shifting into change

No trumpets sound 

when the important decisions 

of our life are made. 

Destiny is made known silently.

~Agnes de Mille 

This poster has been in my office/classroom for the past six years.  Today I began conversations that will take me into the next chapter of this life I am attempting to create.

My friend calls this the leaping onto the next lily pad process.  Terrifying and yet exhilarating.  And necessary, I think, to finding that life well-lived for oneself.

The artist never entirely knows. 
We guess. 
We may be wrong, 
but
we take leap after leap 

in the dark.

~Agnes de Mille

more misc.

 fabulous score of Scrabble games at Goodwill--the tiles are perfect for so many ESL activities.

and while I do not appreciate having to be up so early, the dawning of the day is a fairly stellar event with this eastern vista

A bit of a sadness this week with the death of a high school classmate; reminded me of this snippet from a Jane Kenyon poem:

I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.

Curtis Roderick

1968-2011

swoosh

Another hectic week is already whooshing by--I consider a triumph if I arrive at the correct job with the correct materials.  And oh--washed, groomed, fed AND dressed.  Three more days at this intensity, then I get to catch my breath--wherever that may be.

Found this quote in a magazine advertisement and love it:  'pretty attracts us.  beauty changes us.'

Misc.

 The cutest mini-butter sticks

full moon rise

 auspicious ferry ride to a fabulous job interview

gorgeous dinner

I only thought I was going to get to collapse in my bed after a very long week....

Have only a few minutes online; not enough time to write of all that has happened in the past week.  But finally, FINALLY, things are becoming happy around here.  More to come...

buzz, buzz

A fun first day of teaching; my class roster reads like a UN listing.  More details to follow, but wanted to share a couple of photos from today.  It finally cooled off; happy to see foggy mornings.  And!  An Ethiopian student brought in injera and lentils to celebrate her new year's.  Yum!

swift motion

this weekend marks my two-years at this exquisite view.

'autumn to winter, winter into spring,
spring into summer, summer into fall,
so rolls the changing year, and
so we change;
motion so swift, we know not
that we move.'

Craik

a quarter found bodes very well for this week-change is not only on the ground, it is also in the air...

poetry of human kindness

Yesterday dawned hot and hazy and you all know how much I enjoy that weather combo.  Thursday are also my day of back-to-back rehearsals--which I love.  However, all the venues did not have a/c, so spent the day completely drenched in sweat.

But things went well and it was good to see my singers and ringers after summer hiatus and I was zipping along home when my car started wildly shuddering.  This was on the bridge portion of I-90.  I could hear metal grinding into the asphalt by the time I got to the shoulder.

I do know how to change a flat and have done so on the fine freeway in downtown Oakland, but traffic was so heavy I was scared to get out of my car.  After several phone calls for help, I finally just dialed 911.

While I was waiting, another car pulled over and the guy offered assistance.  When he said he had his own hard hat and reflective vest, I figured it was okay to accept.  Which was fortunate as my jack was welded into my car and we couldn't get it out and had to use his.  We changed the tire just in time for the Highway Patrol to arrive.  He helpfully held a flashlight so we could load the tire in the trunk.  I asked him what would have happened if I were bleeding and injured and had to wait 45 minutes.  He told me that the dispatcher said that I was calm on the phone.  Next time I'll shriek.

Made it home safely on my spare and am going to send a gift card to the lovely boy who stopped to help.