New Music

I've been ruminating the acquisition of two new CD's. Have heard great reviews. Have heard good live performances. The final say was when I walked into Borders last night and the wanted-CD-#1 was playing. Got to listen to a large portion of the songs on said CD. The joy settled, however, when the wanted-CD-#2 followed it. Both CD's have been downloaded and now I'm recommending.



Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions



EmmyLou Harris & Mark Knopfler - All The Roadrunning

Both are outstanding projects by such seasoned musicians. Both fall into the folk/country category. But if you enjoy good American roots music, both CD's will deliver.

In The Belly Of The Green Bird

Heard a good interview today on "Here and Now" (I'm an NPR junkie, remember) with a young journalist, Nir Rosen, in reference to the current racial and political occurrences in Iraq. American born, but of middle eastern descent, this man has some current knowledge and insight we are unable to gain not living in Iraq. The interview's not long, so please take a few minutes to listen to it today. The interview with the journalist is at the front end of the program and only about 15 min.

Below is just the blurb NPR has on their site re: the journalist's book, "In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq"

"President Bush says the United States has entered a new chapter in its relationship with Iraq. Speaking today in Chicago, the president said Saturday's inauguration of Iraq's new unity government is a victory for the cause of freedom in the Middle East.

Nonetheless, renewed violence in Iraq claimed seventeen lives today. Yet, President Bush and administration officials have expressed confidence in the past that a new government would help stop the growing number of killings and kidnappings in Iraq.

But, journalist Nir Rosen is not so optimistic after spending months gaining access to Sunni and Shi'a militia members, an experience which he describes in his new book, "In the Belly of the Green Bird, the Triumph of Martyrs in Iraq." Nir believes that Iraq is already in the middle of civil war."

I think when it comes to being more aware of what is happening in our world, event by event, the news media is helpful on a minor scale. People's first hand stories, those from a broad experience base, are one of, if not the, best source of information.

Would also love to hear your thoughts.

Habitat Restore

I just made my umpteenth visit to our local Habitat for Humanity's Restore. We are friends. I make nearly weekly visits as a recent addition to the homeowner's club. I can find tons of things there as it relates to renovation, fixing, improvements, etc., while I'm helping local business, supporting Habitat for Humanity and keeping tons of junk out of landfills. These are all very good things. In addition, you can find some really beautiful pieces from old houses: doors, railings, windows. Tons of tile usually. Always paint for super cheap. Countertops. It's amazing.

I totally sound like an add. This bit will top it off... "to find a Habitat Restore Store near you, click here".

Hey Bethany, they even have them in Ottawa!
Juli, you guys have two!

This is why...

...I like this season's finalists of American Idol... because this years peeps are not pop singers. They've got style. They're not generic. They're not boring. I would actually purchase their CD. They are not pop singers and I am thrilled about that. They've got real talent. It makes me wonder what they're going to do about the last song that the winner sings because it is not the genre that any of them do well. They're beyond that. I'm so glad to see this at the end of this competition. This is what has actually made me watch it this year... these three finalists have had my attention. Unfortunately Elliot's going to go home. But I will buy his CD, and Taylor's and Katharines... if they get companies that don't try to make them pop singers. That would suck. They're better than that.

Birthday's this week in my world.

May 8 - Brennan Brave Hampton - my dearest friend Cyndi's boy. He is now 1 year old.
May 9 - Jessica Lee Bowman - my dearest friend from Rochester, she is 27.
May 10 - Brennan's mom, my dearest friend Cynthia Lisabeth Hampton, she is 24.
May 11 - Maxwell Anderson - my dearest friend Darci's little boy. He will be five and he would like a hat that has tubes for which to drink your drink from and a place to put your chocolate milk attached to the sides.
May 11 - Jennifer Lane Swift's birthday. I will be 30 y'all!

I have a lot of dearest friends and man, what a busy week.

Things said

I was hanging out with a group of peeps tonight and got talking about "things said to students". One chica taught Spanish for a season and had a girl in her class that was "ditzy" and she said/did something mindless one day in class and my friend (after this being the most recent offense in a long line of "ditzy" episodes) responsed, in an ungaurded moment, "You make me want to douse myself with gasoline and set myself on fire." - she later apologized. This was a freshman I believe.

I had a student - a kindergarten student - my first year of teaching, who was working on his handwriting. I was circling the room overseeing this task. I came to this young child (I was in, not only, my first year, but my first few weeks of a job I walked into mid-year and had never been trained for - yes, kindergarten. really. I was the teacher) and I offered some suggestions as to how to make this activity perhaps go a bit smoother for him. I offered these suggestions because, I said, "this looks like crap" - and gasp as the words left my mouth. I tried to move on quickly, hoping to more get to the point rather than focus on the problem. It was a bad moment.

I didn't get a phone call. Nor did my friend who wanted to set herself on fire.

Perhaps i should practice kinder words.

Doin what I can to keep it all together

I'm so all over that.

I was at the bank today. I needed it to be a quick trip, so obviously that's not how it was going to go.

It was really busy in the drive-though lanes. I waited back in the single feeder lane to see which one opened up first. I thought I was good when I moved ahead. This should've been an omen. I chose the worst lane. Remember the scene in "Office Space" where Peter's on the way to work and the lane he squeezes into stops. The lane next to him starts moving. He switches lanes and the reverse happens. I chose the worst lane. I watch the two cars that were behind me get through their respective lanes in no time. Again, this should've been an omen.

I finally get to my space age high efficiency vacuum tube that will take my money to the nice people behind the bullet-proof glass. I take the cartridge out. I put my mullah in. I try to set the carrier back into the tube... it flies out of my hand (as many things do) and lands in the next lane over and rolls under the mini-van next to me. I'm in shock. This doesn't happen... well, clearly it does, it did, but it shouldn't.

Of course I can't get out of my car because I have done such a fine job of getting right up close to my vacuum tube that I am trapped. I must move up. At that moment the "I hope no one saw that" idea changes to "crap, I hope the person behind me saw that or else when I move up they will too and then I have to wait in line again.. and I've lost my money." Seems they did. I moved, they didn't.

I get out of my car and after some random hand motions that probably looked as thought I were attempting to land a plane, the nice lady in the mini-van one lane over backs up just enough for me to see my yellow cartridge that is holding my money hostage. Well, I've interrupted her transaction, she can't back up any more and yet, I can't quite get to my cartridge. I had to get down on the ground and I felt like I was playing Twister. "Right hand, oil spot. Left foot, grime pile" But I got the container.

I rush back to my vacuum, throw the cartridge in, hit "send carrier", get in my car, back up, breathe. This was ridiculous. I can't believe I did this.

This is the story people were telling around the dinner table tonight.

"With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy." - Lope de Vega

So i kept trying to post photo's of my world in bloom and blogger was hating me... so instead, just click here and see Spring at 1001.

"Will God or someone give me the power to breathe my sigh into my canvases, the sigh of prayer and sadness, the prayer of salvation, of rebirth?"

Marc Chagall

I mowed my lawn yesterday. This was the first time I mowed MY lawn with MY lawnmower (bought Sunday - that felt odd). I love mowing the lawn. I love the smell of cut grass. I love what a cut lawn looks like. I love the work and being outside.

I'm so glad spring is here.

Utah State Fair

If you liked Napoleon Dynamite, this will be worth the look. Two ads for the Utah State Fair.

Google Earth

Google Earth is one of my favorite internet musings. You can go absolutely anywhere in the world. It's the next step from the Atlas, but truthfully by "next step" I really mean next Universe. Who would've thought the "next step" would be so outstanding. I have always loved maps. I've actually had people become fearful and desperately mindful of the time when the question falls from my lips, "Where's your Atlas"... Replies range from the innocent and polite "Um... you know, haven't seen it in ages" to the more aggressive and blatant, "No. We cannot do this right now!"

I just spent the last two hours with Google earth. I remember places well and my sense of direction is fairly strong so I can navigate myself pretty decently anywhere I go. I don't forget places very easily, either. I just spent a half hour in Munich (summer '03) retracing my steps from a walking tour a friend and I took of pertinent places in Hitler's rise to power. I visited the meeting place of our group's gathering and took a walk through some main streets to get to the main train station. Found the art store I liked there. Found the toy store I had the most random coversation with a woman in (we discovered we knew a mutual friend from New York - maybe I'll write about that tomorrow). I strolled to the BMW pavilion and took the above ground route to my host home in the more suburban area. I went to Munich tonight because of Google Earth.

I also went to Prague. I found the Jewish ghetto where Franz Kafka was born and revisited my hotel. I found Jan Hus' monument and took a walk over the Charles Bridge to the Cathedral overlooking town because of Google Earth.

I went to Moscow just for a bit and saw Red Square and St. Basil's. Jess, I have a funny picture of you in front of Lenin's tomb somewhere. I forgot to look for the IKEA I remember off the expressway leaving the city. I forgot to look for this on Google Earth.

I went to Split, Croatia and walked through Diocletian's palace . Tried to go to Livno, Bosnia but the image was bad. I went to Krakow, Poland. I went to Vladimir, Russia. I went to Vienna, Austria. I went to Sudan and Kenya because of the book I just finished. On a more local level, I went to the spring of the Mississippi river and followed it home. I would like to revisit London and Dublin, Victoria Fall and Durban. I may visit Tokyo tomorrow. I may not. But I can.

It takes seconds to cross and ocean and get somewhere other . My mind is gone in moments. It takes no time at all... thanks to Google Earth.

"They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky"

I finished reading this book last night. I wept as I went to sleep. My mind couldn't stop.

I thought about flying over Africa in 1999. I thought about the fact that I flew 5 miles over Sudan. I didn't even think about it then.

Three boys, two brothers and a cousin, were separated when war found them in the late 80's. They escaped and traveled alone or with groups at 5 - 10 years old. I think about some of my sweet, small students and wonder, if put in the same position, how would their need to survive drive them to do unnatural things for their age. Every town they came to, though, it seemed like, was directly on the path of the next attack and they could never find a place to just stop. You wonder how anyone can survive what the people of Sudan (and numerous other countries) have survived. The capability of the human mind and body and spirit is astounding... both on good and bad levels.

I met a man a year ago at a concert of an African choir. We chatted and it was warm until I asked where he was from. it was clear from his accent that he was African in addition to the colored pattern and style of the clothes he and his family were wearing for such an occasion. His demeanor became cautious and said "Iowa". I asked "originally" and he said "Just because you look like the queen doesn't mean you are from England". Conversation done.

I was... I don't know. I'd never felt that way before. I was uncomfortable the whole concert and cautious not to say anything about the music to my students who were with me that sounded uneducated and "american" as it was something I brought them to as their teacher and the man and his family were sitting in the row in front of me.

After the concert, he touched my arm and apologized. He looked at me directly and said "I am from Rwanda" and I had to breathe deep not to cry in front of this man. I apologized too. This man just wanted to be somewhere else. He had been spit out from home and the continual sojourn of trying to find another was just stopped because once again he was reminded "You're not from here either".

I will never know. I will never be able to relate. In those moments I am speechless and awed that someone has outrun death.

Find this book. Read it.

Substitue Chronicles #2456

Today I subbed for 1st grade.

Ben and I were having reading "group" today. Just he and I because %50 of the group was sick. The class was getting loud so I said...

“I don’t want to hear an ounce of talking.”

Ben replied...

“You can’t measure talking in ounces.”

He never looked up from his book.

"Oh the places you will go"

I love airports. I love planes. I love everything about this atmosphere. People are going somewhere and they are going everywhere because they just can. And no place is out of reach or unthinkable here. And you can fly. I don’t mean the literal action a plane takes, but what it is… being here means I will fly. And the magic takes over again of rising above the clouds and watching the earth below. This is fascinating to me. I never loved science overall, but I LOVED earth science, land formations, continental sciences. I flew to Africa from Europe and we flew over the Alps. And they towered and hosted clouds and met you above the clouds. They were wonderful. And then moments later, really, the unnamable blue of the Mediterranean was below me and it was a gorgeous pond of elusive waters. I fell asleep over it and prayed to be wakened to see the coast of Africa and when I woke next I was. We were over Tripoli. Overwhelming. It took 8 hours to head south across this land mass. But what amazed me most was the Sahara. I was flying over the Sahara and it was a tawny haze until I made out mild definition: sand dunes. And next, the space below was black with forest. Mold blowing to see all of this in a few hours. Watching the land below will never cease to captivate me. I would gorge myself on this. And it happens because I can fly. It’s enchanting.

I love seeing people’s shoes in airports. I look at these. You can tell which one’s are from Europe.

Seinfeld does a whole bit on what people are willing to spend in airports. I just spent $11.43 on a sandwhich, banana and a bottled water. I have quite a layover, but there’s no way I’d step beyond the boundaries of airport security because it’s such a pain to get back in. Frankfurt’s the worst with this. Their airport has what would be comparable to checkpoints… lot’s of points of entry. And just when you think you’ve cleared all the levels you find out you just haven’t. But their benches are comfortable to sleep on because there are no arms. I took one of Lufthansa’s blanket’s once and enjoyed a nap (until I was told my nap was done by a gentleman in airport wear). I still have the blanket.

I love watching the airport staff interact with each other like neighbors. They stop by to chat on the veranda’s of the eateries and admire each other as they’re walking the concourses. But they know each other because they work in the same vicinity. “You work on Concourse C. Me too. We’ll be seeing each other, then.” And they do. I’m sure there’s neighborhood gossip among the airport spokes. There’s probably a lot of inter-business dating.

People watching is always fun. That guy’s pants are really short. Does he know that? Yes, that man clearly was on vacation. He looks like a raccoon… or his tanning didn’t go very well. She must be tired of her children lagging behind but, oh, what cute luggage they have. Is that a man or a woman? I didn’t realize NASCAR made such apparel. But they have it in men’s and women’s clearly because that couple are wearing it all. That woman’s hair is quite large and she’s wearing a very faux leopard print jacket. Those two must be in their 70’s and they’re holding hands and I love that. Oh, that girl definitely missed her flight. That sucks. (that happened to me this morning. My schedule’s 5 hours off now. I’ll make it to my speaking engagement moments before I’m introduced)

I love the international climate of airports. I love being where polyglotinous conglomerates abound (those words together are probably a bit much. My apologies).

I don’t understand how women prefer to travel in 3” heels. That never seems like a good idea when walking long distances through the world’s large airports.

I love the bookstores. I will pay a lot of money for books in these just because, well, these particular shops are so inviting. And they really do have the most eclectic selection.

The people movers are fun. I have a friend that is looking forward to taking his children on these for entertainment, when they are old enough, when they have children.

I love the bathrooms. The stalls have floor to ceiling doors and this is very good. I have often found refuge in these. They are the most private place in an airport and though I really do love airports, I am still an introvert and need some space… not a lot… just not shared. The bathroom stalls do this for me. I’ve napped in them seated on my backpacks with my head against the door. No one is going to interrupt your solitude here. This is true.

Stories. Thousands of stories pass through these establishments daily. Stories of greatness, stories of victims, people going home to unexpected funerals and difficult families, people heading home to their spouses, people heading off to their affairs, people insecure, people unaware, people waiting to begin, people waiting to end. This is just a gallery and we are just performance art.

I walked off of the jetway and had my iPod on. Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” was my soundtrack. Now it’s “Homeward Bound” – Appalachian folk song. I’ll end with Death Cab For Cutie’s “Soul Meets Body” streaming through my ears. The best line… “there are roads left in both of our shoes” and I’m off to follow mine.

...and what I did with it.

Some of the work done to the house over the course of the weekend before I moved in...

Props to Krista Gleason who, as far as I'm concerned, painted the whole house.

And for this great honor, I'd like to thank... Darci (who also painted a great deal), and her husband Paul who housed my belongings for 4 months and carried a great many things. Kate, Bekah, Aaron, Annie, Whitney, Patrick, Kate C. All of you are Tremendous. None of this would have been possible without your love and support! I'd also like to thank the academy (music begins to cut me off...)




























The whole house got painted that weekend.

The House

It's taken a bit to get these up. Here they are.














Living Room/Dining






























Kitchen/Three Season's room
























Second Floor




















Bathroom

Substitute Chronicles #22985: Carolyn and Brandon forever... or at least until Monday.

I subbed for a kindergarten class this week. Just mornings. When I taught kindergarten full time I would collect stories regularly and write them down on whatever I could find quickly because the moment would pass; paper plates, napkins, post-it notes, my hand. This week wasn't bearing much fruit in the "folklore" category and I was becoming a bit disappointed. Today was a good day, though.

I was sitting with Levi and Brandon working on a puzzle and Levi (quite a loquatious boy) begins talking to Brandon (not so much... more of a dullard. He stood for 10 min. before this chosen activity, in the middle of the room, trying to decide how he was going to spend his free time) Levi takes off talking and the conversation went a little like this...

Levi: (insert various "um" 's and "hey" 's, all the while neither boy is looking at each other but the puzzle) Hey Brandon while you were gone in Florida I started liking Carolyn and she and I hung out and so while you were gone I liked her is that ok? I wanted to ask if that's ok because you were gone in Florida and I liked her so I started liking her while you were gone and and now you're back from Florida so I have a deal that we can make can we make a deal because when you're gone I can like Carolyn and when you're back you can like Carolyn so that's my deal do you think it's a good deal do you want to make that deal?

Brandon: (pause) Sure

Good... glad to know the girl's that expendable to you, Brandon. This is where it all begins. Levi totally went in for Brandon's girl. This is not going to go so well for him in the future. Clearly Brandon doesn't feel that attached to her. Or... he's a push over, which may entirely be the case. Or... he may just know how to pick his battles and he's actually quite a clever boy because at the end of the day when the students were being asked what they were going to do over the weekend Carolyn said she'd be having a "tea party... with a REAL tea set". But when Brandon was asked what he'd be doing he said "having a tea party with Carolyn"... and that's where it is. Levi will be playing his X-box. Maybe Brandon just knew "fine... like her... but you're a dork because she's going to end up with me because I will play tea party with her while you're off running virtual cars off the road. Carolyn and I... what we have is something real." and a date.

The Table

I have this written on my work table...

The Table

on the four legs of my table,
i unwind my odes.
i put out bread, wine, and the roast (black ship of dreams)

or i spread scissors, cup, nails,
carnations, hammers,
my faithful table
a four legged titan,
bears up both my dreams
and my life

- pablo neruda

"oh! I forgot I owned that!"

2 1/2 hours... that's all it took to move; to load up my crap, eat a few bagels, and take off. Unload time, minimal. What a team.

I'd like to say it's because they love me so much, but it's more likely it was because it was 15 degrees.

Bless them anyway.

Now the unpacking. My things have been out of sight, so, out of mind, since November 1... It's like Christmas... but a nightmarish one because everything I boxed up to give away has just been regifted... back to myself. That kind of sucks.

Here's to the first time owning my own house (read: "here's to the first time I get to owe the bank more money for anything I've ever owned... ever... for the basic human, physical need of shelter")

I'll post pictures of this sweet little abode soon. Stay tuned.