My 3 Favorite Outdoor Spaces

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Inspired by my friend Sally, who just listed her 10 favorite spaces, I have created a list of my 3 favorite outdoor spaces. There is something special and reverential about  sacred outdoor spaces. Each of my three spaces holds personal memories. I can literally step back in time just by looking at an image or catching the scent of a cool fall morning or a warm summer day.

  1. The New Jersey Pine Barrens

My grandparents were founding members of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. In fact, author John McPhee included the story of a walk through the woods with my grandparents in his book, The Pine Barrens. My childhood was filled with canoe trips, searching for spring peepers at dusk and walking through the woods near cranberry bogs.

 

 

2. Primrose Hill, Regent’s Park, London

When I was 21 years old, I lived in London for a short while. I loved ambling through the parks and catching different views of the city I love. Fast forward 20+ years and I returned to London to visit my son who was living in London for a semester. One beautiful morning, we walked to Regent’s Park. In a corner of the park, not far from the London Zoo sits Primrose Hill, a gentle rise ending with gorgeous views of the city of London. I love the spot so much, this photo is the screen saver on my phone!

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3. Lake Michigan, Chicago

Oh how I love Chicago. Another city that has come in and out of my life through the years. There is nothing better than walking along the lakefront in the early morning. I could sit by the lake for hours.

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Thanks for the inspiration Sally!

Robins: Harbingers of Spring

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When I was young, my mother would bring the car to a screeching halt whenever she saw the first robin in spring. I can remember my father fuming when she would yell out, “Stop the car! There is a robin!”

Today, I understand my mother’s enthusiasm. Robins are beautiful creatures. But more than simply adding ornament to the surroundings, robins are a sign of budding trees, blooming flowers and later sunsets.

This morning my walk was filled with robin sightings. I know warmer days are ahead!

NoVa Teen Book Festival: There have to be rules!

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Today I attended the NoVa Teen Book Festival. This local YA book festival draws some fairly amazing writers to our Arlington, VA backyard. Jason Reynolds, Kwame Alexander, Julie Murphy, Shaun David Hutchison, L.M. Elliot, Matt de la Pena, Karen McManus and Dhonielle Clayton have shared their talents in recent years.

This morning I listened to a panel of fantasy writers talk about building new worlds and creating memorable characters. One of the authors, Tomi Adeyemi, is front of mind for the book world. This 24-year-old Harvard grad just inked one of the biggest book contracts in history. Her debut novel, Children of Blood and Bone, is set in West Africa and she likens it to Black Panther with magic. Fox Searchlight pictures paid seven figures for the right to make a movie. This is heady stuff for a young person. However, Adeyemi was charming, down-to-earth and eager to chat with other authors about fantasy writing.

My favorite tidbit from Adeyemi is that she found the idea for her fantasy tale after seeing a poster of fierce African warriors. She wanted to know them, write about them. The story idea actually came much later. I can’t wait for my students to read Children of Blood and Bone. 

Another big takeaway from the discussion had to do with the rules of fantasy writing. All four authors on the panel talked about the importance of grounding fantasy worlds in clear rules. A reader will not trust you if you change the rules midstream, they noted. For example, A.C. Gaughen has a scientist friend read her drafts. If a character has the power to move air, the character must understand that a storm will soon follow.

YA writers are wonderfully generous people. I can’t wait to share my notes with my student writers.

 

 

 

Spring Beckons

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The air is still cold

But spring beckons.

Geese settle in nearby fields.

Crocuses rise through hard winter ground.

The pink blooms on

a neighboring tree

radiate warmth like a

sunrise heralding the new day.

 

Student Slices

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I encouraged my 8th grade students to join me in “slicing” during the month of March. But, late in the school year life can be stressful. I was uncertain if any students would jump on board.

Last Sunday morning, with coffee in hand, I popped into our class blog to see if any students had accepted the challenge. My heart soared when I saw a number of posts from students. Each writer selected beautiful, meaningful images to herald his or her post.  What’s more, the slices were true to the intention of the Slice of Life challenge. Students wrote about moments from the day: a storm, homework, volleyball practice, a doctor’s appointment.

Thanks to a wonderful teacher, Sally Donnelly, we all have SOLSC calendars and I have provided stickers so students can track their participation. Each day more students are joining the writing brigade. Our writing community is knit tighter daily as slice upon slice add up to a delectable pie.

A View from the Student Seats

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Professor picking out student for an answer in lecture room

I am currently completing a second graduate degree. As a result, I spend one or more nights a week seeing the world through student eyes.

I feel my students’ pain when assignments pile up or the timeline for task completion is short. What’s more, I cringe when I do not have mentor texts to guide or inspire my work.

I have started to keep a list of reminders when I plan writing assignments. A few of my favorites include:

  • have a set of mentor texts ready to go
  • set up a padlet so students can crowdsource research
  • provide frequent opportunities for students to talk about the work
  • rather than whole graphic organizers (that can sometimes limit student creativity or hamstring writers), offer frames for part of the work (a thesis frame or an opening or closing)
  • create a list of potential student questions and answer them with a FAQ document
  • use exit tickets for students to privately raise concerns or ask for help
  • create resource folders with writing tools (lists of transition words, writing checklists)

Writing is hard. As a student, I stay up late working on  papers. I am thankful for each and every tool my teachers provide to help me produce my best work.

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On Being An Optimist

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This week, my students are drafting speeches about optimism. It can be tough to be optimistic in a world riddled with bullets and mired in unkind speech. In honor of my students, I crafted a brief poem:

Optimism

A finely sharpened pencil scratches

the surface of the white page,

Yes. I can.

Words on the tip of the tongue

begin to tumble in a rush.

Yes. I will.

A phone rings in the dark of night

as an ear attaches to the receiver.

Yes. Of course.

Optimism does not rest in the belief

But in the willingness.

 

Jazz: Blues Alley

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Friday night my husband I headed into Washington, D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood for an evening of jazz. Georgetown has been home to Thomas Jefferson, John F. Kennedy, Katharine Graham, Julia Child, Elizabeth Taylor and Bob Woodward. Georgetown is also home to the renowned Blues Alley jazz club.

Blues Alley sits in a true alleyway just off the main thoroughfare in Georgetown. If you have never visited Georgetown, the community is incredibly picturesque. Colonial buildings mix with brick row houses that sprung up after the civil war. The C&O Canal flows through Georgetown and residents walk the towpath on warm days.

Entering Blues Alley feels like walking into a secret cave. The sound of conversation, laughter and clinking glasses draws you in. This is the place to be. Patrons are sandwiched in around small tables as waiters weave back and forth taking food and drink orders. The Cajun fare is good, bringing back memories of visits to my husband’s home state of Louisiana.

As the lights dim further, the crowd hushes. Several unassuming individuals make their way up onto the barely raised stage. Patrons sit right next to the drums, bass and piano. Everything about Blues Alley feels intimate.

Years ago, my husband remembers seeing Dizzy Gillespie in the small venue. Players wait in a modest lounge upstairs at Blues Alley. The room is open and not far from the restrooms. There sat Dizzy Gillespie warming up, puffing out his cheeks in preparation for the show.

In my experience, jazz musicians are warm, appreciative people. I know that is a generalization but at Blues Alley, the musicians often head to the bar for a glass of water or something stronger at set’s end, and they kindly greet patrons giddy with compliments. Jazz musicians are a rare breed. They seem to travel constantly from club to club. At each show I’ve attended the commitment to the music is evident. Improvisations flow and the musicians create a new journey each time.

When we left Blues Alley on Friday night, I carried a club calendar with several upcoming dates circled. Jazz is magic in a bottle and I can’t wait to hear more.

 

The Night the Lights Went Out

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We felt lucky not to lose our power on the first day of the Washington wind storm. However, on the second night of the wind event, our power flickered several times and then extinguished. My husband, two dogs and I sat on the couch in the kitchen and peered out at our neighborhood.

Our house sits on a hill so we have a view of several streets. Darkness enveloped the whole neighborhood. We watched as a few flashlights and lanterns went on in nearby houses. We, too, had brought lanterns into the kitchen when the lights started to flicker.

There is something so cozy about sitting in a darkened house with loved ones. The lanterns give off a soft glow as we shuffle around the kitchen working on peanut butter sandwiches for dinner. What’s more, power outages always make me feel we are somehow closer to our neighbors. We are all in it together.

Several years ago, I read a wonderful book by Barbara Brown Taylor entitled Learning to Walk in the Dark. The book explores our relationship with darkness. Taylor notes that the invention of artificial light changed us forever. We can alter night with a flood of light. Our sleep cycles have been disrupted by the glow of constant lights. The stars are no longer visible everywhere. But, one of the things that struck me most in the book was her talk about our association of darkness with danger and evil.

There are many beautiful things found in the dark. A late night walk in my neighborhood might flush out a fox or raccoon. As a child, I loved the sound of the crickets and spring peepers outside my grandparent’s back porch. Laying in the grass looking up at the stars on a summer night in Maine is breathtaking. And, don’t forget the glory of the first fireflies in summer.

On this night, I am thankful for the respite from manmade light. I love the glow of a candle and the quiet night sounds. I tuck my legs under me as I open a good book and settle in.