. Have a fun day,
    Meredith

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    1. Thanks mere! I've been so bad about blog reading lately, thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Your Gracie is so lovely. Our rescue cat was always so loving - once she got over being scared - that I thought she was grateful for a chance at a better life. I'm sure yours feels the same way.

    As a former high school English teacher, I can relate to how you feel about those students. Happy weekend!

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    1. I didn't know you are a former teacher! Isn't it funny how we all find each other through blogging and crafting? Thanks for hanging with me!

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  3. Isn't HS English great? You can delve so much more deeply into aspects of the material. If you can get the kids to discuss (sometimes difficult, depending upon the group), it is so much richer. I loved it.

    I had to move rooms several times due to availability and, as you said, it forces you to streamline and be uberOrganized. Believe it or not, it helped me to relax. I learned to cut a lot of stuff loose.

    Again, your Gracie is lovely. I have always had a soft spot for grey cats & orange marmalade cats. I was thrilled when we were able to adopt one of each a few years ago. Give her a pat for me.

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    1. Nance, I'm still trying to find my relaxation with it, but that is indeed my goal. And you are right, I am purging more and more, which is a good thing. Some days, teaching English is like pulling teeth or speaking to a comatose audience, but other days are magical. But of course, you already know that! Thanks for visiting me!

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  4. I love that Gracie. She's beautiful!

    The cowl on Napoleon cracks me up.

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    1. Thanks, sweetie. Hope things are improving for you...

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  5. Gracie is darling! I teach high school English as well and am currently drowning under the grading load. I've been consumed by the one-act play competition this past week, so two stacks of essays, three stacks of tests on The Odyssey, and a pile of poems from my creative writing class await me tomorrow. I decided that today is MINE.

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    1. I know what you mean, sometimes you just have to put it off and have a life. Usually I pick two days to stay back and plow through it rather than dragging it home just to take it back untouched! We are doing the Odyssey now too, which is a fun read.

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  6. So glad Gracie is coming out of her shell!

    You make me wonder if I should try to transfer to high school. Life is crazy at my middle school, but I love the people I'm working with. It's a touch decision. For now, I'm just watching the job posts.

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