Winter into Spring

This morning I took a look in the freezer and found a half bag of cranberries and some frozen turkey stock, and given the cold, gray weather and smudges of snow on the ground, it did not seem unseasonable to bake some cranberry-orange muffins and put a pot of turkey-vegetable soup on to simmer.

Tomorrow is predicted to be much warmer. March is changeable like that around here, but even so, winter is definitely waning and spring emerging. So tonight we'll eat the last of the turkey and cranberries until next November. Marie Kondo-style, we'll thank them for their service, and turn our attention to the pea shoots, parsley, and asparagus that are waiting in the fridge with their spark of spring joy.

Red or Not

Long ago someone told me that red was a power color, bold and unforgettable, communicating conviction and authority. I took the information to heart and always chose red whenever I was feeling a little insecure, for example interviews, professional presentations, and especially back to school night. Maybe it was imaginary, but those crimson duds sure did boost my confidence!

A couple of decades later the jitters are mostly gone, and I like to think of my current wardrobe as casually classic: cool and neutral, maybe a little bit hipster. At this time of year I usually wear dark turtlenecks or t-shirts with jeans and a sweater and boots. This morning, though, as I dressed for parent conference day, my hand hovered briefly over the one bright turtleneck I own, bright red, and purchased for Christmas, before landing on the charcoal gray one to its left.

A minute later, I shrugged on my cardigan and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast before packing lunches. Seeing that it was a bit later than I thought, I chose to pack and eat at the same time, resulting in a big spoonful of yogurt landing right on my turtleneck. Dabbing wasn't doing it, and in the interest of time I dashed upstairs to change my shirt. This time the red was my only option, and I quickly pulled it over my head.

Glancing in the mirror I realized that was confident-- confident that I knew my students and I knew my job and confident that today was going to be a good day. Then I zipped up that cardigan one more time and went to work.

Dinner of Champions

After a full day of corralling aspiring filmmakers as they stampeded from one location to the next, jockeying for that perfect camera angle, the shot that would bring their commercial over the finish line, I raced from a special education committee meeting to a consultation with my teaching intern and her university advisor to the first of my student-led conferences and around to the copy machine, before finally entering the homestretch.

Fortunately, we have a plan in place for dinner on days like these. Scrambled eggs with french fries and tossed salad is a quick and satisfying meal that provides us with a little time to relax and all the energy we'll need for another day at the track tomorrow. 

While Ye May

We had our monthly countywide ELA meeting this afternoon which commenced, as usual, with a warm and rather entertaining video from our Supervisor and Secondary Specialist. "This is our last video!" they told us at the end, and proceeded to explain how the April, May and June meetings would be organized.

And although their focus was on supporting us as we continue the work we do, the end of this school year glimmered, ever so briefly, above the horizon, and I was reminded that, although it is easy to forget when you're in the middle of

planning
and teaching
and assessing
and reteaching
and reflecting,

our time with these
crazy,
wonderful,
challenging,
brilliant
kids

is actually

finite.

Prop Masters

When you're shooting commercials on a shoestring budget, creativity is a must-have. That's one lesson I hope my students learned today as they worked on their media literacy group projects.

"We need cheese!" one group said.

"How about construction paper?" I asked.

"We want it 3D," they replied.

In the absence of any immediate cheese source, I showed them how to sketch a wedge, double it and add tabs to cut out and fold into mock cheddar. Next it was mouse ears, and over the course of the day our construction paper portfolio grew to include life-size fairywings, 2 mustaches, a chef's hat, and 4 giant crab claws.

These last were my favorite. I think you can see why:

The Nose Knows

I know I've written before about my dog Lucy and her amazing sniffer, but this blog is called Walking the Dog for a reason!

Maybe it was getting up at 5:30 am after a 3-day weekend, or maybe it was the weevils I found in my black-eyed peas when I put them in some water to soak, but whatever the reason, I was behind in my morning routine today when I stepped out the door to take Lucy for a quick walk. We powered our way to the back hill where she usually does her business, and I was relieved when she started the little leash-dance that means it's time to get out the bag.

All of sudden, though, her nose flew in the air and began to urgently sniff some invisible odor wafting above. A quick pivot to her right and she was dragging me with all her might across the hill and toward the pool. We're a Dog Whisperer household, and such behavior is never permissible, so a quick yank on the leash brought her to a stop. Even as she sat, I could see her leaning in the direction she really, really, really, REALLY, wanted to go, and so I gave her the "OK" and prepared to follow, quickly, so she

was
not
pulling

Over the hill and up the steps we traipsed until finally we made it to the cedar fence that houses the pool utility shed. Preparing to round the corner, I wondered what we would find.
A cat?
A raccoon?
A fox?
A deer?

With a last mighty jerk on the leash, Lucy and I burst onto the unmown grassy strip that runs along the retaining wall behind the pool deck and saw...

Our neighbor Lauren and her dog, Lady, two of Lucy's dearest friends. "You found our secret pooping spot!" Lauren said, recovering nicely from the shock of our entrance. A couple of wagging tails and one very satisfied goldendoodle later, we headed home, still running late, but not really minding as much.

Hometown Tourists

It seemed like a long time since we had seen the sun when at last it appeared yesterday afternoon. Taking advantage of the break in the weather, we put the dog in the car and headed off to the other side of town and the National Arboretum. It had been many, many years since I had been there, and I was eager to check it out.

Early March is not a very popular time to explore the 446 acres on the eastern edge of Washington, DC, but we did not have the place to ourselves, which was fine. There was a certain jolly camaraderie with everyone we met, all of us bundled in layers against the wind and happy to be out in the fresh air. And despite the mostly empty beds and leafless trees there was still quite a bit to see.

The National Capitol Columns stood stark against the faded blue sky, and it won't be long until the flowering trees are in bloom. In the herb garden a new exhibit of hops pays tribute to the rise in popularity of craft beer, something I could definitely get behind!

A little further down was another outdoor exhibit on grass and lawns, which was fascinating even at this time of year. We spent a little while comparing the winter colors and textures of the several examples, and I sent a picture of the welcome banner to my brother-in-law, a man who knows his lawns!

With so much space to walk and so many things to smell, Lucy loved it too, and we could see why it is known as one of the dog-friendliest attractions in town. The sun disappeared behind some clouds and the day grew dark before we even had a chance to check out the azalea library, the bonsais, the fern trail, the grove of state trees, or the famous eagle nest, but we weren't disappointed: all the more reason to visit again soon.