juicer overload

Our latest stash from Ward's: Navels, blood red oranges, honey tangelos, honey tangerines, and -- of course -- grapefruit. We have been spending our time holed up in our cold house drinking lots of fresh orange juice. This is one of the few things I can say that was good about the cold weather. Maybe our trees will be big enough to produce some fruit of their own next year.

mood: bored

This is how I feel after spending two days curled up on the couch with piles of blankets and warm clothes because it's too cold to do anything else. Is this really how people up north spend their winters?

for shame

It's supposed to be a cold next several days, so I thought I'd spend some time curled up under blankets catching up on my reading. I've had the same book on my nightstand for over 2 years -- The Shame of the Nation by Jonathan Kozol. I read it until find myself getting very, very angry (I made it through Chapter 6 today!), then I put it down and try again several months later once I've calmed down. It's an important book that I need to get through since it's all about the topic I plan to do my PhD work on -- the resegregation of America's schools and the dumbing down of education for our poorest students.

I read about the magnitude of the problem and the "solutions" (which I also see with my own eyes every day) that inevitably make things so much worse for resegregated schools: scripted teaching manuals, non-licensed and under-prepared teachers (my school likes to hire people without teaching degrees to teach the neediest ESE students!), funding cuts for the poorest of schools, parents unsure of their rights regarding their child's education, falling apart buildings, and -- of course -- the latest cure-all, standardized testing. The weight of each of these issues is formidable. Combined, it seems as though there is no way out of the mess state and federal bureaucrats have created for the neediest of our children -- seemingly on purpose!

Kozol's Savage Inequalities got me into teaching. I was so moved by the horror stories outlined in that book that I volunteered immediately in a low-income local public school and have been working there for nine years now. I am frustrated by many things I see every day that I can do nothing about. I know I make a difference in my small corner of the world to the best of my abilities, but I'm ready to do something more. Maybe once I can make it through this book I'll be ready.

it's great

to be a Florida Gator!!

manager gifts?

The message popped up on the marque of the church near our house last week. I'm not really sure what it means, but it seems a little too consumer driven for a church, no?

keeping busy

Even though I spent a good part of my Winter Break sleeping and relaxing, I was somewhat productive. I finished knitting the scarf I started on our summer trip to Ohio while watching the DVR-ed final season of The Shield. The scarf is bright and warm, but I have to say I'm glad I don't have to wear it just yet (this warm weather is so awesome!!)

Tim and I are slowly working our way through The Wire (we're at the beginning of season 2.) I've got another scarf I've been working on while watching that. I'm using the fine Alpaca yarn Dad got me in Peru, so it's a bit slow going. I'm hoping to finish by the time the series is done, but who knows.

We also spent a good part of the break rearranging the house and finishing off projects. My office has become Tim's office, and my craft room has become ... a studio? I'm not sure what it is, but I have stacks of stuff everywhere. And precious little time to organize everything. My goal is to have purged my unused crafting supplies (you know -- that stuff that looks really neat but just sits there gathering dust for years) by the end of the month. I'm looking forward to paring down. Pics to come when it's all finished.

the best-laid plans...

I have been feeling guilty about this space for a while. I always have ideas about things to write, or I see an unusual image and think about taking a quick picture to add to this space. I love having a place to share thoughts and ideas -- this blog has made me stop and think about so many things I wouldn't have otherwise. When I look back on posts I realize that this has become my scrapbook of sorts. I have never been a consistent scrapbooker or photographer, so the fact that I've been intermittent with this is really no surprise. But I'd really like to be better.

So, my resolution for this year -- my only one, mind you -- is to keep writing. I think this little craft blog will end up morphing into a crafting/teaching/other crazy nonsense-ing blog. I know I'd been struggling with its identity since I went back into the classroom. I don't have time to craft that much with 2 jobs and a still-settling-in live-in relationship that takes previously free time away (in a good way, of course.) I'm hoping to just write whatever comes to mind at least several times a week. It feels good and do-able -- and the camera gets to come out again!

Happy New Year everyone.