catching up

 

Met up with a former administrator/colleague from my Moreau days. I love those connections where you can simply pick up a conversation that started years (and now I can say decades) ago. 

We talked until our voices gave out. We talked so much the server finally just left the water pitcher with us.  And yes, there are people photos coming.

The trees are tentatively thinking it may be April~although, I just saw photos of my cousin's yard in Minnesota and she's buried in snow. We may get one flurry tomorrow night, but I think! It is cherry blossom time!

My friend was SUPER pleased that she captured a duck on top of my head. I'm beginning to sense an animal theme for 2018. The frog in January and now this. 

petals & projects

Some fun clay objects ready for baking. 

Octopus! 

Housewarming gifts. 

Daffodils and glitter glue. Life doesn't get much better than that combo!

ready for some chocolate eggs

Unpiled boxes to swap out my winter clothes for springier ones and found my Easter socks!

Happy daffs on today's walk.

uns'heduled

How rare (and lovely!) to have a day with zero appointments/responsibilities.

Just like Bubbe used to make

This frosty morning called out for something very warm, so matzo ball soup was created. Off to give my final...for probably one student. Ah well, it will give me time to prep the next session. Five more hours until Break officially begins!!!

on the warmer coast....

The peach trees are in bloom. While I was at work today~we were staring out the window and trying to figure out how we were seeing 'blossoms' float past the window, as it's been too cold for trees to bud. After a couple of minutes, we realized that we were seeing SNOW flurries. Not petals.

Oy to the vay. So, it was doubly nice to receive some shots from my dad's yard this afternoon!

do you hear the people sing?

The Metro was running their rush-hour, weekday schedule~but the platform was verrrry empty on my end at 6:45 a.m.

Checked into Zone 3 and got my assignment from the team captain. Spent the next eight hours on the corner of 9th & D (right in front of the FBI Building.) 

Everyone who wears a uniform was pretty much at work today~whether a Metro driver (rail/bus), city police, National Guard, Park Services, Federal police~everyone was present.

Just one block off from Pennslyvania Avenue. 

The Urban League had about a six-block long group. 

There was a steady stream of people staring at 7:30~will be interested to see the final numbers for today. 

I was concerned that I wasn't native enough to be helpful with directions, but found that with my habitual city wandering, I actually do know the grid well enough to help.

I hung out with four fellow volunteers~Lavette, a newly retired court clerk (who had great city gossip.) Brian~also newly retired from his AP reporter job (great stories from all the big stories in this region.) David~a federal contractor for the EPA (great stories from his time in the Peace Corp and intriguing tales of environmental projects). Katy~his wife, who works for the Federal Parks services and is a DC native.  Between the four of them, I was well entertained and learned all kinds of local and global tips.

There were hundreds of clever, poignant, profane, and personalized signs~but this one was my favorite.

It was a peaceful crowd~I saw so much kindness. People kept giving us snacks and shaking our hands and shrieking "thank you" (our water bottle refill station was popular.) It is a bit incredible to think of a crowd (I'm hearing estimates of 800,000) like that and no violence occured.

A small group from the NRA set up behind for awhile (really?? Right under the FBI building?), but people ignored them. A few stood next to them with contrasting posters and took photos. They left after about 15 minutes of not getting a reaction. I was doubly grateful to be standing next to a group of Army peeps who were also watching for any flare-ups.

I left after four because I was frozen solid, but the crowds were still going strong.

à la liberté et à la démocratie!

etched in sunlight

There's still snow on the ground and it's in the 20s each night, but spring must be around the corner! Here's some poetry of hope.

Soon?? Please!!

Today

BY BILLY COLLINS

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,

so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw

open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,

indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths

and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight

that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight

on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants

from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,

holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,

well, today is just that kind of day.

march marching

Although the roads were clear, we had another snow day (boo~means that I have to teach next week during Spring Break). The trees were stunning this morning~it doesn't show up here, but they were completely coated with ice and glistening with the sun beams. 

Had a quick bite at one of the indie bookstores~Busboys & Poets (Kramers is still the best in this town) and then headed to the DC Convention Center for a volunteer orientation for this Saturday's March for Our Lives.

An installation I would expect to see in Austin or Nashville, not staid DC. 

Have no idea the headcount for volunteers, but I would say it was several hundred. 

Besides logistics and s'hedules, we got to hear from six students from Parkland. It was an incredible moment. Especially this week when I've heard from friends/former students/colleagues affected by the bombs in Austin, the shooting in Maryland, a shooting in Princeton, etc. etc. ad nauseam. 

And with my new hat, I can be seen from the moon.

I'm still pondering the efficacy of marches/protests, but I know that it feels good to turn off the news, walk out the door, and participate in democracy in a visceral manner.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

I've seen variations on this with mermaid/unicorn, but this one was new to me.

We closed school a bit early yesterday when the sleet began to stick to the trees/streets. 

Not sure why I got free Tibetan pray flags in the post, but they add a nice splash of colour to my teeny bathroom.

I should know by now to ignore most of what the news shrieks about~we were supposed to wake to almost 16 inches of snow and this was the apocapolyse I woke to. Sigh.

My little car is still surprised by snow.

Guessing these blossoms are regretting their spring enthusiasm right now. 

The birds seem distraught~saw two robins with their tail feathers covered with the wet snow. (And yes, I notice the theme of anthropomorphism I have going on here.)

I pretty much had the WO & D Trail to myself~a few dog owners were shuffling about.

Good thing I already know the trail! 

 

While I am enjoying a cosy snow day, I am hoping that we don't end up missing more school days or we may be teaching a bit during Spring Break.