you really expect a catchy title?

after this week?  I've had late night rehearsals, two Open Houses and more hours of obstreperous children.

These are some of my Jury class kids, attempting to assimilate all the legal vocab they need for us to proceed with mock trials.

 the last sunrise of August

and, I finally got my plates.  This, too, was an exercise in grace as I didn't have the correct insurance papers with me, but the government clerk allowed me to call my insurance agent and hand my phone over so they could talk.  AND she allowed me to dash out to my car for another forgotten paper.  That sounds so minute, but at the county tax office on a Friday afternoon prior to a holiday weekend....it was a HUGE gift to me.

Happy new toothbrush.

The array from the past decade; wonder what other plates will join these.

Jiffy Lube Jeopardy

Procuring Texas license plates is a three-step, three-government entity process.  Am pleased to say that I accomplished the first step this week.  While sitting and waiting for the inspection to happen, Jeapardy came on the waiting room TV.  And while it was odd to see it on at 4 in the afternoon, I was glad.  Then a guy across the room must have seen me light up and he asked if I liked the show. 

When I said that I did, he said, "let's play right here!" 

We convinced the woman in between us to join in and we had a lively 20 minutes.  (Let's just say that I wish it had been a real game--I could have paid for my car service!).

A nice moment of community and a glimmer of grace in this slightly chaotic week.

notice

Reading an excellent book in which the author asserts that happiness is smaller than we think.  Excellent notion and fits with the theme of this blog and the current week.   It's easy to spin and spiral into being overwhelmed and I am finding it helpful to simply stop and ask "is this moment okay?"  

And many times, it is.  

Here's to finding the smallest of happys.

if

my bed weren't flat on the floor, this is exactly where I'd be...

just another manic Monday

 Oh, sing along...

minute delights

 

 Just because it's 102 outside, doesn't mean one cannot enjoy some hints of autumnal spices.  Plus, my classroom is delightfully chilled enough to wear a jacket or cardigan, so hot drinks are still enjoyed.

another cent

cooking is amazingly therapeutic--something about slicing and dicing and chopping with vigor....had fun with some large sheets of gluten, turning them into delicious lemon roll.

haven't had luck convincing Bogart to switch places with me for a couple of weeks.  I'm happy to stay home and loaf about, taking unending naps and snackage breaks.

I've decided to call the rain fall here 'efficient' as we get a month's worth in 15 minutes.  It still astounds me--I'll just sit at the window and stare.

striving for perspective

We just had to evacuate the school.....due to a strange odor leaking from a drinking fountain.  V. strange--have needed to leave buildings/schools for a variety of reasons over my life, but this was a new one.  Seems some wires were shorting out and causing the reek of melted metal to creep down the hallways.  Quel excitement.  

And of course, I don't have accurate evacuation and emergency maps given to me yet.  (There's a massive construction site on campus that alters all routes right now.)  So, the children are on the ceiling and ever so thrilled that this happened.

Sigh.

And as we are in tornado country now (v. strange to me after years of earthquake drills), and as I'm trying to survive this first hellish week, thought I needed to read some poetry.  Hope it brings to you a bit a joy and perspective as well.

YES

It could happen any time, tornado,
earthquake, Armageddon. It could happen.

Or sunshine, love, salvation.
It could you know. That’s why we wake
and look out—no guarantees
in this life.

But some bonuses, like morning,
like right now, like noon,
like evening.

~William Stafford

179 days to go

All day,  I've watched little people stream past, trying to valiantly keep upright with their loaded backpacks.  And they're not even packing laptops today.  I foresee chiropractic bills for this generation.

Not really impressed with the first day, but perhaps tomorrow will be better.  At least I get to sing some Rachmaninoff in for a couple of hours tonight.

your weekly dose of cuteness

As I postponed my VA trip until next month, I've been kept well supplied with up-to-date photos of Josh's first few weeks.

His first smile and laughter.

This one actually makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it.

Ah, sweet baby.

backing into school

No, I haven't been struck by lightening nor fallen off the planet; just have been stuck in that glorious thing called Inservice.  Five full days of life wasted.  But!  This site is to be about miniature delights, so let's catch up on those.

A cute little bag of minty things was delivered by the outgoing PTO mom & children.

Got my first paycheque since May and indulged in these fun little O's.

Coinage found.

My inept apartment management has locked us out of the amenities and because I was mightily displeased about not being able to exercise, they gave me a little Visa gift card.  So, I got a new wallet, earrings and some chocolate soap.

And finally--have wanted one of these for a couple of years and decided that this would be my 'back-to-school' supplies all in one!

sparkles of joy

 a dime found

whimsical BBQ pit

 

& a kind care package from my self-adopted godmother from my first year of teaching.  She tracked down my new address and sent these kitchen linens.

just in case

you were wondering what to get me for my birthday....

scanning the plot

(little melancholy sniff as the last hours of summer drift away.  But it's been a lovely one--the first true summer off [if you discount the stress of a do-it-yourself-cross-country move-to-a-new-city/community] that I've had in several years.  And it's been good.)  Here's to a new school year and here's to keeping a bit of the azure sun-struckness.  Some days the pond wears a glaze of yellow pollen. Some days it is clean-swept. The trout leap up, feasting on insects. A modest size, it sits like a soup tureen in a surround of white pine where Rosie, 14 lbs., some sort of rescued terrier, part bat (the ears), part anteater (the nose), shyly paddles in the shallows for salamanders, frogs and little painted turtles. She logged ten years down south in a kennel, secured in a crate at night. Her heart murmur will carry her off, no one can say when. Meanwhile she is rapt in the moment, our hearts leap up observing. Dogs live in the moment, pursuing that brilliant dragonfly called pleasure. Only we, sunstruck in this azure day, must drag along the backpacks of our past, must peer into the bottom muck of what's to come, scanning the plot for words that say another year, or not. "In the Moment" by Maxine Kumin, from Where I Live. © Norton, 2012.

welcome to the world

Meet Joshua John Bailey.

Arriving in a wild thunderstorm, after 26 hours of labor.

7 lbs.  5 oz.

this & that

My new classroom!  So much organizing to do, but at least I've dusted and cleaned off the piano.

 The Philosophers hanging out at Barton Springs.

Have learned that the grebes here embody the aggressiveness of the east coast squirrels.  I watched this guy pluck out a sugar packet, dunk it in the doggie water dish and then snort and sniff his way to a high.  The server told me prior to the cafe putting all sugars into lidded glass jars, he would find 60-70 sugar packets scattered around the patio by the end of each shift.

Have always loved Spanish architecture and now am enjoying all the tin art work that is scattered all over the region.

Just postponed my east coast trip; will meet the new nephew at a more opportune time than the first days of school.   He will be arriving at any time; stay tuned for photos!

Wimberley, not Wemberley

 

 Because it's not quite hot enough, we must find a spot of sun.

Had a delightful time at the Market Days....well, a delightful time until I was blinded by the volume of sweat pouring down my sunglasses.  Will definitely go back to visit this market in the autumn.

 

Came home with some local honey which has a nice mesquite flavor.

moments of magic

While floating around the Springs today, my nose was tickling.  I opened my eyes to find a blue dragonfly hanging out on my face!  And while I've yet to see fireflies in the city limits, I've heard that they are around this area; made me dig out the following poem.  Happy Friday!  Happy August!  Happy very-soon-to-be-nephew! In the dry summer field at nightfall, fireflies rise like sparks. Imagine the presence of ghosts flickering, the ghosts of young friends, your father nearest in the distance. This time they carry no sorrow, no remorse, their presence is so light. Childhood comes to you, memories of your street in lamplight, holding those last moments before bed, capturing lightning-bugs, with a blossom of the hand letting them go. Lightness returns, an airy motion over the ground you remember from Ring Around the Rosie. If you stay, the fireflies become fireflies again, not part of your stories, as unaware of you as sleep, being beautiful and quiet all around you. "Fireflies" by Marilyn Kallet, from Packing Light: New and Selected Poems. © Black Widow Press, 2009.

lazy, hazy days of summer

 This has become my absolute favorite view in the past few weeks.

 Have become addicted to the contrast of icy water and hot summer sun.

 After enduring being shut in a conference room for a tedious all-day orientation, I rewarded myself by a visit to the Blanton Art Gallery.  It was everything I had hoped the AMoMA would be.  While wandering around the modern art gallery, I could hear the distinct sound of coinage....and to my delight, I found a ROOM full of pennies.  (No.  I did not take any.)

 Mainly because I had already found riches on the sidewalk earlier in the week.  Helpful note in Texas?  Do not pick up mental on the sidewalk during the summer!  I could have scooped up more, but my finger's were burned.

The seed pods I stored on my deck burst open in the heat.  Also bursting open were the Advil tablets I had in my car.  Free life lesson:  it is NOT a brilliant idea to pour a bit of water in the bottle and swish it around to do an aspirin shot.  Think I can still taste the acidic brew.