the unassuming doris

Just moments ago a crunching sound interrupted the quiet solitude of my house, so I crept to the kitchen to see which kitty was the culprit ... And there was Dory, solemnly munching morsels of dog food she'd stolen from Cosmo's food bowl.

This is another photo of an unassuming dory moment-- when I happened upon her in the bathroom sink.

Ah, the memories...

It was wonderful to hang out with Brendan again. He is very good for one's self-esteem! Made me feel beautiful and smart, which is just what I needed. ;) It was also nice to see our old dorm, even wandering the hallways after the bars closed. We left a note for one of our old professors in the Residential College, Erica Paslick. We had her for a "Literature and Diseases" seminar our first semester-- and I did a fabulous presentation on syphilis, utilizing drama and poetry for entertainment value! In case you don't already know this, the Residential College is a small "school" within the University of Michigan. They have an intensive language program, small class sizes, interesting curriculum areas, and written evaluations instead of grades. An example of the unique offerings that I enjoyed was my "Community Strategies Against Poverty" class (and of course "Literature and Diseases" fits the unique category too!). Anyhow, here are some photos. Unfortunately, we forgot our cameras the first day when the alumni had a parade, complete with bagpipers, costumes, and noisemakers!

Off to Ann Arbor!

The Residential College (part of U of M) is having a huge celebration this weekend, and so I get to reunite with Brendan, who was my best friend in our days living in East Quad... He called last night and said I should bring some of my piano music in case we can get one of the music rooms in EQ's creepy basement, just like old times. So, I'm excited for my mini-get-away. And won't be posting any photos this weekend!

(This photo is from summer 2006, when Brendan and his boyfriend stopped by to see us briefly.)

awesome autumn sky

Only I think it was probably 80 degrees on this particular beautiful October evening (10/6)! We've had nutty weather... although today it's rainy and cold, back to normal.

First Grade Fun

A 6+1 Traits idea is to introduce the writing process through art... My students made "creations" with play-dough, adding and making changes, then titling their creations. As a final step, students went around the classroom and left comments about each person's creation. It was a big deal-- we couldn't just write, "it was nice", because that doesn't actually say much. Anyhow, they were SO mature about it, and they took it very seriously. Below, is an example showing some comments about this person's creation (I have translated the 1st grade writing for you!)... I LOVE how they take chances spelling such huge words! :)
1."Wow, that looks so cool, and that is also my favorite color."
2. "I like it because it looks like a timer."
3. "It is great because it is very creative."

The Girls

The Ghost of Christmas Past

Top row: Bryce, cousins Jenny &Ryan
Front row: Me, cousins Josh & Sarah

2001- Clinging to past traditions, we awed the audience one final time, with yet another stunningly choreographed Christmas Eve performance.

(kudos to Bryce for entering the family with a bang!)