“But human beings need deepening places too. And far too many never have any.”
Madeleine L’Engle, A Wind in the Door
The Bonsai & Family Tree
At the end of the summer, I bought a bonsai tree. I planned to bring it to school to enrich the ambiance of my classroom (so much wall-to-wall gray!). For a few weeks, it served as the unique centerpiece of our kitchen table. With all of the light in the observatory (our dining/living room area),Continue reading “The Bonsai & Family Tree”
Welcome, First Snowfall!
Last Sunday brought the first true snowfall to our region of Western Pennsylvania. I came outside to find my younger sons flitting about the driveway, mouths open wide, chasing the elusive snowflakes. In all honesty, they didn’t have to try that hard. The air was aflutter with crystalline moths; our tongues, the warm branches uponContinue reading “Welcome, First Snowfall!”
Longing for Innisfree
For weeks now, there has been silence – the stationary pen that only marks the page of my journal when I nod off in bed. Some call it writer’s block; I call it “the dehydrated soul groping about in desert landscapes.” I feel like one of T. S. Eliot’s hollow men. I am a driedContinue reading “Longing for Innisfree”
The Likeness of Unseen Things: A Lesson from the Woolly Bear
Sky brought a caterpillar to class. Shortly before my seventh period British Literature course began, Sky introduced me to her caterpillar (Fred, I believe she named him), a token from her lunch outside in the park. Rather than send her back outdoors to return the woolly bear to its rightful domain, I allowed her toContinue reading “The Likeness of Unseen Things: A Lesson from the Woolly Bear”
All I Need to Get Up to Teach Tomorrow
I never expected to find this card in my mailbox last Wednesday. One of my colleagues had students write notes to teachers in the high school in honor of World Teachers’ Day. To be honest, I had no idea there was a World Teachers’ Day. I’m familiar with teacher appreciation week, but this was unexpected.Continue reading “All I Need to Get Up to Teach Tomorrow”
About
I am a lover of words – the way they sing together in neat or sprawling lines upon the page, conducted by the great wordsmiths of all time. The way a sudden turn of phrase or surprising combination of sounds resonates with the deep within me, causing pause…
the deepening ground 