Night Sky Fantasia

I am trying to get myself outside at least a little bit every day. Other than walking to and from my car, I didn't get enough outdoor air today. I decided this evening I would at least stroll down the driveway. I started out the door wearing my robe and slippers, it was dark, so I wasn't too worried. The air hit me with a crispness that felt delicious—an apple in fall kind of delicious, but crisp like winter. I lingered there for a moment. Looking up, I discovered it was a cloudless night. We have great sky views above us, so I decided to watch for a bit. 

As I came to understand this was a slice-worthy moment, I wondered how I might be able to capture the images. I knew it wouldn't photograph well, and then it hit me, Star Walk 2! One of my favorite apps that I often forget I have. 

So, here is a fantasia-fied version of what I was enjoying this evening. I like to call it that because it feels like the stars and constellations splash right out of the sky. Maybe it will bring you a moment of peace the way it did for me. 

Escalators and Sunshine

Today in remote kindergarten, we read books packed with lots of sight words and a couple of new concept words--up, down. When I asked students what goes up and down, here is what I heard: rollercoasters, bumpy wagons, water splashing, and hills. 

I asked individual students, "Do you know what an escalator is?" A few did. Some had memories of them; others had not experienced an escalator. As I asked about the next big word in our book, elevators, surprisingly, some students had never been on one before. I told them someday, they would likely get to ride an elevator and experience the power of pushing the buttons—every kid's dream. 

As I wrapped up my small groups and individual meets today of guided reading and strategy lessons, I decided I had to get myself outside. I once again joined the kindergarteners at recess to play and run around a little bit. The sun was absolutely brilliant, and I was reminded of something else goes up and down--or at least it seems like it. *The sun! 

I'm looking forward to the sun going down tonight and my head hitting the pillow. 

*Fact: The sun never actually goes up or down. It is the earth's rotation around the sun that gives us the illusion of the sun's movement. We use words like sunrise and sunset to describe these transitions within the day. For my fellow fact-checkers out there, you will appreciate this. 

Grounded

Grounded. 

A multi-meaning word. 

As a kid, a word we feared. It was silly for me to fear it, but I did. 

"Betsy, you are so lucky your parents don't believe in grounding you," as my best neighbor friend hauled her bike to the garage wall. Grounded from her bike, two weeks. This punished me too. So, yeah, I was afraid of the word. 

Grounded. 

A word of hope and sensibility. A pure possibility seems available when someone is grounded. So settled and unfurrowed. So wise and ready. Unshakable. 

Grounded.

What I needed to do today. The kind of grounding I needed to seek because my awareness of reality was shaken. My heart beat in my head. Doors clashed like lightning. The sting behind my eyes slowed down sound and motion. I needed to get outside. I needed the actual ground to feel grounded, settled, aware. 

I pushed the lightning doors into the glass iced light. The brightness only distracted by the screams. Screams of recess, five and six-year-olds chasing and racing. I stopped to chat with one or two, slowly making my way to the woods behind the building. Ice patches everywhere; I feared falling. I wanted no attention. I wanted solace. I wanted to touch the dirt. 

I walked.

Some of my steps the first, some of them the second. Patches of frozen decay poked from below while bits of new life were already surfacing. 

Reminders. 

Something new can always come from something gone. 

I walked. 

I smelled. 

I breathed. 

I blinked. 

Hands in my pockets then out, I knelt to find a stick. Something to take with me, to keep with me, to ground me even when I can't come to the woods. 

The whistle blew—time to head back. Back to my room, with my stick in hand. 

 

Will I Remember to Look?

Every March, a lot of things happen. I won't list them because there's really only one thing I'm thinking about at this moment. It is a particular bird that begins popping into view. In years past, I have spent days and days looking, waiting for this elusive creature to sneak into my line of sight. It is one of those sure signs of spring I await each year. It is the robin. I'm not sure why robins have such a hold on me, but they do. There have been times I've been so excited to finally see a robin that I nearly stopped my car in traffic. Not a good consequence of having an obsession with seeing this bird. 

So here we are, 2021. I'm thinking, it's never going to happen. I won't see this bird until April. I'll be lucky if I see one at all. Now, I don't mean to be pessimistic. I truly think this train of thought I found myself cycling through the other day was a self-protective kind of unproductive drain of sorts. I felt a bit concerned. Like so many other things that have been unpredicted and out of my control, I wouldn't see a robin this year. That I'd be too busy. Or, maybe I would see one after seeing many, maybe even without realizing it. That maybe this would be the year I didn't try because so much will be on my mind that I'd miss this--oh so important--transitional image that I count on each year. (Can you hear me whining here?)

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Sitting at my desk, my eyes became distracted by movement near the window. I wasn't intending on looking, but I couldn't help it. Like a little hello, there it was. A beautiful, bouncy robin playing in a puddle outside my window. Digging in and down, looking around for something to grab in its beak. I was immediately just washed over with this sense of relief and joy. 

It was so many things. 

I was happy to see the robin; I was happy to not have to look for one. This was--my one. I could check that off and not worry that my busy mind would miss something. And even though it has no actual impact on my ability to move forward, it would somehow allow me to move forward a bit more. 

Swedish Dishcloths

 I love dishtowels. Tea towels, in particular. Not all dishtowels are created equal. Some are nice and decorative. Others are fluffy and patterned. And I swear some are water repellent. I also have some stained beyond recognition of their design but still worth keeping because once in a while, someone spills tea or food coloring, and a towel is all that will do. 

Now, to be clear, I am not an anti-paper towel person. I love paper towels too. A little too much sometimes, depending on the job. For Christmas, my more sent me some Swedish Dishcloths. I had not ever used these before, nor had I even heard of them. They are amazing. Super absorbent, strong, and cute!

My mom got me camping theme towels, but they have several super adorable designs with bright colors. I was starting to think today that I'd really like to get some more. So I began searching a bit. For anyone else out there who wants to limit their paper towel usage and appreciates a good towel, you might want to try them too!

Here's the link.

We Deserve Treats

I recently started trying to make special treats to have at home more frequently. We all needed a little something sweet around here. 

Don't get me wrong, we have snacks with a little chocolate here or there, but we are not really a dessert kind of family. For both Shawn and I growing up, desserts and treats were special and not a daily occurrence. 

I decided to try a no-bake treat that I could easily make any day of the week. What I also love about this treat is I don't really need to measure anything. 

I start it off with some basic granola, probably 2 cups, a big glob of peanut butter, and a hefty drizzle of honey. More can be added if necessary. I also get to let off a little steam smashing some roasted peanuts. I could use my food processor, but instead, I smash them up. After some mixing, little scoops get pressed into a mini-muffin pan. With a spoon, I just pressed each down to make a little well.  

From there, a little melted peanut goes into the well, and they all go into the freezer. Then comes the melted dark chocolate on top and a little more time in the freezer. 

These treats are so yummy. Everything comes together. Peanut butter, chocolate, crispy, creamy, sweet, bitter, it's got it all, and we all love them. It's like a little mini dessert for any day of the week. 

What's your favorite little tasty treat these days?

Pens and Chocolate: A Happy Combo

I think most people who write, doodle, sketch, or draw all have one thing in common--they love pens. Now, I don't go crazy over pens, but I do love them. I like buying something especially unique for myself, but I really love buying beautiful pens as gifts. I gave my mom a blue agate designed pen earlier in the year. So pretty. 

During the holiday season, we had a couple of Zoom Christmas celebrations. We exchanged names with my husband's family, and everyone got a little something in the mail to open on the day we zoomed. After sharing some ideas over a big group chat, we all made our purchases and sent them on their way. 

It was fun to see everyone in their little boxes and chat. We opened gifts, and mine was some dark chocolate, a notebook, and fine-tip markers. It was perfect. 

The chocolate was immediately opened. I still have several pieces to enjoy. One of the delights of dark chocolate is one square is very satisfying and delicious. I indulged in one this evening. 

Those fine-tip markers are bomb-tastic too. I didn't realize at first that they can erase clean! Like completely erase with friction. Not only do I like how fine they write, but the colors are also pretty great, and if I want to, I can precisely clean up whatever I am working on. Fun and so fascinating too! 

I will need to keep my enthusiasm for the markers hidden though, I have several pen loving doodlers and journalers in the house, which could easily begin to swipe these beauties from my desk. So, for now, I'm only confiding in all of you how much I love them. To everyone here at home, they are just regular old pens. Nothing special.