Tied to Flowers

It is this time of year that I miss flowers. I love my greenhouse and the blooms that keep going during the winter, but I miss flowers that make bouquets. I am really tied to bouquets of flowers.  When I walk by fresh flowers at the local grocery store this time of year, I just can't resist buying fresh flowers. They love me at our local Safeway!

Another plus this week is having the Amazing Amaryllis once again bloom. Unbelievable.

Tied to Red

Today is National Wear Red Day.  Each year, the "Go Red for Women" campaign asks people to don that color in support of heart health, especially for women.This is just one of many ways to support American Heart Month throughout February.

We lost a woman in our community a few years ago to an unexpected heart attack. It is a tradition that we encourage everyone in our school to wear red on this day in her honor.  It was beautiful to walk into the school building today and see so many people showing off bright red sweaters, shoes, a  scarf, or a Gonzaga sweatshirt.

In the  close-knit community where I teach a special event like this ties everyone together. Remember... during American Heart Month to love your heart!

Tied to An Old Photo: Cousin John

Sitting and sorting through old pictures can take you back to earlier times, to special places, and help you remember important people. The picture above was taken in my Grandma West's front yard in Orofino, Idaho more than fifty years ago. Our cousins Lura and John are holding Raymond Pert and me on their shoulders posing in a very important way. These two cousins and their sister have always been an important part of my life. Even though I didn't see them often as a child, I have a safe, warm feeling of love when I look at this photo. I can almost smell summer and feel the August heat of Orofino.

My cousin John died suddenly yesterday. The family is dealing with a deep sadness. His quick smile, deep laugh, and twinkling eyes will be missed so much. John will leave a hole that will be hard to fill. Rest in peace dear cousin.

Tying Up Loose Ends

I don't like an unfinished to-do list on my desk.  It is important for me to tie up loose ends. I like to be able to look at a list of tasks and have them checked off.It is difficult for me to start a lesson with students and then run out of time. Conversations that end too quickly because of a bell ringing or another class coming feel incomplete. It just seems like I don't get back to those things.

Guess what?  There are times in teaching that things just have to be left undone. Teachable moments have to end sooner than planned, a phone call may be interrupted, a child that needs your attention may not get it.  I am used to that, but there are times in the evening when I remember the question that didn't get answered, the story that went untold, the tear that didn't get consoled.

I like to tie up loose ends, but it often doesn't happen during a teaching day. Because of that I try to take care loose ends at the end of the day when I arrive home. I can straighten up a closet, do my banking, organize a drawer, write up a grocery list.  Then I can start fresh the next day even if the ends begin to unravel again.

This is the messy joy of a teaching life.  It is a  life divided up into hour segments controlled by a bell. It is a life that can be stopped by a lock down, interrupted by a roof leaking, slowed down by the death of a student. It is also a life full of generosity, respect, laughs, and learning. I am ready now to start a new day.

Ties To Hidden Poems

Valentine for Ernest Mann
by Naomi Shihab Nye

You can't order a poem like you order a taco.
Walk up to the counter, say, "I'll take two"
and expect it to be handed back to you
on a shiny plate.
Still, I like your spirit.
Anyone who says, "Here's my address,
write me a poem," deserves something in reply.
So I'll tell you a secret instead:
poems hide. In the bottoms of our shoes,
they are sleeping. They are the shadows
drifting across our ceilings the moment
before we wake up. What we have to do
is live in a way that lets us find them.

Once I knew a man who gave his wife
two skunks for a valentine.
He couldn't understand why she was crying.
"I thought they had such beautiful eyes."
And he was serious. He was a serious man
who lived in a serious way. Nothing was ugly
just because the world said so. He really
liked those skunks. So, he re-invented them
as valentines and they became beautiful.
At least, to him. And the poems that had been hiding
in the eyes of skunks for centuries
crawled out and curled up at his feet.
Maybe if we re-invent whatever our lives give us
we find poems. Check your garage, the odd sock
in your drawer, the person you almost like, but not quite.
And let me know.

It's A Tie

Can anyone decide which of these dogs is the cutest?  Z2 held up her dog Juliet (on the right) with her sister's dog Sadie (on the left) for a photo op. I think it is a tie.