Tuesday 5:30 AM: I feel like a country western song — you know, the one about not finding what you’re looking for — or the one about losing what you had? I don’t even know the right words for the picking of guitar strings, but I can hear the sound in my ears as I…
Grace and Gratitude.
Last night, just before bed, I opened the back door to see if it had cooled down at all (it hadn’t) and there was a praying mantis on our screen door. They say they’re good luck. This morning, before the sun had come up, out that same door, there were bats everywhere — swooping, dipping,…
Dealing with the overwhelm: What choice do we have?
I spent the day yesterday in an all-day training for our newly adopted curriculum and my brain is still tired. I don’t think it’s from the training (which is huge and overwhelming and exciting all at once). I think it’s just more of a world that’s gotten so small that everything lands at my back…
Responding to Hate with a Dance Party: San Francisco Counter-Protest to the Alt-Right
The Bay Area wasn’t going to let San Francisco, our jewel of a city, become another Charlottesville and so counter-protesters organized events to drive out the hate with the only weapon ever known to be successful: LOVE. And Music. My husband, a few friends, and I traveled on BART up to City Hall for a…
When the Moon Blocks Out the Sun: through the eyes of 7th graders
Looking at my blog over the last month, you can tell EXACTLY when school started. My daily posts have come to a stop. My middle school life has taken over, and there isn’t much room for anything else. In the language of high tech, I don’t have enough bandwidth. Suddenly my lazy mornings are squeezed…
Listening in on the Grown-Ups: an early lesson in taking a stand on what’s right and true
My brain sometimes works like a Facebook feed — memories flash across and I think “Whoa — I haven’t thought of that in a long time!” Just now, I watched Jimmy Fallon’s intro from right after the Charlottesville horror, and as he mentioned his own two young children, a memory of my parents flashed through…
No picture today because I cannot post an image of my broken heart.
I have been up to my nostrils in readying my classroom for the kids tomorrow — so I’ve been kind of busy and haven’t been able to wrap my brain around words that don’t have to do with curriculum. But today’s post has nothing to do with my classroom, or my family, or traveling, or…
Around So Cal: Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Balboa Island
For our last summer “hurrah” we went south. For those of us who live in Northern California, So Cal feels almost like another state — warm beaches, insane traffic (ok, we’re catching up), and Disneyland (none of our theme parks even come close!). While we spent two days immersed in all things Disney, I’ll spare…
How do we best help our kids navigate their world of smartphones and social media?
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation? This article, appearing in THE ATLANTIC, is one of the most disturbing articles I’ve read lately. It’s not that I didn’t know (or at least suspect) most of what the author presents about the amount of time kids spend on their smart phones and social media. And it’s not like…
The curious nature of the moon and my blog: an explanation, a question, and some gratitude.
THE MOON: I love that the moon has so many phases — and that when you look up at it, depending on the sky and the light, you’ll see something new. There is magic in it — in the nooks and crannies, the craters and lakes. So last night, I grabbed that new Panasonic point-n-shoot…
The Yin and the Yang in one Disney Encounter; A little life reminder
Walking through the Magic Kingdom on our second day there, my fire-aching feet were making me wonder where the magic had gone when . . . MAGIC. Mary Poppins and Burt were strolling along — and my heart did a little skip. So much love. Mary and Burt! I’m a middle-aged woman and there I…
It takes two to tango: the wisdom of 21 years together
When the magic fades and the gray hair grows in When the lines at the corners of My smiling eyes Set in . . . When the shadows fall with a setting sun And specks of light and joy peek through, I will forever be grateful For the day I married you. It’s my…
Barbara Ganias Comstock 