
I made this butterfly cake to celebrate Hope's wonderful journey described in her book The Possibility of Everything.
I made this butterfly cake to celebrate Hope's wonderful journey described in her book The Possibility of Everything.
Filed under creative writing, Life thoughts, reading
Carrying around “baggage” in the form of a very heavy cast, has re-aquainted me with some old friends: carbohydrates. I think it is part of the healing process to crave the deliciousness of cereal for breakfast and again for dinner. It is not exactly on the Jenny Craig menu, but I figure if I don’t eat anything else then it makes it OK and better than that, it makes me happy. The crunchy puffs of rice and squares of wheat swimming in their pool of icy cold milk can almost make me forget that I am getting absolutely nothing done around here because hobbling takes too much effort. So, I am resigned to reading, writing, yes, yes, slowing down, and trying very hard to ignore the piles of papers and the New Year’s resolutions to clean up and get organized.
The”best laid plans” and all those good intentions and visualizations did not predict this prison on my leg. Do I sound a bit annoyed? I am taking suggestions on productive ways to: clean my closet, clean and organize my papers and generally begin the process of organizing the “energy” (i.e. Happiness Project) in my house so the chi can flow and the positive actions begin.
Suggestions? Willing helpers?
Filed under Life thoughts
It is pouring today, and I don’t mean just pouring in California terms, but actual buckets of rain pouring down causing trees to fall and rivers to form in the streets. The water is trickling down the beams in the living room and waterfalling down the fireplace. As I got ready to venture out for an early appointment, I prepared by covering my cast with my Seal-Tight giant protector, wearing my mother’s calf-length London Fog raincoat and a cute knit cap that my daughter’s friend made for me, I looked like a taller version of my mother albeit with a gimpy leg. My husband Gary said, “Your mom is still taking care of you.” and I realized that it is true, for as much as I resented her constant over-preparedness I have now come to appreciate it. As Mark Twain said, “The older I get the smarter my father seems to get.” In my case, it is my mother’s wisdom that I now cherish.
Hopefully it won’t take my own daughters quite as long to realize that I too have some words of wisdom to impart and each of them, in their own way are beginning to realize that. So in the tradition of the many notes and reminders I leave my family, here is a short list of rainy day musings:
1. Dress for the rain. You really will feel better if you stay dry.
2. Make your bed every morning. You will feel like you are beginning your day and will be happy to come home to a neat room.
3. Clean up as you go and absolutely before you go to bed. No one really likes to wake up to a mess and it won’t look better in the morning.
4. Take time to spend with those you love (including pets) because the memories will stay with you forever.
5. Listen more, talk less.
6. Expect the best but prepare for the worst, and that includes rain, earthquakes, fires and other impending disasters. Oy!
Some of these I learned from my mother, and others are things I have learned from my own experience. Wisdom can be compiled and gathered from many sources, but mothers are stronger than we look and know more than we are given credit for.
Filed under Family, Life thoughts, Mothers, Rain
There is a saying that things often happen for a reason and while I usually believe it, I don’t always need such a blatant reminder to slow down and appreciate the more mellow side of life. Yet, that is what I know must do, thanks to DWP and a faulty, sunken water meter.
As I walked my dog Charlie, a slow walking dog of 10 years, around my neighborhood, quasi-training for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk I will be completing in September, My foot twisted painfully as I stepped on what I thought was level sidewalk, but was instead a 3″ drop.
So, as I lay on the ground, Charlie staring at me quizzically, I pondered my choices and decided I had none but to limp the 30 minutes home. My, that tennis shoe was tight by the time I got home! I was sure it was just a sprain, so I wrapped it tightly and continues with my usual active life.
Finally, Tuesday, my husband suggested quietly that I might want to see a doctor-since my foot was quite purple. The doctor thought it was most likely a spain, but she would call the next day if the x-rays showed more. At noon the next day, while eating lunch in the staff lunchroom, my phone rang and I was requested to show up at the orthopedic doctor the next morning. After 2 hours I left with a lovely bright pink cast.
I can no longer hop up and down multitasking, turn on a dime, maneuver effortlessly through my kindergarten classroom or sadly, walk Charlie. My training for the Avon Walk is on hold, as is yoga class. What is left? I can plow through that ominous stack of books, write, balance my budget and take control of my finances, sit sipping green tea and work on my Happiness Project. It actually is possible to slow down.
When they say that everything happens for a reason, I guess my reason is to take the time to stop and appreciate things because after all, it is hard to focus on things when you move so quickly that life is a blur.
Filed under Life thoughts, reading, Walking
Amy Weisberg, Topanga Elementary Charter School
Amy Weisberg, our featured teacher this month, is a hardworking, inspirational figure in early elementary education in Los Angeles. With a BA in Sociology from UCSB and a MA in Education with an emphasis on Organizational Leadership from CSUN, Mrs. Weisberg has been teaching in the Los Angeles Unified School District for thirty years and in the Kindergarten program at Topanga Elementary Charter School for the past sixteen years. She shares, “I love working with the youngest students and watching them grow and change during the year.”
At Topanga Elementary, Mrs. Weisberg developed the “Developmental Kindergarten Program,” a transitional kindergarten program that is described as a sort of a “half-step” between the pre-school experience and traditional kindergarten classes. The program allows students “caught in the middle”—due to California’s late cut-off date—to advance more naturally to the next grade. For her development of this unique kindergarten program, Mrs. Weisberg received the Lori Petrick Educator Award, bestowed by the Palisades Charter School Foundation. The award honors excellence in education delivery and recognizes best practices utilized in K–12. To learn, more click here.
Mrs. Weisberg also conceptualized and oversees her schools “Garden Villa,” a working garden for the students that was jumpstarted with a grant awarded to the school from the California Instructional School Garden Program. To learn more, click here.
A few weeks ago the Skirball education department received a surprise—a whimsical and beautiful book featuring photographs of Mrs. Weisberg’s students with their own animal creations. The handcrafted animals—a bird, a zebra, a moose, a Very Hungry Caterpillar, and a polar bear, among others—were inspired by their visit to Noah’s Ark at the Skirball and made from recycled and repurposed materials that they brought from home, like pinecones, steamers, nails, and corks. “It was a very collaborative project,” Mrs. Weisberg explained, “which is pretty much the way I run my classroom—utilizing each parent’s strengths to enhance the kindergarten experience.”
Mrs. Weisberg has been married for twenty-seven years and has three daughters, ages 18, 20, and 25. All three daughters are highly involved in the arts: one graduating from UCLA with a theater degree, one at UCSC studying music, and the other beginning her college career as a dance major.
“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be place in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.”
~George Lucas, Film Director and Producer
Filed under Life thoughts
Filed under creative writing, Life thoughts, reading, writing
Filed under Family, Life thoughts, New Year's, Walking
Writing about life, unadulterated.
Things were happening... and I remember there was music playing.
Not a "how to be a great parent" blog
reflections on hidden enlightenments
reflections on hidden enlightenments
The thrilling adventures of a tall, blonde Canadian!
Musings from a middle aged mom
Life is short. Read the good stuff for God's sake.
reflections on hidden enlightenments