Stressless

A friend out in Minnesota was telling us about the Stressless chair she had ordered for her husband. "It's really the only chair I can use," she said, "and he needs one, too." A little research revealed that the oh-so-comfortable chair and ottoman furnishing our airBnB was actually a knock-off of the Norwegian brand she spoke so highly of.

Heidi and I have been in the market to replace our 20+ year old armchair for sometime (after thanking it for its service, though; I really love that chair), so when I sat on it in black shorts yesterday and stood up, stiff in the knees and hips and covered in cat hair from the upholstery, a leather Stressless chair seemed like a grand idea.

Turns out there is a store that carries the line not even 10 minutes from our home. The shopping experience there was lovely, and although we didn't buy? Chances are good that we will purchase a chair AND a couch tomorrow, because hey!

It's time for an upgrade.

Labor Days

Being back at school returns definition to the weekends. Coming off a week at work, Saturday morning feels like something special, and the beginning of a three day weekend bursts with promise. I spent the early hours of my day reducing blackberries to jelly with rosemary and pink peppercorns, stewing the last of the fresh shell beans from the garden, and simmering down a batch of rainbow cherry tomato sauce. Rather pleased with myself, I turned my attention to rigging up that dishwasher rack to last just two more weeks until the new dishwasher arrives. Then I read the paper and did a little online research into some new furniture. And next? Blog written and fueled by blackberry jelly and black eyed peas with tomato I am headed to the gym, after which I will shower and dress for an evening with family.

And there are still two more days left of the holiday weekend!

I Hope that Someone Gets My...

Mindful that once I left this afternoon I wouldn't be back until the first morning of school, I was tidying up my classroom and going through a few things that were on the bookshelf by my desk. A small wooden box from Guatemala caught my eye. I couldn't remember who had given it to me or when, and it seemed like the kind of item I could part with.

I picked it up, perhaps to thank it for its service, perhaps to toss it, and gave it a shake. It was empty, but still I flipped the colorful lid open on its little leather hinges. There inside was a folded piece of bright pink paper. It was entirely possible that I had put it in there myself maybe a few or maybe many years ago, so I pried it from the rough interior and unfolded it.

Eldana was here! was scrawled in pencil on what turned out to be a post-it note.

Eldana! She was a kid with a big personality who I spent a lot of time with last year. Turns out, the note hadn't been in there too long at all: who knows when that rascal waited until my attention was turned to pinch a post-it and stow it away for another day like a message in a bottle? The find was bittersweet, though, because Eldana is going to another school for 7th grade, and it's not too likely that I will see her again.

On the other hand? That kid is full of surprises, so again, who knows? Oh, and I decided to keep the box.

Tabula Rasa

I had to rush to get the last of the posters on the wall before the 2 PM start of our annual open house, but the room looked pretty presentable when the new sixth graders and their families started to arrive. The next two hours passed in a blur of shy smiles, handshakes, and slightly awkward conversations.

Of 110 kids, I only have 2 siblings of former students, and after 27 years, that's unusual enough to make me scratch my chin. Maybe it's because we have had three teams instead of two for seven years now? Perhaps the boundary changes made an impact?

Hard to say, but whatever the cause? I'd call this year a pretty clean slate.

Dusty Dolphins

My classroom is full of dolphins. Our middle school team is named the Dolphins, and the decor in my room has followed suit in the 20 years since that christening. In addition to framed prints and posters, nylon banners, magnets, postcards, book marks, ceramic ornaments, and coffee mugs there are also three plush stuffie dolphins hanging from the ceiling. The largest one is pretty impressive: four feet long with a goofy smile and a missing button eye. He was a parting gift from the colleague who proposed the name. "I won't need this anymore," she said when she changed schools.

That guy has been up there since June 2000. "What's his name?" the new kids always ask, and at first the question made me pause. I shrugged and reached up to give it a pat. A cloud of dust worthy of Pigpen puffed out into the air.

"Dusty!" I told them.

"Dusty the one-eyed dolphin!" they answered, and that became his name.

Since then, he has been joined by a much smaller, darker gray version that another colleague gave me when her kids outgrew it. That guy was quickly dubbed Junior. And then about 8 years ago I visited the amazing Atlanta Aquarium with my niece and nephew. In the gift shop we found the most huggable pink dolphin with embroidered spirals. Clearly it was a must-have, and that one has been hanging in my classroom since. (Name, you wonder? New Pink Dolphin)

This morning when I was standing on a chair to rehang a few things in my room, I got a closer look at NPD. A thick layer of gray dust dulled the colorful spirals and plush pink exterior. Gross! I thought. What to do?

I'll tell you what: I pulled the lint roller from my desk drawer and proceeded to go through at least a dozen sheet changes as I spiffed up my stuffed dolphin collection. As I methodically rolled them from to bottlenose to fluke I was kind of shocked that I'd never thought of doing that before.

When a colleague caught me in the middle of my chore, she was initially a bit surprised, but she recovered well. "what a good idea! Do you do that every year?" she asked.

"I do now!" I told her.

Thoughts from the Lap Lane

A week from today our pool will be closed. Some years, the end of August is so hot that it seems we should keep it open until October, but tonight when I walked up to swim some laps there was a cool breeze, and when I jumped in? It was coooooold!

Which was fine, because it made swimming for exercise that much easier, but it was also a reminder that come next week, I'm going to need another place to swim. Maybe indoors.

Let's Go

It was a good first day back.

Everyone was nice, and it was nice to see everyone. I got two hugs, a few compliments, and several laughs at my jokes. Even though I was a little behind, it was easy to take the time to be kind and empathetic. The activities were a good mix of meetings, professional development, small group, and on-your-own time. Lunch was good. Class sizes seem manageable, and the kids look nice, but not without some wackiness.

Year 27...

I see you!