Dropping the blog, picking up the tumblr... Thanks for reading! =)
http://glassthreequartersfull.tumblr.com/
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Overcome...
In light of recent world headlines (...Headline), it has been fascinating to gauge the response of at least my generation on Facebook. Would I know how my friends were reacting to the news if not for status updates and note-posting? Is this something we would talk about in conversation? Perhaps because of the child-based environment or perhaps because 9/11 evokes a unique and diverse set of perspectives in this city, it has NOT been a topic of conversation at school.
I've found profile-hopping on Facebook to be oddly helpful in processing my own take on the events. A few of the most resonant:
postscript: it is really awkward to be both an Obama supporter and a non-violence advocate right now. people cheering over death is freaking me out.
Not sure how I feel about crowds of people celebrating an individual's death, no matter who it is.
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that"
~Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
(apparently this has been proven to be part-quote and part-eloquent-but-never-spoken-words, but the sentiment is a great one, regardless)
There is no way that justice can be done; justice is already dead when war begins. All that can be done is a necessary evil, and again jubilation is a shameful way to react to that. [...] It's like entering a room where people throw cow shit at each other. You wouldn't want to enter that room, but you're pushed inside and some sonofabitch starts throwing cow shit at you. If you throw cow shit back and win the cow shit fight, you're not "clean": you stopped being clean when you entered the room and now you're a cow-shit thrower as much as he is. Your only victory will be to escape the cow shit room, but once you do that, you can't say that what he did and what you did are fundamentally different. You've the moral high ground, but you were still a cow shit thrower in a cow shit room and THAT is tragic. Celebrating your victory in the cow shit throwing contest is monumentally stupid: you should be celebrating your escape from the cow shit room instead, while still ruing the fact that you were ever made to throw cow shit in the first place.
(can you tell this writer is earning a graduate degree in philosophy?)
And a link:
http://www.npr.org/2011/05/03/135927693/is-it-wrong-to-celebrate-bin-ladens-death
(NPR, incidentally, was one of the only major outlets on Monday to cover the angle presented among the quotes above)
Closing thought: How would our national and personal responses to 9/11 been shaped differently had Facebook and other social networking sites been as prevalent (or existent) in 2001? Discuss.
K
Monday, April 25, 2011
Introducing...
Hi.
My name is Kate. I love to run and complete crossword puzzles. I wear flat shoes most of the time. I do not eat meat, and I enjoy Mexican food, cereal, beer, coffee, and... chocolate. I follow the news. I listen to podcasts and TEDTalks. I do not own a TV. I have no idea what's happening on the current season of American Idol. I sing in an adult choir, where members are more than 1-4 years apart in age. I make budgets and fix toilets and make my own almond butter. I lead initiatives at my Unitarian Universalist church. I have many friends who are married, getting married, or close to getting married. I drive a car maybe twice a year. I use a calendar to keep track of my schedule.
How entwined are substance and label? Does a change of name facilitate or even precipitate change in personality or lifestyle? Opposite? (PS, go watch 30 Rock's 100th episode. Brilliance.)
Images from the life of Kate:
I sang with my adult, secular choir in D.C... at a Lutheran church.
AND I had a homestay in springy, colonial-tinged Annapolis, MD.
The parents came for a visit, and I walked them many more miles than they had anticipated... Totally worth this view, though! Little Red Lighthouse under George Washington Bridge, about 2 miles from my apartment.
Though not made of foam, we did still fly the traditional Easter airplane, this time in Central Park!
My name is Kate. I love to run and complete crossword puzzles. I wear flat shoes most of the time. I do not eat meat, and I enjoy Mexican food, cereal, beer, coffee, and... chocolate. I follow the news. I listen to podcasts and TEDTalks. I do not own a TV. I have no idea what's happening on the current season of American Idol. I sing in an adult choir, where members are more than 1-4 years apart in age. I make budgets and fix toilets and make my own almond butter. I lead initiatives at my Unitarian Universalist church. I have many friends who are married, getting married, or close to getting married. I drive a car maybe twice a year. I use a calendar to keep track of my schedule.
How entwined are substance and label? Does a change of name facilitate or even precipitate change in personality or lifestyle? Opposite? (PS, go watch 30 Rock's 100th episode. Brilliance.)
Images from the life of Kate:
I sang with my adult, secular choir in D.C... at a Lutheran church.
AND I had a homestay in springy, colonial-tinged Annapolis, MD.
The parents came for a visit, and I walked them many more miles than they had anticipated... Totally worth this view, though! Little Red Lighthouse under George Washington Bridge, about 2 miles from my apartment.
Though not made of foam, we did still fly the traditional Easter airplane, this time in Central Park!Love, Hugs, & SPRING!
K
K
Friday, March 18, 2011
"I'll have to ask my uncle if I can use his Internet this weekend."
"Maybe my mom can take me to the library to look at 'The Cat in the Hat'; we don't have a copy."
"I don't think my child can join band next year... We have to pay to rent the instrument, right?"
Per a goal report created by my teachers and administration disseminated to us last week, I learned that my school (PS 43; the Monday school--Van Nest Academy--still seems like a pretend-job) is situated in THE poorest congressional district in the country. ...We're number one!...? 100% of our students receive 10 meals a week at school--likely MORE than half the meals they will consume the entire week. I see the same sweaters over uniforms (likely also the same) every single day.
I am so fortunate to have been placed at 43. It has been an ideal environment for my continued education, both of pedagogy and diversity of realities. In all likelihood, I will be traveling to multiple continents next summer. Some of my kids have never left the Bronx. When I nearly set my kitchen on fire (a story for another entry), I can go get a burrito at the corner stand and not have to sacrifice that trip to the grocery store or that new pair of mittens or whatever the need may be. Diversity of realities.
This is not a "pat me on the back for working in the inner city" appeal. It's a "pat THEM on the back" for thriving and maintaining momentum in their education despite tremendous obstacles. My afterschool group is so excited to research their Seuss-inspired roles for a Seussical medley. I know a really fabulous single mom with two girls (in our school at least) who has her older daughter taking piano lessons and playing trumpet in band--and she is GOOD. We learned about 12-bar blues structure in the general classroom today, and as she was waiting for our afterschool group to begin, she pulled out her trumpet and figured out the tonic notes of the blues chords and played them in flawless sequence. Parents take precious time off from work to attend conferences and concerts. For the most part, the students I see during the week are a smiley, social, well-adjusted bunch.
I hope that fourth grader does get to use her uncle's Internet this weekend, because she is going to make a terrific Horton when we perform at the concert. =)
Happy Weekend!!
K
"Maybe my mom can take me to the library to look at 'The Cat in the Hat'; we don't have a copy."
"I don't think my child can join band next year... We have to pay to rent the instrument, right?"
Per a goal report created by my teachers and administration disseminated to us last week, I learned that my school (PS 43; the Monday school--Van Nest Academy--still seems like a pretend-job) is situated in THE poorest congressional district in the country. ...We're number one!...? 100% of our students receive 10 meals a week at school--likely MORE than half the meals they will consume the entire week. I see the same sweaters over uniforms (likely also the same) every single day.
I am so fortunate to have been placed at 43. It has been an ideal environment for my continued education, both of pedagogy and diversity of realities. In all likelihood, I will be traveling to multiple continents next summer. Some of my kids have never left the Bronx. When I nearly set my kitchen on fire (a story for another entry), I can go get a burrito at the corner stand and not have to sacrifice that trip to the grocery store or that new pair of mittens or whatever the need may be. Diversity of realities.
This is not a "pat me on the back for working in the inner city" appeal. It's a "pat THEM on the back" for thriving and maintaining momentum in their education despite tremendous obstacles. My afterschool group is so excited to research their Seuss-inspired roles for a Seussical medley. I know a really fabulous single mom with two girls (in our school at least) who has her older daughter taking piano lessons and playing trumpet in band--and she is GOOD. We learned about 12-bar blues structure in the general classroom today, and as she was waiting for our afterschool group to begin, she pulled out her trumpet and figured out the tonic notes of the blues chords and played them in flawless sequence. Parents take precious time off from work to attend conferences and concerts. For the most part, the students I see during the week are a smiley, social, well-adjusted bunch.
I hope that fourth grader does get to use her uncle's Internet this weekend, because she is going to make a terrific Horton when we perform at the concert. =)
Happy Weekend!!
K
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Conference Discoveries
My principal makes lollipops for special occasions. What.
Parents remember concert songs from December! Hooray!
My students have SO many dedicated parents and guardians who are sincerely invested in the education of their children, in music as well as the general classroom.
A baby touching your face at a baby shower means you are next to have a baby (like a bouquet at a wedding, presumably), and making delicious cookies means you can get married. Love my kooky teachers and their wives' tales.
Our crazy (no seriously, CRAZY) art teacher did not know one of our teachers was pregnant--8 months along at that!--until her baby shower this afternoon. The quote was, "Well, she's fat anyway, so it's hard to tell". [She is NOT.] Seriously, crazy.
Staying for the whole night of conferences is kind of fun when you're not truly accountable for academic promotion or standardized test performance. =)
Love, Hugs, and a Few Cups of Coffee Today,
Ms. Phillips
Parents remember concert songs from December! Hooray!
My students have SO many dedicated parents and guardians who are sincerely invested in the education of their children, in music as well as the general classroom.
A baby touching your face at a baby shower means you are next to have a baby (like a bouquet at a wedding, presumably), and making delicious cookies means you can get married. Love my kooky teachers and their wives' tales.
Our crazy (no seriously, CRAZY) art teacher did not know one of our teachers was pregnant--8 months along at that!--until her baby shower this afternoon. The quote was, "Well, she's fat anyway, so it's hard to tell". [She is NOT.] Seriously, crazy.
Staying for the whole night of conferences is kind of fun when you're not truly accountable for academic promotion or standardized test performance. =)
Love, Hugs, and a Few Cups of Coffee Today,
Ms. Phillips
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Yin and Yang
A friend posted this magnificent TED Talk and I spent the entire 20 minutes rapt with the speaker's findings and message:
A commenter on the video site posted this apparently Taoist mantra in response:
To be whole, let yourself break.
To be straight, let yourself bend.
To be full, let yourself be empty.
To be new, let yourself wear out.
To have everything, give everything up.
Knowing others is a kind of knowledge;
knowing yourself is wisdom.
Conquering others requires strength;
conquering yourself is true power.
To realize that you have enough is true wealth.
Pushing ahead may succeed,
but staying put brings endurance.
Die without perishing, and find the eternal.
To know that you do not know is strength.
Not knowing that you do not know is a sickness.
The cure begins with the recognition of the sickness.
Knowing what is permanent: enlightenment.
Not knowing what is permanent: disaster.
Knowing what is permanent opens the mind.
Open mind, open heart.
Open heart, magnanimity.
Traditional Taoism is a bit too mystical for my tastes, but I love these words. A LOT.
A commenter on the video site posted this apparently Taoist mantra in response:
To be whole, let yourself break.
To be straight, let yourself bend.
To be full, let yourself be empty.
To be new, let yourself wear out.
To have everything, give everything up.
Knowing others is a kind of knowledge;
knowing yourself is wisdom.
Conquering others requires strength;
conquering yourself is true power.
To realize that you have enough is true wealth.
Pushing ahead may succeed,
but staying put brings endurance.
Die without perishing, and find the eternal.
To know that you do not know is strength.
Not knowing that you do not know is a sickness.
The cure begins with the recognition of the sickness.
Knowing what is permanent: enlightenment.
Not knowing what is permanent: disaster.
Knowing what is permanent opens the mind.
Open mind, open heart.
Open heart, magnanimity.
Traditional Taoism is a bit too mystical for my tastes, but I love these words. A LOT.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Today I...
woke up at a reasonable hour (9:30) from a girls' night/sleepover with church friends.
brunched in Astoria with said friends with mimosa and coffee.
ran outside in sub-50s temperatures for the first time EVER. Aside from regular tissue breaks, it was actually really refreshing and surprisingly easy. More, please.
will bake a vegetarian cheeseburger noodle casserole--a childhood favorite (minus the vegetarian part), and then consume a serving with bottled beer.
will lesson plan so tomorrow (day off!) can be set aside for chores and friendships.
will watch probably too many episodes of The West Wing on loan from the library (I only have a week to finish a half a season. Justified.).
The point is, the person living the day outlined above is practically a stranger to the one who inhabited my life even two years ago. She even goes by a different name sometimes. =) There are the obvious partitions between life segments (graduations, apartment, jobs...), and then there are the incremental shifts that occur daily. Community-building. Diet and exercise routines. Coffee! Of course, this duality of change is no revelation. But the occasional perspective check can be amusing, revealing, and promising of possibility.
K
brunched in Astoria with said friends with mimosa and coffee.
ran outside in sub-50s temperatures for the first time EVER. Aside from regular tissue breaks, it was actually really refreshing and surprisingly easy. More, please.
will bake a vegetarian cheeseburger noodle casserole--a childhood favorite (minus the vegetarian part), and then consume a serving with bottled beer.
will lesson plan so tomorrow (day off!) can be set aside for chores and friendships.
will watch probably too many episodes of The West Wing on loan from the library (I only have a week to finish a half a season. Justified.).
The point is, the person living the day outlined above is practically a stranger to the one who inhabited my life even two years ago. She even goes by a different name sometimes. =) There are the obvious partitions between life segments (graduations, apartment, jobs...), and then there are the incremental shifts that occur daily. Community-building. Diet and exercise routines. Coffee! Of course, this duality of change is no revelation. But the occasional perspective check can be amusing, revealing, and promising of possibility.
K
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Food Musings
Chili is easy. Beans. Tomato something. Spices. Sweet. Vegetables. Tada!
Homemade fries are made crispier and tastier by the addition of cornstarch to the frying oil.
Corn tortillas are awful "raw" but mysteriously delicious cooked. Like eggplant. Fun fact: In addition to maintaining a lackluster flavor, raw eggplant is also mildly poisonous.
Why don't they typically market the French Press as a dual coffee-tea maker? It totally is.
Gouda is an acceptable substitute for almost any other type of solid cheese. Flavorful enough to cover for cheddar on a cracker or burrito, sharp enough to be swapped in for swiss on a sandwich, mild and soft enough to replace mozzarella in Italian fare. And the smoked variety can almost pass for a meaty flavor if you squint your tastebuds (is there a word to approximate "squint" for taste?). Anyway, it's the frugal shopper's best friend in the dairy section.
Sometimes, granola bar companies pass out free samples on the street. And sometimes they leave the sample in a bag on your apartment doorknob. Surprise afterschool snack!!
Here's hoping for enough figurative candy bars and milkshakes (as opposed to lemondrops and gumdrops--look it up) for a day off tomorrow...
Oh, and beware when selecting your free bagel from Planet Fitness. Minced garlic looks an awful lot like sesame seeds, but only one tastes good with jam.
Homemade fries are made crispier and tastier by the addition of cornstarch to the frying oil.
Corn tortillas are awful "raw" but mysteriously delicious cooked. Like eggplant. Fun fact: In addition to maintaining a lackluster flavor, raw eggplant is also mildly poisonous.
Why don't they typically market the French Press as a dual coffee-tea maker? It totally is.
Gouda is an acceptable substitute for almost any other type of solid cheese. Flavorful enough to cover for cheddar on a cracker or burrito, sharp enough to be swapped in for swiss on a sandwich, mild and soft enough to replace mozzarella in Italian fare. And the smoked variety can almost pass for a meaty flavor if you squint your tastebuds (is there a word to approximate "squint" for taste?). Anyway, it's the frugal shopper's best friend in the dairy section.
Sometimes, granola bar companies pass out free samples on the street. And sometimes they leave the sample in a bag on your apartment doorknob. Surprise afterschool snack!!
Here's hoping for enough figurative candy bars and milkshakes (as opposed to lemondrops and gumdrops--look it up) for a day off tomorrow...
Oh, and beware when selecting your free bagel from Planet Fitness. Minced garlic looks an awful lot like sesame seeds, but only one tastes good with jam.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Wonderful Life
I am constantly at a loss for words to describe why I feel so content and at ease in New York. Generally speaking, the more you love something the more difficult (and, really, less necessary) it is to condense those sentiments into mere sentences. The events of the last 15 hours or so, however, come pretty darn close to crystallizing my relationship to my city...
Morning coffee is the best. Not so much for the caffeine, but I really like the taste of my half-coffee, half-soy milk blend. If I drink more than a half-cup, I get way fidgety. So I'm looking forward to the routine without the addiction.
First concert of the school year this morning, and everything was simply fantastic. Polished, energetic, musical performances from my students (PK-2), great parent turnout, gratifying teacher/administration feedback... Just good times.
Then I had 3 periods of nothing. I reset the auditorium for the next round (grades 3-5), which involved transporting boxes of instruments and 3 xylophones over 4 flights of stairs. I didn't even get tired. It was weird. And fabulous, because I am 100% set for the rest of the week. I just have to walk in tomorrow morning and boss people around.
My school afternoon finished with 3 teaching periods, all with classes of middling general behavior, all of whom ROCKED IT OUT today. I think the energy of their impending (2 days!) concert is finally sinking in; it's great to glimpse tangible progress and success after weeks and weeks of figurative tooth-pulling.
I was able to leave school at 3:30 (relatively early for me!) and hit up a number of New York's holiday markets to do some Christmas shopping. I doubted the soundness of my marathon-day ambitions... but I got most of my shopping DONE and got to enjoy a heaping dose of the lovely holiday atmosphere of the city in the process. And I did some light grocery shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket, aka my favorite place in all five boroughs.
Bryant Park Tree (Holiday Market not pictured)
A leisurely, free (thanks, Mom!) dinner at Starbucks was followed by a choir rehearsal at St. Patrick's Cathedral (yes, THAT St. Patrick's Cathedral). Oh wait, I was 20 minutes early for it, so I wandered the vicinity of Rockefeller Center long enough to snap some touristy pictures of the tree and ice skating rink.
Then I caught the laser-timed-with-music show on the facade of Bloomingdale's. Then I went and rehearsed a bunch of festive Christmas carols in St. Patrick's Cathedral, which means I got to stand on the altar (and loop around the back), a perspective not afforded to many visitors. It was also neat to rehearse in front of all the unsuspecting tourists... I am tickled by the idea that our choir is now part of hundreds of vacation stories. Pretty neat.
To top it off, with all the commuting I logged today, I was able to take on a formidable chunk of my latest read, Skinny Legs and All (Tom Robbins). Whimsy, philosophy, religion, art, hilarity... Only a third through, but I highly recommend it!
So there you have it: my version of a perfect day in all it's coffee-flavored, concert-singing, xylophone-toting, progress-making, gift-finding, electric-lit, cathedral-performing, literarily-satisfying goodness.
Love. Love. Love.
KP =)
Morning coffee is the best. Not so much for the caffeine, but I really like the taste of my half-coffee, half-soy milk blend. If I drink more than a half-cup, I get way fidgety. So I'm looking forward to the routine without the addiction.
First concert of the school year this morning, and everything was simply fantastic. Polished, energetic, musical performances from my students (PK-2), great parent turnout, gratifying teacher/administration feedback... Just good times.
Photos courtesy of Wilmer, 5th grade
Then I had 3 periods of nothing. I reset the auditorium for the next round (grades 3-5), which involved transporting boxes of instruments and 3 xylophones over 4 flights of stairs. I didn't even get tired. It was weird. And fabulous, because I am 100% set for the rest of the week. I just have to walk in tomorrow morning and boss people around.
My school afternoon finished with 3 teaching periods, all with classes of middling general behavior, all of whom ROCKED IT OUT today. I think the energy of their impending (2 days!) concert is finally sinking in; it's great to glimpse tangible progress and success after weeks and weeks of figurative tooth-pulling.
I was able to leave school at 3:30 (relatively early for me!) and hit up a number of New York's holiday markets to do some Christmas shopping. I doubted the soundness of my marathon-day ambitions... but I got most of my shopping DONE and got to enjoy a heaping dose of the lovely holiday atmosphere of the city in the process. And I did some light grocery shopping at the Union Square Greenmarket, aka my favorite place in all five boroughs.
Bryant Park Tree (Holiday Market not pictured)A leisurely, free (thanks, Mom!) dinner at Starbucks was followed by a choir rehearsal at St. Patrick's Cathedral (yes, THAT St. Patrick's Cathedral). Oh wait, I was 20 minutes early for it, so I wandered the vicinity of Rockefeller Center long enough to snap some touristy pictures of the tree and ice skating rink.
I am thrilled that my newest camera has the ability to take beautiful nighttime shots--a first in my history of camera ownership.
Then I caught the laser-timed-with-music show on the facade of Bloomingdale's. Then I went and rehearsed a bunch of festive Christmas carols in St. Patrick's Cathedral, which means I got to stand on the altar (and loop around the back), a perspective not afforded to many visitors. It was also neat to rehearse in front of all the unsuspecting tourists... I am tickled by the idea that our choir is now part of hundreds of vacation stories. Pretty neat.
To top it off, with all the commuting I logged today, I was able to take on a formidable chunk of my latest read, Skinny Legs and All (Tom Robbins). Whimsy, philosophy, religion, art, hilarity... Only a third through, but I highly recommend it!
So there you have it: my version of a perfect day in all it's coffee-flavored, concert-singing, xylophone-toting, progress-making, gift-finding, electric-lit, cathedral-performing, literarily-satisfying goodness.
Love. Love. Love.
KP =)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
I only post on holidays now
(Though last entry had nothing to do with Halloween...)
Since I have a half hour to fritter away before traveling to a Thanksgiving celebration of work friends, I figured I could revisit the tried and true November school writing prompt:
I am thankful for:
*6th graders who come back to visit PS 43. The best so far has been one boy who, despite having a lot of emotional/behavioral issues last year, was one of my favorites--a SMART kid who really wanted to succeed but couldn't always control his responses to his world... I asked him how middle school was going; he smiled with an expression of peace and answered with a genuine "Really well, Ms. Phillips." Cue tears of pride.
*An extremely successful inaugural service outing with the young adults of my church. Great turnout and all goals accomplished at the site! Love love love being engaged in a leadership role completely separate from school.
*Surprise packages and letters! Highlights from the past week include coloring book pages from Ellen's "best buddy" Maria (ELLEN-can I get an address to write her a thank you??) and frickin' BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on DVD from the fam. So. Excited. Also, did you know that the new Rapunzel movie is an Alan Menken-composed musical??? Why hasn't this been advertised? Poor marketing choice, Disney.
*A collective holiday of gratefulness that anyone and everyone can observe--it is warming in a small but significant way that I can wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my teachers and friends and not have to guess whether or not they celebrate it. True, most people I know wouldn't be offended in the least by "Merry Christmas" (I received many of them last year), but somehow this one is different.
*Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album. I am choosing to reject the reality of her "updated" holiday release. Only the original, please.
*Generous friends hosting a Thanksgiving gathering that is likely a little too numerous in guests for their space... Bring on the coziness and feasting and laughter!
*The ability to completely avoid the Macy's Parade and the 3.5 million people who attend it. That's more than New Year's, folks.
*Staying connected with friends and family around the country as they celebrate with friends and family of their own!
*Grandma pie. The celebration I will be attending is set on desserts (as if that's a thing), but I made one for myself just the same. If you can make the trip in the next week, you're welcome to have some too! =)
Have a safe and restful and warm-fuzzy Thanksgiving, friends!
Love, love, love.
K
Since I have a half hour to fritter away before traveling to a Thanksgiving celebration of work friends, I figured I could revisit the tried and true November school writing prompt:
I am thankful for:
*6th graders who come back to visit PS 43. The best so far has been one boy who, despite having a lot of emotional/behavioral issues last year, was one of my favorites--a SMART kid who really wanted to succeed but couldn't always control his responses to his world... I asked him how middle school was going; he smiled with an expression of peace and answered with a genuine "Really well, Ms. Phillips." Cue tears of pride.
*An extremely successful inaugural service outing with the young adults of my church. Great turnout and all goals accomplished at the site! Love love love being engaged in a leadership role completely separate from school.
*Surprise packages and letters! Highlights from the past week include coloring book pages from Ellen's "best buddy" Maria (ELLEN-can I get an address to write her a thank you??) and frickin' BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on DVD from the fam. So. Excited. Also, did you know that the new Rapunzel movie is an Alan Menken-composed musical??? Why hasn't this been advertised? Poor marketing choice, Disney.
*A collective holiday of gratefulness that anyone and everyone can observe--it is warming in a small but significant way that I can wish a Happy Thanksgiving to all my teachers and friends and not have to guess whether or not they celebrate it. True, most people I know wouldn't be offended in the least by "Merry Christmas" (I received many of them last year), but somehow this one is different.
*Mariah Carey's "Merry Christmas" album. I am choosing to reject the reality of her "updated" holiday release. Only the original, please.
*Generous friends hosting a Thanksgiving gathering that is likely a little too numerous in guests for their space... Bring on the coziness and feasting and laughter!
*The ability to completely avoid the Macy's Parade and the 3.5 million people who attend it. That's more than New Year's, folks.
*Staying connected with friends and family around the country as they celebrate with friends and family of their own!
*Grandma pie. The celebration I will be attending is set on desserts (as if that's a thing), but I made one for myself just the same. If you can make the trip in the next week, you're welcome to have some too! =)
Have a safe and restful and warm-fuzzy Thanksgiving, friends!
Love, love, love.
K
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The best I can do...
Every time I check blogs and cringe at the ever-widening period of time since my last update, I am more and more daunted by the prospect of a catch-up entry. So here's what I did today, because really that's all I am mentally capable of communicating at this moment:
10:00am: A viewing of "Waiting for 'Superman'" with teacher/social work friends.
The documentary explores the broken state of our schools and the various pressures and factors preventing the current public school system from effectively educating our children. I have been reading articles about the film for weeks--content aside, it is really wonderful how this movie is bringing education into the public forum! It is less biased toward charter schools than I imagined but still does not quite present the most well-rounded depiction of public schools... Audiences unfamiliar with the workings of the education system will likely walk away believing ANY charter school produces superior results to ANY public school, which is simply untrue (recent reports actually find public schools slightly ahead of charter schools on average in terms of achievement!). The personal stories were moving, though, and it was great to discuss the film and the education world in general with a group of knowledgeable professionals! And the group included church and teaching friends--worlds collide!
2:30pm: Planning meeting for an upcoming church young adults group service outing
I am super excited (and possibly starting to be spread too thin?) to be co-coordinating the newly minted service and outreach team through the young adults group at my church (ASYA, or All Souls Young Adults, from here on out). Today's meeting was in preparation for our kickoff event, an all-day service effort cleaning/painting/organizing a nearby church that hosts a slew of programs for the community, including Girl Scouts and various afterschool groups. The plan is to make these outings a monthly happening, each instance exploring a different need in the community. The prep is a lot of work--touring the building, compiling supplies/to-do lists, communicating with organizers, promoting to ASYA members--but already rewarding!
6:00pm: Bulletin board assembly
Oh, right, and I have a weekday job too. Between a steady social calendar of events, the service initiative, occasional babysitting, staying in touch with friends and family, choir, exercise (depressingly low on the priority list lately), and regular chores and errands, schoolwork sometimes feels like something I squeeze in when I can. Good thing concert season is approaching, that's not much work at all...
10:00pm: Completion of blog entry that probably should have been foregone in favor of sleep or lesson prep
When's Thanksgiving?
Love, Hugs, and Airborne to combat sleep-deprived immune system deterioration!
KP =)
10:00am: A viewing of "Waiting for 'Superman'" with teacher/social work friends.
The documentary explores the broken state of our schools and the various pressures and factors preventing the current public school system from effectively educating our children. I have been reading articles about the film for weeks--content aside, it is really wonderful how this movie is bringing education into the public forum! It is less biased toward charter schools than I imagined but still does not quite present the most well-rounded depiction of public schools... Audiences unfamiliar with the workings of the education system will likely walk away believing ANY charter school produces superior results to ANY public school, which is simply untrue (recent reports actually find public schools slightly ahead of charter schools on average in terms of achievement!). The personal stories were moving, though, and it was great to discuss the film and the education world in general with a group of knowledgeable professionals! And the group included church and teaching friends--worlds collide!
2:30pm: Planning meeting for an upcoming church young adults group service outing
I am super excited (and possibly starting to be spread too thin?) to be co-coordinating the newly minted service and outreach team through the young adults group at my church (ASYA, or All Souls Young Adults, from here on out). Today's meeting was in preparation for our kickoff event, an all-day service effort cleaning/painting/organizing a nearby church that hosts a slew of programs for the community, including Girl Scouts and various afterschool groups. The plan is to make these outings a monthly happening, each instance exploring a different need in the community. The prep is a lot of work--touring the building, compiling supplies/to-do lists, communicating with organizers, promoting to ASYA members--but already rewarding!
6:00pm: Bulletin board assembly
Oh, right, and I have a weekday job too. Between a steady social calendar of events, the service initiative, occasional babysitting, staying in touch with friends and family, choir, exercise (depressingly low on the priority list lately), and regular chores and errands, schoolwork sometimes feels like something I squeeze in when I can. Good thing concert season is approaching, that's not much work at all...
10:00pm: Completion of blog entry that probably should have been foregone in favor of sleep or lesson prep
When's Thanksgiving?
Love, Hugs, and Airborne to combat sleep-deprived immune system deterioration!
KP =)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Recipe for a Perfect Weekend
-2 full days of blue skies after a week of rain and clouds (and before another similar week)
-1 perplexingly legit bar 6 blocks from my school in the Bronx that fills up with teachers on Friday afternoons for phenomenal happy hour and karaoke fun. Let sit for 6 hours with 4 other ETM music teachers (plus the 50 other ones already in the know about this place) and arrive home by 11pm.
-5 apples, 1 eggplant, 1 onion, 1 large bunch broccoli, and 1 carrot for $6 at the local Greenmarket. Cheap, healthy, and delicious is my favorite.
-3 hours of marathon apartment cleaning. Annoying, but always incredibly calming and mentally cleansing afterward.
-2 hours paid babysitting. Layer lesson planning and tasty ravioli over the top.
-1 long-awaited sermon on the necessity of outreach and service (and a commitment to new, real initiatives) from the pulpit of my regular church. Follow up with several conversations on the need to jump on board these initiatives and the general wave of intent. Finally!
-1 tall pumpkin spice latte and 1 multi-grain bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. Leisurely consume over the entry of 450 names into the gradebook.
-6 miles of energized (perhaps due to the aforementioned latte) running. Combine with crisp fall temperatures and a random Renaissance Faire. (What, Inwood?)
Et voila! It was quite the productive and enjoyable weekend. And then...
It was going to be a great Monday. I baked pumpkin bread for my new school. I had all my lesson plans and materials set the night before. It didn't even rain over my morning commute! Then my traveling teacher cart ran into a corner, projectile-flipping my water bottle onto the floor, the result of which materialized in said bottle leaking, unbeknownst to me, over my cart and phone which normally wouldn't have been there but I kept out to make sure my visiting field supervisor would find me in the school (she never came) and now the keypad is becoming increasingly temperamental so it's sitting in a tub of rice. Also, since the clouds held in their fury over my afternoon commute as well, I didn't notice when I left my umbrella bag, umbrella inside, on my first of two buses and failed to realize the oversight until I was off the second. I then learned that Target umbrellas are (unreasonably?) expensive but now I have an umbrella. Whatever. And my library said it had a book I planned lessons around this week but in fact did not so I had to go to the one in the next neighborhood which proved a longer and more frustrating and wetter excursion than I had anticipated. Then I got free pizza from my gym. That was handy.
I'm not sure to which side of karma the last three days have delivered me, but I would like to call it even. I would also like to call from my phone in the near future. C'mon, rice...
Love, Hugs, and a case of the Mondays,
KP =)
UPDATE: Phone is in full working order. Brown rice + vacuum = one less item off my plate. =)
-1 perplexingly legit bar 6 blocks from my school in the Bronx that fills up with teachers on Friday afternoons for phenomenal happy hour and karaoke fun. Let sit for 6 hours with 4 other ETM music teachers (plus the 50 other ones already in the know about this place) and arrive home by 11pm.
-5 apples, 1 eggplant, 1 onion, 1 large bunch broccoli, and 1 carrot for $6 at the local Greenmarket. Cheap, healthy, and delicious is my favorite.
-3 hours of marathon apartment cleaning. Annoying, but always incredibly calming and mentally cleansing afterward.
-2 hours paid babysitting. Layer lesson planning and tasty ravioli over the top.
-1 long-awaited sermon on the necessity of outreach and service (and a commitment to new, real initiatives) from the pulpit of my regular church. Follow up with several conversations on the need to jump on board these initiatives and the general wave of intent. Finally!
-1 tall pumpkin spice latte and 1 multi-grain bagel, toasted, with cream cheese. Leisurely consume over the entry of 450 names into the gradebook.
-6 miles of energized (perhaps due to the aforementioned latte) running. Combine with crisp fall temperatures and a random Renaissance Faire. (What, Inwood?)
Et voila! It was quite the productive and enjoyable weekend. And then...
It was going to be a great Monday. I baked pumpkin bread for my new school. I had all my lesson plans and materials set the night before. It didn't even rain over my morning commute! Then my traveling teacher cart ran into a corner, projectile-flipping my water bottle onto the floor, the result of which materialized in said bottle leaking, unbeknownst to me, over my cart and phone which normally wouldn't have been there but I kept out to make sure my visiting field supervisor would find me in the school (she never came) and now the keypad is becoming increasingly temperamental so it's sitting in a tub of rice. Also, since the clouds held in their fury over my afternoon commute as well, I didn't notice when I left my umbrella bag, umbrella inside, on my first of two buses and failed to realize the oversight until I was off the second. I then learned that Target umbrellas are (unreasonably?) expensive but now I have an umbrella. Whatever. And my library said it had a book I planned lessons around this week but in fact did not so I had to go to the one in the next neighborhood which proved a longer and more frustrating and wetter excursion than I had anticipated. Then I got free pizza from my gym. That was handy.
I'm not sure to which side of karma the last three days have delivered me, but I would like to call it even. I would also like to call from my phone in the near future. C'mon, rice...
Love, Hugs, and a case of the Mondays,
KP =)
UPDATE: Phone is in full working order. Brown rice + vacuum = one less item off my plate. =)
Monday, September 13, 2010
Just the Way I Left It, Part II
A few more for the file of the familiar...
I ran in Central Park for the first time in months on Saturday... I've developed such a routine with my glorious neighborhood parks that I forgot about the Park that started it all. The loop was fantastically calming and just as picturesque as I remember. Never mind that I wove in and out of a random 4K race for something... Fortunately the teeming masses only ran through part of my route... As a sidenote, I'm fairly confident competitive running is not for me. I run for leisure, not for a time or a t-shirt.
Later Saturday I pulled out my college vocal repertoire binders to recover a copy of a well-rehearsed aria for my upcoming choir audition. I sang through it (still memorized!) and then another piece as a backup... And then the entirety of my senior vocal recital. I could not believe how much muscle memory I've retained from last March's performance, particularly as I have sung NONE of it since then! Even the 7-page, diarrhea-of-the-mouth Russian piece it took months to memorize flowed more easily than I expected (unsurprisingly, however, this one did not prove as memorized).
As a parting gift, I will share a gorgeous panorama (several pictures cropped together, in fact) of my classroom last spring, just the way I left it... Before taking everything down and putting it in boxes. =) Click through for full size!
Love, Hugs, and Happy School Year!
KP
I ran in Central Park for the first time in months on Saturday... I've developed such a routine with my glorious neighborhood parks that I forgot about the Park that started it all. The loop was fantastically calming and just as picturesque as I remember. Never mind that I wove in and out of a random 4K race for something... Fortunately the teeming masses only ran through part of my route... As a sidenote, I'm fairly confident competitive running is not for me. I run for leisure, not for a time or a t-shirt.
Later Saturday I pulled out my college vocal repertoire binders to recover a copy of a well-rehearsed aria for my upcoming choir audition. I sang through it (still memorized!) and then another piece as a backup... And then the entirety of my senior vocal recital. I could not believe how much muscle memory I've retained from last March's performance, particularly as I have sung NONE of it since then! Even the 7-page, diarrhea-of-the-mouth Russian piece it took months to memorize flowed more easily than I expected (unsurprisingly, however, this one did not prove as memorized).
As a parting gift, I will share a gorgeous panorama (several pictures cropped together, in fact) of my classroom last spring, just the way I left it... Before taking everything down and putting it in boxes. =) Click through for full size!
Photo by Chris Marolf, ETM program staff member and picture-taker extraordinaire!
Love, Hugs, and Happy School Year!
KP
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Just the Way I Left It
When I was little I had a dollhouse in my room—the snazzy Playmobil Victorian home with rooms and furniture whose beauty were not nearly matched by its figures (seriously, a dollhouse with ugly dolls?). I meticulously arranged every room’s scene and I knew the house backward and forward. Every time Grandma visited she would alter one thing in the dollhouse and I would have to sleuth out the difference. From reshelved flatwear to bathroom towels to flower gardens, I was always able to return the house to its original state. There’s a comfort in the order of “the way things were”.
I’m happy to report post-vacation New York is largely the way it was pre-vacation, summer-city smells, Dominican music, and all. I had the opportunity to enjoy it in higher doses when my computer succumbed to the evils of malware and spent a stint with the Geek Squad. For the minor inconveniences five days without regular computer and Internet access bring, I quite appreciated the silence and imperative to fill my time with activities that don’t start with an inbox or a Netflix search.
Much money and concern later, I received my computer back, free of viruses AND completely reloaded with all of my files and settings. Considering I had spent the repair period collecting software CDs to reinstall and compiling settings and passwords I would have to reprogram, this came as welcome—downright glorious--news.
Last week brought the first ETM training day of the year, complete with smiling faces, friendly conversation, and a lovely rooftop barbecue. If the pay weren’t so lousy, I would work with them forever. Seriously.
Last week also brought me back into my classroom at PS 43. If you recall, my first glimpse of the same room last summer included roughly 20 extra desks, 50 extra chairs, and 4 broken iMacs. Oof. This year, I unlocked the door expecting a similar scene… And the room looked like this:
What. A. Difference. And they had not locked my instruments (or keyboards!) in storage. I had everything I needed and no more (even the 2 remaining dud iMacs were removed by this week!). Cleaning and furniture consolidation aside, the room was just the way I left it at the end of last year. I nearly cried tears of elation. Pictures of the reconstructed—and slightly redesigned—classroom to come!
In the short-lived spirit of restlessly empty late summer, I have decided to audition for that choir… The actual audition is next week but I participated in their first rehearsal last night. Sight-reading “real” (read: “intended for ages above 11”) choral music requires cognitive muscles that are a little stiff after a year and a half hiatus, but it was so great to SING again. And, truthfully, to use those “muscles” again. Like the first run after an elliptical winter, the technique is a little rusty but the energy is through the roof. Now I just have to dust off an old aria for the audition… Eep.
Lesson planning, a full week of training, then a new school year! Ah, the 5am alarm… Good to know that the view out my window at the crack of dawn is also just how I left it:
Love & Hugs!
Kate =)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Timing
I finally (after a year of cursing the New York City skies and streets every rain) purchase a pair of rain boots on Saturday. On Sunday my errands are accompanied by torrential rainfall. Yay boots!
I carry wine and regular glasses aaaaaall the way from Brooklyn IKEA, through 2 hours of bus and train and aforementioned torrential rain. I place the boxes on my kitchen counter and one slips, resulting in 2 broken wine glasses. Boo irony. (4 survived, thankfully)
I spend a significant part of Saturday afternoon revisiting Wartburg Choir music along with a nostalgic tribute notebook reading. On Sunday the girl sitting next to me in church invites me to audition for a legit city choir. No member fees, Wednesday evening rehearsals, decent sound (pay no attention to the non-synced video)... I'm outsourcing this one--what do you think??
Also on the topic of timing but a little less specifically anecdotal, two weeks is the perfect length for a summer vacation, particularly when that time is split between two locations. South Carolina possessed all the calm and warmth (temperately and personally) and space I remembered, and I am very pleased with the copious friendship rejuvenations that took place back in the Midwest. It is so, SO comforting to reconnect beyond the limits of phone and Skype sessions. Additionally, the Anderson family (of ", Stephanie Pippi" fame) IS a wedding reception. Prepackaged. =)
And I suppose a well-timed sermon fits into this theme... Guest minister on the topic of salvation in the context of Unitarian Universalism. I'll post it when the link goes up, but it very adeptly frames the issue in a way that strongly aspires to reconcile "traditional" and "liberal" religion and/or faith, an aspiration that has been on my mind more than usual lately.
Last but not least, I replaced the battery in my kitchen clock so it keeps time as well as it did back in June. =)
KP
I carry wine and regular glasses aaaaaall the way from Brooklyn IKEA, through 2 hours of bus and train and aforementioned torrential rain. I place the boxes on my kitchen counter and one slips, resulting in 2 broken wine glasses. Boo irony. (4 survived, thankfully)
I spend a significant part of Saturday afternoon revisiting Wartburg Choir music along with a nostalgic tribute notebook reading. On Sunday the girl sitting next to me in church invites me to audition for a legit city choir. No member fees, Wednesday evening rehearsals, decent sound (pay no attention to the non-synced video)... I'm outsourcing this one--what do you think??
Also on the topic of timing but a little less specifically anecdotal, two weeks is the perfect length for a summer vacation, particularly when that time is split between two locations. South Carolina possessed all the calm and warmth (temperately and personally) and space I remembered, and I am very pleased with the copious friendship rejuvenations that took place back in the Midwest. It is so, SO comforting to reconnect beyond the limits of phone and Skype sessions. Additionally, the Anderson family (of ", Stephanie Pippi" fame) IS a wedding reception. Prepackaged. =)
And I suppose a well-timed sermon fits into this theme... Guest minister on the topic of salvation in the context of Unitarian Universalism. I'll post it when the link goes up, but it very adeptly frames the issue in a way that strongly aspires to reconcile "traditional" and "liberal" religion and/or faith, an aspiration that has been on my mind more than usual lately.
Last but not least, I replaced the battery in my kitchen clock so it keeps time as well as it did back in June. =)
KP
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Productivity
40 minutes to kill before I leave for vacation...
I wish I had mornings off all year--I get SO much done between 6 and 10! This week, for example, I used my mornings to exercise, clean the apartment, pack (TWO DAYS ahead of time--new record), lower my Internet bill, work out a 5th day job placement... and paint toenails. It's been a good week.
5 days in wooded, lakeside, isolated South Carolina country followed by 8 days in sparkly, standardized, homey North Shore? Yes, please. =) I am ready for a brief sojourn away from the relentless pace and density of my beloved city, and spending quality time with family and (COLLEGE) friends only sweetens the deal!
And you read correctly... I'll be working 5 days a week come fall--a first in my adult life! Tentatively, my additional day will be at P.S. 484 (Van Nest Academy) in Central Bronx. The gig may or may not require an hour-plus, multiple-bus commute and lacks a classroom (my very first cart!), but I'm nonetheless excited to step into a school with a "fresh start" as it were. It's K-2 so I'll be teaching my favorite (and easiest) ages--a definite plus. And I think a cart might be freeing in some ways... Although I'm grateful I'll only have to use it for 20% of my week. =)
Recommended Reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
Two years ago I would have tossed aside a book about the benefits of organic, local food culture, citing irrelevance and/or boredom. Not now--this book is a revelation. Between my newfound love of cooking and the copious farmers' markets in NYC, I can apply so much of the new information I'm absorbing directly to my purchasing and consuming habits... Homemade cheese, anyone?
Love, Hugs, and Summer Vacation!!!!
KP
I wish I had mornings off all year--I get SO much done between 6 and 10! This week, for example, I used my mornings to exercise, clean the apartment, pack (TWO DAYS ahead of time--new record), lower my Internet bill, work out a 5th day job placement... and paint toenails. It's been a good week.
5 days in wooded, lakeside, isolated South Carolina country followed by 8 days in sparkly, standardized, homey North Shore? Yes, please. =) I am ready for a brief sojourn away from the relentless pace and density of my beloved city, and spending quality time with family and (COLLEGE) friends only sweetens the deal!
And you read correctly... I'll be working 5 days a week come fall--a first in my adult life! Tentatively, my additional day will be at P.S. 484 (Van Nest Academy) in Central Bronx. The gig may or may not require an hour-plus, multiple-bus commute and lacks a classroom (my very first cart!), but I'm nonetheless excited to step into a school with a "fresh start" as it were. It's K-2 so I'll be teaching my favorite (and easiest) ages--a definite plus. And I think a cart might be freeing in some ways... Although I'm grateful I'll only have to use it for 20% of my week. =)
Recommended Reading: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
Two years ago I would have tossed aside a book about the benefits of organic, local food culture, citing irrelevance and/or boredom. Not now--this book is a revelation. Between my newfound love of cooking and the copious farmers' markets in NYC, I can apply so much of the new information I'm absorbing directly to my purchasing and consuming habits... Homemade cheese, anyone?
Love, Hugs, and Summer Vacation!!!!
KP
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Community
Has it really been over a year in New York City?? This Saturday will mark my one-year anniversary at 75 Thayer, 4F. Ironically and/or poetically, this Saturday will also mark the commencement of my a two-week vaction this Saturday--AWAY from the city to reconnect with family, friends, and open landscape. Skimming the trajectory of this blog from its inception last summer, I can outline trails of whimsy, stress, accomplishment, personal growth... and community.
Like any recent college graduate, I've struggled to build community. Though my locale has a few million people more than, say, rural Iowa, the challenges of fostering a network of genuine support remain the same. Maybe moreso--many of those who have lived here for a while already have extensive and sufficient networks of their own and aren't readily seeking new bonds. Yet somehow I can count relatively close relations I've established in the past year on more than one hand.
It's happened so gradually, but taking a step back in reflection I stand in awe of the satisfying community I have built in year one. In just the last month, I celebrated my birthday with friends from high school and college, visited a teaching friend at her apartment, hosted a young adult event at the church, and attended a really fabulous and laid-back house party of church people... Obviously there are always "next steps". I hope to expand and deepen these relationships and new ones. But I leave New York for the brief hiatus a much more personalized city than it was upon gaining my address a year ago.
In Libertyville August 12-20... With an epic wedding/college friendship experience the 13th-14th. Let me know if I should be seeing you!!!
Kate =)
Like any recent college graduate, I've struggled to build community. Though my locale has a few million people more than, say, rural Iowa, the challenges of fostering a network of genuine support remain the same. Maybe moreso--many of those who have lived here for a while already have extensive and sufficient networks of their own and aren't readily seeking new bonds. Yet somehow I can count relatively close relations I've established in the past year on more than one hand.
It's happened so gradually, but taking a step back in reflection I stand in awe of the satisfying community I have built in year one. In just the last month, I celebrated my birthday with friends from high school and college, visited a teaching friend at her apartment, hosted a young adult event at the church, and attended a really fabulous and laid-back house party of church people... Obviously there are always "next steps". I hope to expand and deepen these relationships and new ones. But I leave New York for the brief hiatus a much more personalized city than it was upon gaining my address a year ago.
In Libertyville August 12-20... With an epic wedding/college friendship experience the 13th-14th. Let me know if I should be seeing you!!!
Kate =)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tides of the Season
Passing: the days of summer as the calendar devolves into a relic of the working year
Still: palpably saturated, oppressive air refusing motion and insulating heavy heat
Passing by one another on the morning sidewalk, two school-aged boys share a moment's handshake and knowing nods.
Still remain the friendships of former years--high school, college--enough to sustain full weekends of reminiscing and talk of present and future.
Passing gradually as a "real" teacher, I feel infinitely more competent and prepared for summer school instruction...
Still, I miss the comfort of "my" school, students, and teachers and await with enthusiasm a non-inaugural year after
passing the remaining weeks of summer at "surrogate" school, then in gloriously un-urbanized South Carolina, and finally in Illinois among the familiarity of locale, family, and the best of friends.
Still: a weekend of relative, welcome calm amidst eastern seaboard roaming, action-packed visits (brother shortly!), and anticipated vacations.
Passing: the mellifluence of an (over)ambitious conceptual entry...
=) KP
Still: palpably saturated, oppressive air refusing motion and insulating heavy heat
Passing by one another on the morning sidewalk, two school-aged boys share a moment's handshake and knowing nods.
Still remain the friendships of former years--high school, college--enough to sustain full weekends of reminiscing and talk of present and future.
Passing gradually as a "real" teacher, I feel infinitely more competent and prepared for summer school instruction...
Still, I miss the comfort of "my" school, students, and teachers and await with enthusiasm a non-inaugural year after
passing the remaining weeks of summer at "surrogate" school, then in gloriously un-urbanized South Carolina, and finally in Illinois among the familiarity of locale, family, and the best of friends.
Still: a weekend of relative, welcome calm amidst eastern seaboard roaming, action-packed visits (brother shortly!), and anticipated vacations.
Passing: the mellifluence of an (over)ambitious conceptual entry...
=) KP
Thursday, June 24, 2010
You know it's summer when...
-Greenmarket produce is actually cheaper (and much more delicious) than the grocery variety.
-Someone pops a fire hydrant. The function I observed was more car wash and less kid sprinkler, but still.
-You get flashbacks (heat stroke?) to the barely bearable heat of my very first month in this 4th floor, non-cross-ventilated apartment.
-You have time for volunteering and babysitting and actually hanging out with friends... So much that you kind of forget this is "vacation".
-You can truly wish teachers and administrators a happy summer and thank them for a fantastic year because your 5th graders have graduated and you will not be returning to the school until September!!!! A note on these 5th graders: Throughout a good portion of the year I found this grade the toughest to engage and relate to, in part because of their bigger class sizes (28 compared to around 20 in every other grade), in part because of my difficulty in lesson/unit planning for older grades. Between a really successful spring concert and a half-dozen graduation rehearsals, I complete the year feeling most bonded to these soon-to-be-middle-schoolers. They stepped up their game for these ceremony songs (and all other procedures for that matter) in a way unseen in the rest of the year. They delivered each piece in strong, clear, projected head voice with expression and pride. Witnessing Miguel and Ashli and Eric (what a voice--who knew!) and others get so INTO the songs in their faces and performances... Mind-blowing. I'm in the right profession. =)
A few long-overdue pictures...
The happy feel-good moments are becoming a bit cumbersome to the flow of the blog... Consider them integrated (i.e., Greenmarkets, fire hydrants, 5th grade pride, unobstructed schools) unless otherwise noted from here on out in your readership.
Love, Hugs, & SUMMER!!!
Ms. Phillips, with pride
-Someone pops a fire hydrant. The function I observed was more car wash and less kid sprinkler, but still.
-You get flashbacks (heat stroke?) to the barely bearable heat of my very first month in this 4th floor, non-cross-ventilated apartment.
-You have time for volunteering and babysitting and actually hanging out with friends... So much that you kind of forget this is "vacation".
-You can truly wish teachers and administrators a happy summer and thank them for a fantastic year because your 5th graders have graduated and you will not be returning to the school until September!!!! A note on these 5th graders: Throughout a good portion of the year I found this grade the toughest to engage and relate to, in part because of their bigger class sizes (28 compared to around 20 in every other grade), in part because of my difficulty in lesson/unit planning for older grades. Between a really successful spring concert and a half-dozen graduation rehearsals, I complete the year feeling most bonded to these soon-to-be-middle-schoolers. They stepped up their game for these ceremony songs (and all other procedures for that matter) in a way unseen in the rest of the year. They delivered each piece in strong, clear, projected head voice with expression and pride. Witnessing Miguel and Ashli and Eric (what a voice--who knew!) and others get so INTO the songs in their faces and performances... Mind-blowing. I'm in the right profession. =)
A few long-overdue pictures...
PS 43's auditorium, "decorated" for spring concerts
This is what it looks like when a kitchen self-destructs.
No more pesky cabinet! Or usable drinking glasses for that matter.
Gorgeous Wave Hill (of septuagenarian-oriented Mozart concert fame)
A few of my proud, deserving 5th grade graduates
PS 43 in all its stately, UNOBSTRUCTED (just in literal time for graduation) glory!!!!!
The happy feel-good moments are becoming a bit cumbersome to the flow of the blog... Consider them integrated (i.e., Greenmarkets, fire hydrants, 5th grade pride, unobstructed schools) unless otherwise noted from here on out in your readership.
Love, Hugs, & SUMMER!!!
Ms. Phillips, with pride
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Fresh Start
PS (As in pre-script): Here's the sermon I referenced last blog. If you can make it through the extended exposition on the migration patterns of geese it really does all tie together. =)
Inspired by the blog of Miss Emily DeLong, I decided to switch up the design a bit... Like just about everything else in my life (particularly shoes and coats), I wish I could draw what I wanted it to look like and then magically have it appear that way, but alas, I'm not savvy enough to venture beyond templates and colors. Still, a change is refreshing.
Speaking of refreshing change, I need some. Though I've been foot-busy (as opposed to brain-busy) in my first week of summer vacation, I feel a little restless funk sprouting within me... I'm definitely ready for some new projects. These might include:
*Starting curriculum planning for next year
*Collaborating to jumpstart and lead social justice initiatives within my church's young adult group--I'm leading a "Food & Fellowship" (our bimonthly get-togethers centered around a discussion topic) in July on service and volunteering as well as participating in a joint committee between the young adults and the church-affiliated (though confoundingly not directly supported by the church) community outreach organization that funds the efforts of a variety of services and programs for underserved groups in New York City, I'm very excited about the opportunities that await me in the coming months.
*With all the service-/volunteer-related talk, I figured I should actually get back into volunteering, something I've let slide over the course of the school year. I have a few food pantry/soup kitchen type projects I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks, so that will be energizing. I have yet to find a volunteer-ready organization in my neighborhood, however... If I could find one that didn't require an hour of travel I think I'd be more likely to continue participating come fall.
*Painting and/or redecorating--In all likelihood, the latter half of this initiative probably won't happen. I only have so much space and furniture can only fit in a room so many ways. But with the very likely prospect of remaining in my apartment another year, I think a multi-wall paint job could be a fun way to rejuvenate the space and make it more my own. Details to follow...
*Running--The weather of late has been weird and unpredictable... Combined with my train hopping to graduation rehearsals and babysitting gigs and summer fun activities, I have not been running as frequently as I would like. That's changing--I know from experience that a large part of this spirit restlessness could be fixed with some consistent aerobic activity.
*New and delicious recipes--ideas, please!!
Happy Feel Good Moments
*Free half-pizza from Planet Fitness, my gym. Irony never tasted so delicious.
*Wave Hill Park--Free Mozart concert (of whose attendees I was the youngest by roughly 40 years), beautiful gardens, exploring a completely new part of the city... This is what summer's about, kids.
*I get to play "good cop" at the 5th grade graduation rehearsals, which is awesome.
*A subway guitarist interrupted his regularly-scheduled Latin music to play "Old McDonald" for an enthused toddler.
*FIGMENT Art Festival--a free, gigantic collection of participatory art exhibits/installations/performances. Most unique and thought-provoking attraction: Unseen Dances.
Love, Hugs, & Links!
Kate
PS: I have lived in this city for over a year. Over. A. Year.
PPS (or is it PSS?): A tangent of the FIGMENT experience--reintroduction to the wonder of Dippin' Dots.
PPPS: I sang at a piano bar for the first time. "On My Own," for simplicity's sake. Fun stuff...
Inspired by the blog of Miss Emily DeLong, I decided to switch up the design a bit... Like just about everything else in my life (particularly shoes and coats), I wish I could draw what I wanted it to look like and then magically have it appear that way, but alas, I'm not savvy enough to venture beyond templates and colors. Still, a change is refreshing.
Speaking of refreshing change, I need some. Though I've been foot-busy (as opposed to brain-busy) in my first week of summer vacation, I feel a little restless funk sprouting within me... I'm definitely ready for some new projects. These might include:
*Starting curriculum planning for next year
*Collaborating to jumpstart and lead social justice initiatives within my church's young adult group--I'm leading a "Food & Fellowship" (our bimonthly get-togethers centered around a discussion topic) in July on service and volunteering as well as participating in a joint committee between the young adults and the church-affiliated (though confoundingly not directly supported by the church) community outreach organization that funds the efforts of a variety of services and programs for underserved groups in New York City, I'm very excited about the opportunities that await me in the coming months.
*With all the service-/volunteer-related talk, I figured I should actually get back into volunteering, something I've let slide over the course of the school year. I have a few food pantry/soup kitchen type projects I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks, so that will be energizing. I have yet to find a volunteer-ready organization in my neighborhood, however... If I could find one that didn't require an hour of travel I think I'd be more likely to continue participating come fall.
*Painting and/or redecorating--In all likelihood, the latter half of this initiative probably won't happen. I only have so much space and furniture can only fit in a room so many ways. But with the very likely prospect of remaining in my apartment another year, I think a multi-wall paint job could be a fun way to rejuvenate the space and make it more my own. Details to follow...
*Running--The weather of late has been weird and unpredictable... Combined with my train hopping to graduation rehearsals and babysitting gigs and summer fun activities, I have not been running as frequently as I would like. That's changing--I know from experience that a large part of this spirit restlessness could be fixed with some consistent aerobic activity.
*New and delicious recipes--ideas, please!!
Happy Feel Good Moments
*Free half-pizza from Planet Fitness, my gym. Irony never tasted so delicious.
*Wave Hill Park--Free Mozart concert (of whose attendees I was the youngest by roughly 40 years), beautiful gardens, exploring a completely new part of the city... This is what summer's about, kids.
*I get to play "good cop" at the 5th grade graduation rehearsals, which is awesome.
*A subway guitarist interrupted his regularly-scheduled Latin music to play "Old McDonald" for an enthused toddler.
*FIGMENT Art Festival--a free, gigantic collection of participatory art exhibits/installations/performances. Most unique and thought-provoking attraction: Unseen Dances.
Love, Hugs, & Links!
Kate
PS: I have lived in this city for over a year. Over. A. Year.
PPS (or is it PSS?): A tangent of the FIGMENT experience--reintroduction to the wonder of Dippin' Dots.
PPPS: I sang at a piano bar for the first time. "On My Own," for simplicity's sake. Fun stuff...
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