Posted this on Facebook but thought I'd put it here too, just for posterity...since no one reads it lol...
FUN WITH WILDLIFE!!!
This morning the dog woke us earlier than normal to go for his walk (or so I thought) and while I was moving around I saw an animal in our yard that at first I took to be a stray dog, which was odd because I always make sure that both side gates are closed. This thing proceeded to jump on top of the dog house that's out there (that our dog doesn't use), which is about a good three feet high...looked over both the back fence and into the neighbor's yard, paused, moved quickly to the side of the house and...disappeared.
After some extensive research (um, OK five or ten minues on google) it seems that the most likely candidate would be...a bobcat, which is the only native big cat still found in SC, and fits the size and coloring of what I saw (about two feet high at the shoulder, medium brown, splotchy/spotted coat), along with the fact that they've been known to not shy away from human-populated areas as long as there's sufficient habitat (we're basically surrounded by woods wherever roads and houses and stores are not present). AND Mt. Pleasant has a notorious mole problem, our yard being no exception, so it's prime hunting ground. Yay for being part of the ecosystem...
Oh, and as soon as I saw the other animal, our dog stopped making any noise. At all. Not a bark, a whimper, nothing. And sat behind me looking out the window.
Punk.
TL
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
OK So it's been awhile
All in all, things are going well. The weather has lived up to the hype (it's 81 degrees today--October 21st). School is going well, although both of the kids are now working a grade level above in math (which basically means they're doing some of what they did last year with a few new things tossed in here and there).
Aniyah's b-day party is this weekend and we're not sure how many people are coming. We invited all 12 girls in her class but a lot of them seem not to be able to make it. I hope she's not disappointed...it's at a place called Cupcake where they have baking parties (although in reality it's like a cooking show where they have the cupcakes ready to come out of the oven rather than wait half an hour---but the kids tend not to notice).
No school tomorrow, so we will probably have to shuttle them back n forth between our jobs for a couple of hours. But at least we're close to each other.....
Anyway, just felt like updating so this thing doesn't become completely lost in the sands of time.
Aniyah's b-day party is this weekend and we're not sure how many people are coming. We invited all 12 girls in her class but a lot of them seem not to be able to make it. I hope she's not disappointed...it's at a place called Cupcake where they have baking parties (although in reality it's like a cooking show where they have the cupcakes ready to come out of the oven rather than wait half an hour---but the kids tend not to notice).
No school tomorrow, so we will probably have to shuttle them back n forth between our jobs for a couple of hours. But at least we're close to each other.....
Anyway, just felt like updating so this thing doesn't become completely lost in the sands of time.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Charleston Dreamin'
This was a very interesting week. Many, many meetings. Some with very interesting folks, others not so much. I did have an extensive conversation with a senior gentleman by the name of James Campbell, who is truly remarkable. Mr. Campbell donated his papers and most of his extensive Marxist/African Liberation library to Avery some years back. Here's a guy who is committed to radical education-truly liberating Black minds. He went to school at the Bank Street teacher's college, way back when--he's 85 years old! He has trained teachers around the globe, and he and his wife raised their children in Tanzania. He has deep ties at Avery--is mother and aunts were Avery grads--so he comes from a Black family of affluence. Yet his privileged background did not deter his dream of teaching and truly liberating our people. We talked for a couple of hours about his work as a labor organizer ( he truly is a fish out of water here--we didn't even get Labor Day off!), and the ongoing struggle of our people. I truly feel blessed to have the chance to get to know him.
Meeting him truly lifted my spirits because I had just found out that my mentor and former Dartmouth professor, Professor W. W. Cook has been hospitalized with Alzheimer's Disease. Such a shame. This man is so amazing--so colorful and full of life. He taught me so much about the importance of being a good teacher, as well as scholar. That was tough to hear.
I am still at work now. The South East Virtual Institute for Health, and Wellness held their inaugural meeting here at Avery and it was a great chance for me to meet some of the key Charleston ( African-American) players. I look forward to working with them on some collaborative projects some time soon.
Avery is truly a special place. I know I have a dubious task, but I welcome the endless possibilities. Selah.
Meeting him truly lifted my spirits because I had just found out that my mentor and former Dartmouth professor, Professor W. W. Cook has been hospitalized with Alzheimer's Disease. Such a shame. This man is so amazing--so colorful and full of life. He taught me so much about the importance of being a good teacher, as well as scholar. That was tough to hear.
I am still at work now. The South East Virtual Institute for Health, and Wellness held their inaugural meeting here at Avery and it was a great chance for me to meet some of the key Charleston ( African-American) players. I look forward to working with them on some collaborative projects some time soon.
Avery is truly a special place. I know I have a dubious task, but I welcome the endless possibilities. Selah.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
2nd week of School...
...And the kids seem to be adjusting pretty well. We have them in the after school program (called Kaleidescope). They get their homework done, then play. They've been breathing hard and/or sweaty almost every day I've picked them up, which is great--it means they're active. Our biggest concern, which we somewhat expected, is that both of them are doing work they've already done...A while (like, at least a year) ago. It's one thing to let them settle in and other entirely to allow them to get intellectually lazy and "settle."
On a more social note, we made a friend!!! Of course it started with Patricia (as most of our relationships do). There's a Black woman (a Delta) with kids at Whitesides (her daughter is in 5th grade and her son is in 3rd) who lives "right across the road and down just a ways" from us in a different subdivision, very much within walking distance.
She actually picked the kids up from school this past Monday when Patricia and I both had to work late-ish (Convocation at the College). When we got to her house, Osayende and Aniyah didn't want to leave--and her kids didn't want them to either. So we sat and talked, started sharing life stories and perspectives, discovering commonalities etc...and it feels like such a relief to have even "just one."
On a more social note, we made a friend!!! Of course it started with Patricia (as most of our relationships do). There's a Black woman (a Delta) with kids at Whitesides (her daughter is in 5th grade and her son is in 3rd) who lives "right across the road and down just a ways" from us in a different subdivision, very much within walking distance.
She actually picked the kids up from school this past Monday when Patricia and I both had to work late-ish (Convocation at the College). When we got to her house, Osayende and Aniyah didn't want to leave--and her kids didn't want them to either. So we sat and talked, started sharing life stories and perspectives, discovering commonalities etc...and it feels like such a relief to have even "just one."
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Just a couple of quick observations for the day....
I--we--are learning a couple of things about Charleston in the summer, and I guess the South in general, but DEFINITELY Charleston. This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch of the imagination, but they're on my mind.
1) Yes, it really IS that hot. And humid.
2) Yes, it really DOES rain that much.
This morning, at approximately 7:15 AM, I was waiting with the kids for them to take their school bus for the first time (which never came, but that's a story for another day). Just by standing there for less than 10 minutes, I developed the need to change shirts immediately when I got home. Granted, I am mildly prone to hyper-persperation, but still...
On the other hand, I was told by more than one person (to which I have taken heed) that I need to carry a reliable compact umbrella at all times, and Mother Nature has seen fit to reinforce such sage advice. Earlier this week, either Monday or Tuesday, there was a downpour of quasi-Biblical proportions. My mother, who was still visiting and had plans to go the beach with the kids, was of grave concern because it meant she would be home all day with them with basically nothing to do except watch TV...but as it turns out, no such deluge was occurring near our house; a mere 10 miles away. They ended up spending more than three hours playing in the ocean. I, on the other hand, waited in line behind no less than nine people (part of a parent-student C of C campus tour) at CVS and finally bought one of only 4 umbrellas the store still had.
Blink, and you can get rained on. And an hour later, you would never know the difference, except that rain does absolutely NOTHING to cool things down. If anything, it makes the air thicker because the additional moisture has nowhere to go except to sit on your skin, almost as if you put on just a bit too much lotion.
And you know what? I am NOT complaining. Like I was saying during the past two or three summers in Chicago (including this year) when people would complain about how hot it was, "Hey, it ain't snowing."
~TL
1) Yes, it really IS that hot. And humid.
2) Yes, it really DOES rain that much.
This morning, at approximately 7:15 AM, I was waiting with the kids for them to take their school bus for the first time (which never came, but that's a story for another day). Just by standing there for less than 10 minutes, I developed the need to change shirts immediately when I got home. Granted, I am mildly prone to hyper-persperation, but still...
On the other hand, I was told by more than one person (to which I have taken heed) that I need to carry a reliable compact umbrella at all times, and Mother Nature has seen fit to reinforce such sage advice. Earlier this week, either Monday or Tuesday, there was a downpour of quasi-Biblical proportions. My mother, who was still visiting and had plans to go the beach with the kids, was of grave concern because it meant she would be home all day with them with basically nothing to do except watch TV...but as it turns out, no such deluge was occurring near our house; a mere 10 miles away. They ended up spending more than three hours playing in the ocean. I, on the other hand, waited in line behind no less than nine people (part of a parent-student C of C campus tour) at CVS and finally bought one of only 4 umbrellas the store still had.
Blink, and you can get rained on. And an hour later, you would never know the difference, except that rain does absolutely NOTHING to cool things down. If anything, it makes the air thicker because the additional moisture has nowhere to go except to sit on your skin, almost as if you put on just a bit too much lotion.
And you know what? I am NOT complaining. Like I was saying during the past two or three summers in Chicago (including this year) when people would complain about how hot it was, "Hey, it ain't snowing."
~TL
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Catching our Breath
I'm on lunch break at work (day 2) and thought I would try to write a bit for the three--excuse me, four of you---that we know follow us on here.
It's been a little over a week since we got here and things are slowly coming together. It didn't help that the movers just brought our "house" (stuff) yesterday--August 9, after picking up July 29. We've been "surviving" on air mattresses (or, more often, blankets on the floor, all in the same room) and two 7-inch portable DVD players with movies from Red Box. And even the kids are a little sick of eating out. Last night, I cooked pasta with sauce (from a jar, but it was a start) with veggie Italian sausage, and I haven't been so grateful for even an easy homecooked meal in a long time. This is despite cooking on an electric stove, which I'm not at all a big fan of, but it'll do.
I can't speak for my whole family, but this whole move still feels a bit...out of body. And I'm already at work (as of yesterday), catching up on the most immediate tasks at hand, but part of me still feels like it's somewhere else, or watching this whole experience unfold. Maybe it's not really knowing anyone, maybe it's living in a semi-gated community with no sidewalks, maybe it's driving almost everywhere (even more than in Chicago), maybe it's the uncertainty of where it all leads, or not having the things that look like "us" in place just yet...who knows. I think it just takes time, especially after driving for two days and then trying to get our house in order (literally). It's little things that make up a "real" life, like finding our favorite restaurants, and a good barber, and getting kids into activities they can partipate in with some longevity, and gradually experiencing our social network expand, one friend at a time. In a way, it's like being children, open to infinite possibilities...except with bills and kids of our own.
(As an aside, this place is veeerrry different when it comes to getting around. They don't seem to feel the need to mark all their streets in an obvious fashion, leaving us "come-ya's" wondering where the $%^&! we are every once in a while. We keep asking ourselves, "is this the right street?" as we travel throughout the Charleston Metro Area).
On a different note, we went to the beach the morning of our first full day here (last Monday) and spent nearly two hours in the sun and of course the waves, and the idea that the ocean is within a five-minute drive became very real...of course, we haven't been back since due to a jellyfish warning...but it's still there! Also took the kids to one of two rec centers with pools nearby and they were able to swim for a good hour and half, until everyone was called out of the pool because of a pending thunderstorm. Stopped at a local old-fashioned ice cream shop on the way home and both Osayende and Aniyah were unable to finish their double scoops. Score one for real ice cream (so says the semi-vegan, but at least they know for next time how much they can handle).
Speaking of handling...without going into too much detail, I would say Aniyah's proven to be a bit more flexible than Osayende, whose position moved to the "I don't wanna go" column just prior to leaving, so he's had his sullen moments. In general, he tends to share my skeptical side and tends to have a harder time with the unknown by nature, whereas Aniyah is a bit more adventurous. In general, watching the two of them together with no one else but each other has shown me that I have two strong-willed individuals who both are very capable of standing up for themselves and speaking up for what they want, which is a tremendous gift for anyone.
Our job in this new phase of life is let them be strong in a way that makes them better people and makes the most out of their greatest qualities. I think, I hope, that will happen.
Once they're actually sleeping in their own rooms again.
~TL
It's been a little over a week since we got here and things are slowly coming together. It didn't help that the movers just brought our "house" (stuff) yesterday--August 9, after picking up July 29. We've been "surviving" on air mattresses (or, more often, blankets on the floor, all in the same room) and two 7-inch portable DVD players with movies from Red Box. And even the kids are a little sick of eating out. Last night, I cooked pasta with sauce (from a jar, but it was a start) with veggie Italian sausage, and I haven't been so grateful for even an easy homecooked meal in a long time. This is despite cooking on an electric stove, which I'm not at all a big fan of, but it'll do.
I can't speak for my whole family, but this whole move still feels a bit...out of body. And I'm already at work (as of yesterday), catching up on the most immediate tasks at hand, but part of me still feels like it's somewhere else, or watching this whole experience unfold. Maybe it's not really knowing anyone, maybe it's living in a semi-gated community with no sidewalks, maybe it's driving almost everywhere (even more than in Chicago), maybe it's the uncertainty of where it all leads, or not having the things that look like "us" in place just yet...who knows. I think it just takes time, especially after driving for two days and then trying to get our house in order (literally). It's little things that make up a "real" life, like finding our favorite restaurants, and a good barber, and getting kids into activities they can partipate in with some longevity, and gradually experiencing our social network expand, one friend at a time. In a way, it's like being children, open to infinite possibilities...except with bills and kids of our own.
(As an aside, this place is veeerrry different when it comes to getting around. They don't seem to feel the need to mark all their streets in an obvious fashion, leaving us "come-ya's" wondering where the $%^&! we are every once in a while. We keep asking ourselves, "is this the right street?" as we travel throughout the Charleston Metro Area).
On a different note, we went to the beach the morning of our first full day here (last Monday) and spent nearly two hours in the sun and of course the waves, and the idea that the ocean is within a five-minute drive became very real...of course, we haven't been back since due to a jellyfish warning...but it's still there! Also took the kids to one of two rec centers with pools nearby and they were able to swim for a good hour and half, until everyone was called out of the pool because of a pending thunderstorm. Stopped at a local old-fashioned ice cream shop on the way home and both Osayende and Aniyah were unable to finish their double scoops. Score one for real ice cream (so says the semi-vegan, but at least they know for next time how much they can handle).
Speaking of handling...without going into too much detail, I would say Aniyah's proven to be a bit more flexible than Osayende, whose position moved to the "I don't wanna go" column just prior to leaving, so he's had his sullen moments. In general, he tends to share my skeptical side and tends to have a harder time with the unknown by nature, whereas Aniyah is a bit more adventurous. In general, watching the two of them together with no one else but each other has shown me that I have two strong-willed individuals who both are very capable of standing up for themselves and speaking up for what they want, which is a tremendous gift for anyone.
Our job in this new phase of life is let them be strong in a way that makes them better people and makes the most out of their greatest qualities. I think, I hope, that will happen.
Once they're actually sleeping in their own rooms again.
~TL
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
She That Finds a Friend Findeth a Good Thing- Proverb Adapted by Moi
Greetings Faith Blog followers ( all 3 of you!!!!)-Today is Tuesday and we are leaving in four days. I have spent the last four months looking forward to beginning my new job, and dreading leaving the safety of my community of family and friends. A real conundrum, right? As the youngest child in my family ( most of you know I was a "change of life baby"!), I longed for company--my siblings are considerably older, and had lives of their own by the time I really understood the value of friendship--say in pre-school. I begged my mother to allow me to have sleepovers, and she indulged me probably way too often for her sake. I looked forward to having a full house of girls, or cramming into the car to go skating or to see a movie.Yup, my love for all things cinematic started when I was a little "colored girl" growing up on the southside. I can remember watching and loving Payton Place, Gone With The Wind, Abbott and Costello, The Sound of Music, Claudine, A Hero Ain't Nothing But a Sandwich, Car Wash (though I probably should not have been allowed to see that one),and Grease, when I, like Oprah Winfrey fell in love with John Travolta. Had he met me when I was in my impetuous twenties, I just might be a Scientologist today. Seriously. Those Scientologists have that Success Mojo. But I digress...
A few of my gurrls and I have been trading posts back and forth via Facebook--sending hugs and and messages of love, nostalgia, and the overall impending sense of loss you feel when you miss your friend. Your true friends. To say that leaving my friends is hard is truly, truly an understatement. I have been so fortunate to meet and fall in love with such a dynamic, colorful, complex,devoted, loving, slightly neurotic, multi-faceted, classy, worldly, brillant women and men--my contemporaries and older, former students,past colleagues, and dedicated mentors--that the thought of meeting other people of your stature seems downright impossible.
But I will let you all in on a secret. Shortly after my mother's death I had a dream about her. It seemed so real and I was so comforted by seeing her again. She knew that I was sad and overwhelmed, not only by her death, but by having two small children, working, and being in graduate school. She also knew that I was beginning to really see the vision I wanted for my life, but that I did not have a road map for getting there. I could not reconcile the fact that while I had signed on to be an academic that I also longed for a very comfortable lifestyle--not necessarily one that junior faculty and administrator salaries could provide. Couple that with the fact that our growing family was strapped for cash, and I was a complete wreck. My mother was so calm and so sincere when she cupped my face in her hands and she said, "My daughter is going to be fine. Better than fine. My daughter is rich." And we hugged, and then it was over.
Initially I believed ( and hoped ) that she was speaking in monetary terms--would I win the Lotto or meet a rep for a big publishing company who just loved my book idea?? But as time has passed, I realized she meant that I have what money can't buy:real friends and that makes me the ultimate millionare. I genuinely love meeting new people and opening my heart to them, and sharing stories, experiences, and feelings.But most of all, I find pleasure in the love I share with my friends--be they near or far. It only takes one phone call for us to take up where we left off, whether it's on the beach in St. Thomas or South Shore, at The Beautiful Restaurant on Cascade BLVD, Fisk University Chapel, Nordstrom, The Landmark Century, New Buffalo, The Vinyard, The Conrad Hotel, Trump Towers, Happy Nails,Tailored beginnings, Hyde Park Learning Center, Power Circle Congregation, The Bing,The African Hedonist, Indestructible Consciousness, The Ethiopian Diamond, you get the picture.
Please friends, be sure to remind me of all this when I start balling. Umm, too late.
A few of my gurrls and I have been trading posts back and forth via Facebook--sending hugs and and messages of love, nostalgia, and the overall impending sense of loss you feel when you miss your friend. Your true friends. To say that leaving my friends is hard is truly, truly an understatement. I have been so fortunate to meet and fall in love with such a dynamic, colorful, complex,devoted, loving, slightly neurotic, multi-faceted, classy, worldly, brillant women and men--my contemporaries and older, former students,past colleagues, and dedicated mentors--that the thought of meeting other people of your stature seems downright impossible.
But I will let you all in on a secret. Shortly after my mother's death I had a dream about her. It seemed so real and I was so comforted by seeing her again. She knew that I was sad and overwhelmed, not only by her death, but by having two small children, working, and being in graduate school. She also knew that I was beginning to really see the vision I wanted for my life, but that I did not have a road map for getting there. I could not reconcile the fact that while I had signed on to be an academic that I also longed for a very comfortable lifestyle--not necessarily one that junior faculty and administrator salaries could provide. Couple that with the fact that our growing family was strapped for cash, and I was a complete wreck. My mother was so calm and so sincere when she cupped my face in her hands and she said, "My daughter is going to be fine. Better than fine. My daughter is rich." And we hugged, and then it was over.
Initially I believed ( and hoped ) that she was speaking in monetary terms--would I win the Lotto or meet a rep for a big publishing company who just loved my book idea?? But as time has passed, I realized she meant that I have what money can't buy:real friends and that makes me the ultimate millionare. I genuinely love meeting new people and opening my heart to them, and sharing stories, experiences, and feelings.But most of all, I find pleasure in the love I share with my friends--be they near or far. It only takes one phone call for us to take up where we left off, whether it's on the beach in St. Thomas or South Shore, at The Beautiful Restaurant on Cascade BLVD, Fisk University Chapel, Nordstrom, The Landmark Century, New Buffalo, The Vinyard, The Conrad Hotel, Trump Towers, Happy Nails,Tailored beginnings, Hyde Park Learning Center, Power Circle Congregation, The Bing,The African Hedonist, Indestructible Consciousness, The Ethiopian Diamond, you get the picture.
Please friends, be sure to remind me of all this when I start balling. Umm, too late.
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