Crazy Old Massachusetts

I was debating whether or not to stop this whole blogging nonsense. I thought that since no one left any comments on it anymore, no one was reading it. But, I was pulled back in (easily I have to admit) after my trip home to find out that people were reading it after all. So my mute friends and family, here's the next chapter, and please don't shy away from cyber-dialogue (it helps me to know somebody is out there).
We are well into the second quarter at school. It's still crazy, but we've become one with the chaos. Fights, lock-downs, fires, and run-on-sentences made up entirely of four letter words are just companions to the roots of education. My writing students are in the midst of researching strong leadership figures, and they truly have some wisdom and insight to what makes up a just world. Still, I can't help but cringe as I realize how they, like many teens, so easily buy into what's fed to them by the media. I guess it has to do with them being so image-conscious and so connected to pop-icons (we all remember identifying with our musical idols and Hollywood heartthobs). Luckily by nature they question and object to everything(at least that I say or do), and certainly this must be the basis of a critical consciousness. I hope they can eventually direct it toward their media literacy, because their icons seem to glorify violence to no end.
Thanksgiving in Massachusetts was wild and wonderful. We had an awesome people watching experience in the JFK airport during our 4 hour delay on the way home. We saw my parents who are amazing, and my elderly dog Trevor who is still so cute and stinky. The whole Johnson clan came too; from Buffalo and Boston which was entirely wonderful. The crew on Thanksgiving day was huge with family & friends from Colorado, New York, Michigan (a surprise to boot!) Boston, Northampton, & Agawam. It was totally sumptuous and topped off with a musical smorgasborg (how do you spell that?)- all were involved until late in the evening. I got to hang out with my homies whom I miss so dearly. I saw my friends Tracy & Ben get married on Friday, which was beautiful. We visited my Grandma & Grandpa on Saturday in New York, and then attended my 10 year H.S. reunion on Sat. night! I saw about a million old friendly faces in way too small a time period. Now we are back down here, feeling a little alone, a lot busy, and very thankful.

Damien & Nepali Paper

Give Damien some handmade paper and you wouldn't believe the beautiful things he might do. Right now he's working on a trio of Shakespeare's ladies: Ophelia, Juliet, and Desdemona, which is who you see here.

The leaves are peaking only now down here, and we took a fun day trip down to historical Williamsburg yesterday.
It was a gorgeous, colonial town; picture-perfect and a little too touristy, but we enjoyed the outing back in time. There were some giant trees there, certainly around well before those white settlers came and set up camp.

The nights have been cold and the days are crisp and sunny, and teaching is a whirlwind. On the weekends I blink slowly and remember the world again.

Kayaking the James River

We spent a beautiful fall day on the river Saturday. It alternated from flat water to some pretty good sized rapids. Our states were peaceful, exhilarated, peaceful, exhilarated. It was all big clouds and falling leaves.

Saturday in the Swamp

This is a Bald Cypress swamp whose tree limbs are draped in Spanish Moss, and whose knobby "knees" stick out of the water all around them. Those "knees" are actually a part of the Cypress' root system, not the remnants of dead trees. It was a beautiful forest with a fairy tale ambiance. After exploring this area, we went across the road and wound up on a long stretch of beach which overlooked where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic.

Nearing The End of Week 7

Time is passing by, and it's measured in chapters of The Outsiders, and stages in the essay writing process. It's measured in the times I erase the date each afternoon and scribble tomorrow's with a chalky screech. Things are going well, and teaching is like what I imagine hang gliding might be like: exciting, nerve racking, and even beautiful when you get the nerve to relax the muscles around your squeezed eyes and take a look at the breathtaking scenery. And that's about the same moment that you realize you're a vulnerable land-mammal plausibly about to fall furiously like an anvil. But somehow you don't, even though it might feel like you will, and your heart breaks a thousand times in a second because it's so overwhelmed with everything.
Pictures of Biggie Smalls and 2Pac are taped to my wall as onlookers and game pieces if needed. They are not only a testament to my students that I am indeed not only hip to their musical legends, but I am also a hell of a lot older than they think I am, because I could actually drive when those two were still alive. This is a good thing when they say "Ms. S., welcome to the ghetto," and I smile and say, "you should see India."
I have learned so much already.
Virginia is beautiful; fall is gentle here. We mourn the loss of all those centry-old trees in Buffalo. Tully was still out of power when we talked to him on Tuesday! We are always thinking of our loved ones and you give us strength and a deep sense of gratefulness. Mom came for a long weekend and it was so wonderful and so grounding....
We'd love to hear from you all so leave a comment or drop us an email! Love E & D

Teachers should be Gajillionaires

I must say I've worked harder in the past two weeks than any effort I can clearly remember, although perhaps my memory is being replaced with the methodical plunking on the keyboard of lesson plans, which is the ouija board of my future. The actual school part is a whirlwind of madness; I'm throwing out all my education and resorting to any tactic possible to restore even a sliver of control, to find a needle in the mountains of paperwork, and every now and then, it works. And even though I dream constantly of school, like about a giant pencil sharpener solving all of our problems, I awake to find real, grinning teachers telling me the first year is always the hardest. I pleasantly thank them and wonder what in the world was I thinking? But after two weeks of really hard days, I'm finding that I'm actually growing to like the kids. This positive connection is quite contrary to what I thought possible in those first days which felt like light years, and I'm half dreading and half curious to see what the third week will bring.

Kayaking the Spine of VA Beach

We took advantage of our last couple of weekdays off and drove east to the ocean. Damien had researched a remote place to camp in the state park on Virginia Beach called False Cape, with no vehicle access. The choice was to either walk 6.5 miles to the site, or our favorite, kayak 9 miles to the site. We kayaked on Back Bay, following the shoreline which so narrowly separated us from the open ocean. The day we started the waves were raging, so we were thankful to be on the calmer yet still wavy side, with, fortunately, the wind at our backs. We made it there in about 3 hours and were astonished by the beauty we found there. We camped under an ancient Live Oak, which do not grow up north, and walked less than a mile to the ocean side to play on the beach. Not a soul was around. It was amazing. It rained a bit, but it was nice. In the morning the bay was still and glassy like you see in the picture. We had a calm paddle back, though we still can feel all those miles in our shoulders and traps. We were so hot when we got back to the car we decided to take another dip on the ocean side at a public beach, which was fun, until I started feeling all these sharp little stings on the inside of my suit. I found that about a billion little sand-sized critters had gotten stuck in there and were pinching me. It took a long time for me to remove every last one, and it certainly cut my swim short. I haven't been able to identify them yet but they were kind of like a tiny spider crossed with a tiny shrimp the color of sand with eyes that were black but looked green in the light.

Anachronistic Entry

I meant to put this pic on a while back- this is up in Canada (Mud) when David and I flipped the catamaran and I never got wet-kinda like running on a log. We were helped back into upright position by some local friends. We then proceeded to have one of the most exhilirating rides ever in the very windy afternoon. Thanks David -what a time!

Making Richmond Home

Well y'all (ha ha not yet), here we are in Richmond, Virginia. We are really enjoying it so far and are starting our pre-service training on the 21st of Aug, and the kids come back to school on Sept 5th. Here are a couple of pictures- our backyard, front porch, and a spot in Shenandoah National Park, which we hiked around in yesterday. I'll post some of the interior of our apt as soon as we finish hanging up our art. We moved in during that incredible heat wave. Dante surely would have designated the inside of our Penske truck a whole new level in Inferno, wherein those who collected too much stuff during their lifetimes would be tortured accordingly.
Fortunately, my parents drove all the way down here to help us get settled and it was a wonderful time. Happy Birthday To You Mom! Today's her day. Anyhow, we started exploring the city with them and were sad to see them go. Richmond is full of pleasant surprises, and our neighborhood is really historical and hip, boasting lots of cool restaurants, cafes, old churches, an Edgar Allen Poe Museum, cobblestone streets, and even a quirky farmer's market that looks like a flea market on Saturdays. We live atop the steepest hill and riding our bikes up it in the heat has been something to celebrate every time. The James River is right here, flowing east through the city and there are many rocks to sunbathe and play on, and lots of swimmers, kayakers, and rafters are seen floating around in the mid-day humidity. The water is so warm it's borderline refreshing. We've been out kayaking once and saw a lot of bird and animal life. The southern lifestyle has been easy to fall into; everyone is pretty laid back and very friendly. It is a southern rule to leave your porch light on all night, and the meat department at the grocery store reminds me more of Asia than anything: chicken necks and feet, pig hooves, gizzards and various glands. And no Frank's Red Hot, but many other spicy concoctions are to be had for sure. Damien bought a car- a 2003 black Ford Focus Hatchback that gets 37 miles to the gallon! That really beats my trusty purple robot. We hope for some more visitors soon! Ahem... I think we're heading out to the beach tomorrow (this piece of info is meant for enticing). I'll keep this blog updated. We miss you!

Guess Where This Is

Nope, you're wrong. It's Michigan! Damien and I were surprised to find ourselves in what felt like another country, but what was actually Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. We spent our time there running down giant sand dunes (and plodding slowly back up them), snorkling in the gorgeous blues, and camping in a lush forest. An insane storm came in one night and the whole area lost power, which was still without watts when we left. We extended a trip to Michigan to celebrate my cousin Mike who sadly passed away two years ago. We stayed up until 4 am with my mom and my cousins and my aunts & uncles catching up and having fun around a bonfire.....then in the morning it was blaring Polish music and people drinking more beer, the sign of a party with stamina. Thanks to my totally rad family, to a state with a lot of hidden secrets, and thanks to another beautiful memory in my cousin Mike's name.

fish

the fish thought our snorkles worthy of inspection.

July 4th

This year I had the best view of fireworks I've ever had. The water mirrored the sky's fleeting ornaments while the heart-stopping booms traveled over the surface and a million tiny lights rained down over our enamored heads. After the show was over we saw fireworks down the river further and I said that must be in Canada. It took a minute to realize that was impossible considering July 4th celebrates independence for the United States. Brilliant as a firework.

Richmond or Bust

We have finally decided upon, or it was decided for us (various factors fit together, some that we had control over and others that were precariously and blatantly out of our powers, proving that the universe works in unexplainable but wise ways and thankfully, I have learned the valuable lesson that stressing out gets one nowhere but deeper into a frenzy which was wholly unnecessary because it always works out in the end, etcetera, etcetera) on our next destination (this was my point, drumroll please): Richmond, VA. With two jobs in two high schools, a new mountain bike, and the sum of all our experiences, we head for the South as official English Teachers.
All we know is that there is whitewater kayaking right in downtown Richmond, and with that thought we rest a little easier, knowing we will at least become better paddlers in the rapids. And of course we now have the chance to have our own classrooms full of young people who's greatest chance for life success depends on what skills they learn and how they view the world. My goal is to foster compassion and critical thought.
Buffalo has been especially beautiful lately. This is due to the glorious spring we are having, and also that it is being viewed through departing eyes. My parents in-law just moved into a house around the corner, and it's been so wonderful to see them so often. We went to Pine Lot last weekend when my parents came to visit (miss them!) and we saw a huge bear running through a field. He stood up on his hind legs which showed his impressive height and a belly I wished I could touch. We all went to the Allentown Art Festival too, which was full of some great art as you might imagine.
Buffalo went through a time of hockey mania recently, when the Sabres fought it out to game 7 in the semi finals of the Stanley Cup. They lost eventually to N. Carolina. It was a treat to see Doug Janik, one great player who I went to high school with in Agawam, playing for Buffalo, and even scoring a goal! After they lost this city seemed a little unsure as to what to do with itself. But since then things are back to normal, and there are farmer's markets, glasses of wine on cafe patios, bike riders of every sort, flowers galore, rests in the grassy city parks, dogs catching each other's aromas on soft breezes, music festivals, camping expeditions, gay pride parades, barbecues, friends, and a plethora of gatherings. Buffalo: nestled in between two great lakes, on the gorge that divides the US and Canada, a place where no buffalo ever roamed, and where the Niagara just keeps raging and raging.

Spanish Moss

Beautiful Savannah! We went there briefly on Spring break along with W. Virginia and Virginia. A whirlwind tour full of beauty. And alligators. Dolphins slapping their tails just off of the beach too! We're done student teaching in 2 weeks and are now assessing our future plans. I've added another link to the 7th grade blog I made where my current students published their poetry. It's similar to the high school blog link that is also there.
We have an interesting neighbor across the street. For the past year he has been tallying up the American dead in Iraq on large posters stapled to his fence. It's eerie walking out of our apartment every morning to see the numbers increasing like an odometer. I remember when it hit the 1,000 mark some time ago. Today it says 2,390.

Canopy Tour

We have a new sport/hobby. Tree climbing! All it takes is a fairly simple getup of ropes and harnessess. And good knots of course. And a sling shot or a sock filled with enough pennies that it could kill you coming down the other side of the branch. It is a surprisingly vigorous workout, and once suspended in the trees it is quiet and you sway with the wind. Here are some pictures of Damien and his view from up above as we hiked with friends Bob Bill Kortni Bella and Blinker at the Eternal Flame south of Buffalo.

This blog needs some color

The orchid show at the botanical gardens. They really are fascinating plant-like creatures.

An insect tale

We took a walk around Buckhorn state park yesterday. I felt like a tiny insect in the reed-like plants all around me, which were forming uncommon angles in the wind and slicing up the scenery like venetian blinds. It was all golds, reds and grays. We saw a field full of fat Robins, and in the woods there were a few Red-Bellied Woodpeckers flying around us. Big pieces of ice floating down the Niagara. We are now student teaching at our second placement, which is going well so far. Click on the link to the right entitled English Class Page to see a blog I made for the high school I taught at. Students showcased their poetry on it based on the Holocaust, the topic of our unit. There are also a couple of pictures. Tomorrow is Spring and we woke up to big fat snowflakes falling down this morning.

Winter Kayaking Cruise

perspectives

This is an ice formation formed in the smooth hollows of the raging Niagara whose pools collect water which turns to ice and is picked up by a hiker (Bob Klug), placed to balance upright in a crack and peered through so that it frames the gorge.

Big Trees & No Keys

How we spent the last few days before student teaching starts (tomorrow!): we discovered a small patch of old growth trees right here in the Niagara region of New York. It was 10 acres of towering Red Oaks and other various giants. Then on the other side of the river (Canada), we hiked in a magical mossy forest to find tall Tulip trees, fat hemlocks and old Cedars. Beautiful. All was successful besides when I fell off a rock, bloodied up my knee and tore my pants. We had a lovely glass of local wine in the quaint Niagara on the Lake and saw some Oldsqaws swimming on the surface of Lake Ontario under a full moon. Our friend Chris Lisowski came up from Pittsburgh for the weekend, whom we relaxed with. He brought us a new piece of art he made. Then he went back to Pittsburgh with my car keys in his pocket. Above is a picture of a tall Red Oak and one of the culprit and our new print. Luckily, our friend Tara let us borrow her car as she and Storms went off to Italy. We'll still make it to our first day of teaching tomorrow.

Adios 2005

See ya. It was a good year, I'll spare the recap of all 365 days, but I'll look back on it with very fond memories. We spent our Christmas in Massachusetts and then headed up to New Hampshire for some much needed time in nature and to ring in the New Year with some excellent friends. We snowshoed in the Great Gulf Wilderness area (one of our favorite White Mountain spots) next to the Peabody River and found excellent views of Mount Washington and Mount Madison. We also explored the old Cedar forests around Christine Lake and the area around the hypnotic Crystal Falls. All day on New Years Eve day Damien was perfroming beautiful 360s on his snowboard off of a jump he had built in the backyard. Later, with a half hour left until the new year, he went out to celebrate 2006 on a sled, hit that very same jump on his belly and broke a rib (or 2, we're not sure). Sadly, he missed snowboarding the next day at Sunday River. Fortunatley, he is finally starting to heal up, but if you see him, resist the Python hugs.
Yesterday we went to the Body Worlds exhibit in Toronto, and you haven't heard of it, check this out: http://www.bodyworlds.com/ Wow. Also had a good Ethiopian lunch. Happy New Year!