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July 2007
7/11/07
7/10/07
Driving North Beneath Overcast Skies
7/9/07
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
3:08:00 PM EDT
Feeling Quiet
Hearing Caberet - The Soundtrack
Today the sky is a mosaic of clouds as if the Creator was experimenting with new designs. Slung low across the horizon are purplish, black and blue clouds resembling massive bruises in the heavens as if an airliner took off too swiftly and slapped the sky with massive wings. To the west a cobweb of thin clouds barely masks the azure sky. Perhaps the Creator has employed an army of spiders to sling massive webs across the firmament then let the prevailing winds rip into them. While living in Japan a friend once informed me that one of the Japanese words for “cloud” was also the same word for “spider” reflecting the image of spider web-like clouds. As a matter of fact there is a folk tale from Nippon about a spider who went up into the sky to weave clouds for the gods. Off to the east a ray off sunshine pokes through the cloud cover to illuminate a patch of farmland. I half expect to gaze that way and see the ray of sunshine illuminating the garden of Gethsemane with Jesus kneeling in prayer while his disciples reposed on a nearby carpet of grass. My grandmother had a velvet painting with that theme upon her living room wall. She would scold me vehemently every time I would run my fingers over the velvety texture of Jesus and his dozing disciples.
Although the ninety-minute drive north to work has been taking a financial toll as fuel prices continue to rise, the drive itself is a wonderful opportunity to reflect and relax on the open, desolate stretch of interstate. On this day I drive through intermittent showers that douse the car with sudden downpours that exhaust themselves after a few moments. It is like driving under a huge sprinkler controlled by a child who delights in the power of turning the spigot on and off… on and off. At the moment we have an active, busy sky with lower level cottony clouds being buffeted about by a steady northerly wind that strrrrrrreeetches the cotton ball clouds out and shoves one pile of fluff into another. Hmm… perhaps that is where those bruised looking clouds came from? These lower clouds remind me of the way I would encourage the preschool children in my classroom to made “cloudy day” pictures.They would have a bowl of cotton balls, some glue, and a piece of blue paper before them. IF they desired it was suggested they could elongate and extend the cotton to cover the sky and decide what else to place in the sky or draw land below. One year there was a girl who was a “chanter,” and often she would turn a word or phrase into a chant, that she would rhythmically repeat over and over. On the day we were making cloud pictures she began the “cloud chant,” by repeating, “I am making cloudy day, cloudy day, cloudy day… I am making cloudy day.” Orations like this are often contagious with preschoolers, therefore it wasn’t long before all eight or ten children sitting at the table were chanting, “We are making cloudy day, cloudy day, cloudy day… we are making cloudy day.” I remember resisting the urge to strangle her and silence the group but instead recorded their voices with a little tape recorder I kept handy. Later I added rhythm instruments, clapping, and movements as we danced around the room to the “cloudy day,” chant. Eventually we had to add a “sunny day chant,” and “rainy day chant,” (both the children’s ideas… mostly). I’m sure if I tried that today there would be criticism for wasting time with such foolishness when I should be “teaching” them their letters and numbers… but oh what a joyful experience to delve into a child’s view of the world.
Unfortunately I don’t live in that child’s world now and need to attend to something far more arduous and monotonous… writing a report for an upcoming accreditation visit. Although I would much prefer to spend more time with you dear reader… if any there be after my long hiatus… this time together must suffice for now.
I hope you are well and making the most of this day no matter the hand you are dealt to play on this one of a kind July day. Until next time… Laugh often… Play hard … Be well.
“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.”
-Dale Carnegie
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3:08:00 PM EDT
Feeling Quiet
Hearing Caberet - The Soundtrack
Driving North Beneath Overcast Skies
Although the ninety-minute drive north to work has been taking a financial toll as fuel prices continue to rise, the drive itself is a wonderful opportunity to reflect and relax on the open, desolate stretch of interstate. On this day I drive through intermittent showers that douse the car with sudden downpours that exhaust themselves after a few moments. It is like driving under a huge sprinkler controlled by a child who delights in the power of turning the spigot on and off… on and off. At the moment we have an active, busy sky with lower level cottony clouds being buffeted about by a steady northerly wind that strrrrrrreeetches the cotton ball clouds out and shoves one pile of fluff into another. Hmm… perhaps that is where those bruised looking clouds came from? These lower clouds remind me of the way I would encourage the preschool children in my classroom to made “cloudy day” pictures.They would have a bowl of cotton balls, some glue, and a piece of blue paper before them. IF they desired it was suggested they could elongate and extend the cotton to cover the sky and decide what else to place in the sky or draw land below. One year there was a girl who was a “chanter,” and often she would turn a word or phrase into a chant, that she would rhythmically repeat over and over. On the day we were making cloud pictures she began the “cloud chant,” by repeating, “I am making cloudy day, cloudy day, cloudy day… I am making cloudy day.” Orations like this are often contagious with preschoolers, therefore it wasn’t long before all eight or ten children sitting at the table were chanting, “We are making cloudy day, cloudy day, cloudy day… we are making cloudy day.” I remember resisting the urge to strangle her and silence the group but instead recorded their voices with a little tape recorder I kept handy. Later I added rhythm instruments, clapping, and movements as we danced around the room to the “cloudy day,” chant. Eventually we had to add a “sunny day chant,” and “rainy day chant,” (both the children’s ideas… mostly). I’m sure if I tried that today there would be criticism for wasting time with such foolishness when I should be “teaching” them their letters and numbers… but oh what a joyful experience to delve into a child’s view of the world.
Unfortunately I don’t live in that child’s world now and need to attend to something far more arduous and monotonous… writing a report for an upcoming accreditation visit. Although I would much prefer to spend more time with you dear reader… if any there be after my long hiatus… this time together must suffice for now.
I hope you are well and making the most of this day no matter the hand you are dealt to play on this one of a kind July day. Until next time… Laugh often… Play hard … Be well.
“The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.”
-Dale Carnegie
Written by madmanadhd Blog about this entry |
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This entry has 7 comments: (Add your own)
-
We've had the sprinkler turned on for the past 2 and a half months over here. Deluge after deluge of stormy weather, grey skies and cool misty nights. Oh! To be in England, now that summer's here! (bit of poetic licence needed there). Take care.
Sylvia -
The idea of the huge sprinkler in the sky being controlled by a child really tickled my fancy. We get those days here now too.
loving you with His love
karyl -
Have you ever watched that show Def Poetry Jam....your entries belong on it....I am so sorry that I haven't been around but I have missed your insightful and artistic descriptions.
Amy
http://journals.aol.com/visionarydiva1/AVisionaryDiva/ -
What a beautiful description of the sky above you... thank you for sharing it with us, and for writing today. I've missed your posts!
Take care,
Michelle
7/15/07 6:52 PM
I'm very glad you're back. Would like to know about your work now and how you fair with your accreditation.
Jude
http://journals.aol.com/jmora