Litany by Billy Collins

Even the jaded and ineffectual person that is currently me, had to smile at this one. 

Billy Collins

You are the bread and the knife, The crystal goblet and the wine... -Jacques Crickillon You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker, and the marsh birds suddenly in flight. However, you are not the wind in the orchard, the plums on the counter, or the house of cards. And you are certainly not the pine-scented air. There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air. It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge, maybe even the pigeon on the general's head, but you are not even close to being the field of cornflowers at dusk. And a quick look in the mirror will show that you are neither the boots in the corner nor the boat asleep in its boathouse. It might interest you to know, speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world, that I am the sound of rain on the roof. I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing down an alley and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table. I am also the moon in the trees and the blind woman's tea cup. But don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife. You are still the bread and the knife. You will always be the bread and the knife, not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.

Save the Children

Taking Time Off From Blogging and Other Ruminations

Greetings from Pagan Sphinx land. The heart and soul I put into my art posts needed a bit of nourishment today, so I'm coming by to say hello and tell you how it's going. In a word, my studies are rather dry. One is reading instruction related, the other math related ( oh, joy).  The way I'm accustomed to working with children when it comes to pre-reading, emergent and early reading goes entirely out the window while taking courses to help the deficient reader. Out goes the fun of bringing a story to life through drama, art and the sheer joy of enjoying a great story and its illustrations while lying on the floor with little ones' hands on their chins as they are held mesmerized. If I become a special education teacher, I will have to find more fun ways of teaching reading that still get the skills in or I fear I shall wither and die along with my students. And there-in the problem lies for me. And if regular public education weren't standardized and boring enough, special education is twice as much so.

Why I am doing this, you ask? I'm doing it for the kids who are falling further and further behind so that one day they may be able to enjoy reading and learning on their own terms and not just to satisfy a bar imposed on them by the bureaucracy that is public education.

I'm doing it for myself, too. I'm trying to conquer my fear of the public education machine. Suffice it to say that I have to stay in public education because to go back to private-non-profit would mean working for a stipend. Been there, done that and flat broke. For those of you who are unfamiliar with education, yes, there is in fact another sphere of education where the pay is even less than the public school system.

I've strayed far-off!  One of my classes is not too bad. The other is gruel with sop ( I did mention rumination. Sorry.) I have gruel with sop twice a week and I have to drive over an hour to get it. It's a long story and going any further about it, will only make it likely that I will break out in hives.

 

I have a new avatar (above) Not that you'll be seeing it much, since I'll be blogging hardly at all for the next couple of months, as some of you who read my last post  know. It's a detail from a painting by Surrealist Leonor Fini.

  

I am smitten!

There is another surrealist by the name of Remedios Varo who has really caught my fancy, as well. I wish I had time to compose an image-laden post on her work but as it is, I'm already taking liberties with my limited by time by putting this out to share with you.

But I'm glad I did.  :-)

All the love,

Ms. Sphinx

Remedios Varo

And here is Music for Sunday:  Suzanne Vega's song Ironbound.

Music for Sunday - The Abrams Brothers

These boys took my heart when WP and I saw them perform in Nova Scotia earlier this week.

For Shadow Shot Sunday - Little Red Flyer

Little Red Flier

(click photos to enlarge)

Taken yesterday at recess

Visit Hey, Harriet, who hosts Shot Shot Sunday, and see the work of other shadow seekers

Our Holidays

WP's sister and his mother, A.P. who is 87

WP's lovely daughters M an L, lighting the Menorah, in honor of their Jewish heritage on their mom's side

My Supergirls

Left: Supergirl Two and her BFF S.A. (whom I've known and loved since she was born)

Some favorite gifts

A Santa from SG2

A cool stapler from WP's daughter M

Dark truffles from WP

And this sums it up in the form of a warm pair of socks with a logo, from WP's daughter L. :-)

If you'd like to check out my holiday slideshow on the side bar, there are a ton of photos there. Just click on it and it will take you to Picassa where they can be viewed bigger.

I finally had success in figuring out how to install a slideshow, so this is a major technoligical victory for me!

'Tis NOT the Season for War Toys

click on warning to read Code Pink's take on how to take on the toy industry. I have to admit to having a deep fondness for these women. :-)

Words

As I was reading aloud the story Millions of Cats earlier today to one of my young students, we came upon a passage in the picture book with the word "homeley" in the text. The child asked me what that word meant. When I explained that it meant the same as the word "ugly", nothing in his facial expression appeared to register the meaning of the word. So I asked him if he knew what ugly meant. He said no. I didn't define it but continued to read aloud to him.

How wonderful, huh, to not know what that means?

Camera Critters # 25

click on badge to go to the site

We completed our Monarch life cycle science unit with the kids today. Here are the caterpillars on their milkweed leaves. These were found by teachers on our team and brought into school.

It was difficult to get a good photo of the chrysalises because of the way they suspend themselves from the cover on the fish tank. They're a beautiful green, with little dots that look like gold trimming the top.

The monarch sheds its now thin chrysalis and begins to prepare for its life as a butterfly.

Several small fingers invite the monarch to sit a while.

Time to lay this beauty gently on the butterfly bush to stretch its wings and begin to prepare for flight.

Please check out the many fine entries at the Camera Critters site.
And a huge thanks to our hosts there!

The Peace Tree

My post, Jazz: Transgender Children and Gender Independence is up at The Peace Tree, if you care to read it.

And while you're there, check out incredible, original poetry and art by the one and only Poetryman, The Peace Tree's keeper extraordinaire. There are many other great bloggers who contribute: Dark Daughta, Betmo, Enigma4ever, Case Wagenvoord, Graem, Mentarch and Robert. I hope I've not left anyone out.


Yours in Peace,
Pagan

The Who

1) Substitute
2) I'm A Boy
3) Happy Jack

for the kids