A Sad Day For Amafi Drive Yard Art. I Did Some Fixing While in Syracuse, Including Decluttering My Fathers Garden Knick Knacks that Were Ready to Go

One of my tasks while in Syracuse was to fix the flooding in my parent's front yard, which I wrote about already: rocks, soil, and mulch, and the removal of an oxygen chord my father was using to drain all the rain. Newsflash: It wasn't working. In this refurbishment, I also piled many of the decaying lawn decorations that no longer were serving their purpose. Because I didn't want to get yelled at, I stored the decaying frogs, butterflies, lanterns, bugs, and windmills in the back of my car and forgot about them...

...until yesterday.

I opened my trunk while on campus and noticed a trash bin nearby. I said a little prayer and then tossed them. They served their time and they were wonderful friends. It always sad to say goodbye.

Goodbye. 

It only took me a couple of trips, but they had seen better days.

Today is the first day I'm waking up and am not trapped in mindless meetings keeping me from getting work needing to be done...done. So, Karal sees a vet, I get a haircut, and I prep for a new recording of THE WRITE TIME.

I now have my trunk back. And I now have a day to actually think without disruptions for my thinking. Phew. It's been a whacky week already. 

In My Next Life I Hope to Continue My Sticker-Making Agenda (for Writer's Notebooks) for American Schools Like I Do Now. #WOL24

They're economical. Design a thematic sticker to unite 100s of kids across 8 schools all with he vision to write, write, and write for publication. I am very thankful to the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation and their New Era Writers Program for funding projects that get ideas into the hands of kids. I've secured the schools, the authors, the teachers, and now the notebooks. Writing Our Lives and Cultivating a Collective (The Connecticut Story) where poets, novelists, essays, artists, and script-writers will take their passion for writing and take part in Power of Words (11th edition). 

Kudos to the print shop at Fairfield University for a 24-hour turn-around when they promised 7 days. Now that is efficient, beautiful work. And it's an economical way to unite many kids under one vision.

Yesterday was day 2 of 14-hour days and today is the 3rd. It begins and sunrise and ends at sundown (and I'm pretending I'm young enough to still keep this pace). Lucky for me, Edem stopped by last night so I caught up on the twins and feel better he has his W-9 forms.

I had to wing 30 minutes of my class last night because I simply didn't have the time to finish what I needed to do...yes, the meetings were that intrusive and they continue today. 

It's also day 2 of Ramadan, and in lock with Abu & Lossine and the many students we served and continue to serve, I choose to do the fasting of the month. It's a mental endeavor for me, that helps me to understand the focus it takes, the benefits of meditation, and the power of restricting food during daylight. Overall, it helps to rethink the roles I hope I play in the world, always thinking about sacrifice, prayers to something larger than us, and hope for multiple communities.

And, as always, it's an intent to consume less and, perhaps, shed a few holiday and birthday pounds. It is definitely easier at this time of year than the longer days of summer when the celebration and holiday falls then. Okay, time to ready myself for tonight's class, because the meetings start soon and I only have a couple of seconds to think about the teaching (and instruction) to come.

Channeling the Zen Posture of a Very Relaxed Dog to Help Me Tackle the Impossible the Best Way That I Can

We're back and so are the students with their issues, needs, demands, and worries. This arrives at the same time of meetings upon meetings upon meetings with their issues, needs, demands, and worries. Of course, time is also a factor, and the labor takes a tremendous amount of time which is not necessarily available given the demands of teaching, research, and service. But, it still needs to be done.

Over the weekend, Karal fell asleep and was postured in a beautiful ways of total relaxation and, as Dr. Beth Boquet named it, the 'oh, what a feeling' rest she was getting (a reference to Flash Dance). I'm channeling her calm as I try to tap my own Zen. I still sing, "In the end, we're gonna die, in the meantime, I'll just try to be Bry" and move with humor, hard work, strategy, and hope. 

Always, hope.

Returning from break where most of us simply caught up with the work that pushed us behind is merely met with more work needing to be done with no time to do it. We can only control our attitude and that is what I'm focusing on because there's only so much I can do. I never have been able to walk on water. 

Praying for serenity, and the ability to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Oh, boy. All of this is merely fascinating.

On Walden Pond in the Backyard of Mount Pleasant. Okay, Rain. Our Sump Pump is Getting a Little too Pumped on Its Steroids.

We've had a wet season. Not an icy or snow season, but a rainy one. I believe my sump pump has been running since Thanksgiving, and walking Karal around Stratford yesterday, realize many are experiencing the same (many who had their sumps fail and a bathtub of water in their basement). Been there. Done that. We are in need of a drier season.

It's hard not to go apocalyptic with climate change predictions, but driving to Walnut Beach today I learned that our beach go-to has washed away and there's not the sand bay that we used to have. Instead, it's water, creeks, and oceans mixing in anti-human glory. There will be much competition for the limited beach space this upcoming this summer (and I hear it is worse down south). 

We were supposed to get more rain last night, but it was lighter than the rain events over the past couple of months. Still, hoses are running from everyone's homes out to the sidewalks as water needs places to go. I've always hoped for beachfront property, but I'm too far inland. The rainfall needs to cease.

Yes, today is Monday of the week following Spring Break and that means back to the 14-hour days. I did catch up with he grading, besides the late work sent to me overnight. Ugh. I will get to it.

But for now, I'm going out back with a fishing pole hoping I might catch a dinner to grill later this week when I have time again to cook. 

Here's to the sun and its heat to dry some of this sludge. 

Congrats to all the Oscars winner. Let's hope such self-importance maintains itself in the future ahead where people will have time to celebrate entertainment and not worried about individual survival of their families and communities. 

And now for another work week. 

We're Back in Connecticut. Always a Bit of a Transition for Karal, But She Knows Her Spaces (But Misses Her Grandparents Severely)

It was a wet drive. A gray drive. A drive just like the one I took for a week-long stay in Syracuse, New York. I wouldn't trade a second of it for the world. I didn't mind the tropical weather (it was 50 degrees three times during the week) and there's nothing wrong with full-on parental time. 

The drive home exhausted Karal, though. She wanted in my lap for most of the night, then crashed in her bed for the final hours. Fine with me. I was unwinding, too, going through mail, book deliveries, and combing through the cabinets for anything to eat. Yes, I purchased food for my parents thanks to my mom's credit card, but I came home to empty cupboards and didn't feel like shopping for my own needs. 

I settled in to a night of pre-March Madness with end-of-the-season-madness, caught up with Pam, started laundry, and settled in for an evening of low-key basketball and responses to texts I've ignored for a week.

I have to applaud the traffic. I've been through much worse, and I'm thankful to Octavia Butler who once again captured my brain via audiobook while I drove home.

As for the McDonald's road trip meal. YUCK. When I have McDonald's...I want it to be sick, delicious, and worth the wait. Nope. Route 17 McDonalds in Liberty was like licking slugs. Nothing appealing at all. Not even the Coca-cola. What a disappointment on all fronts.

Of course, it was a few steps ahead of what I scrounged for dinner in a house with nothing in its cupboard Happy Sunday. May the hour you lost in sleep make up for itself with a joyous hour in this Sunday. May the light be with you (even if it will be gray and murky in the northeast).

Well, That Was a Fast Week & I Want to Get Out of Dodge Before Winter Returns. Better End Spring Break on a Good Note.

This week wasn't about a break, but to give others a break...get the groceries, keep an eye on dad, cook, organize, run errands, and help. I imagine this will be how I spend any and most of my free time as I really am able to multitask and so much of Syracuse is my core.

I was blessed with a lunch with Kelly, followed by the discovery of Mrs. Kelder's Cakes in Manlius, where I purchased a 1/2 dozen gourmet cupcakes, followed with playtime with Malia Celine (Kanyea's such a good dad), followed by a Trader Joe's run, followed by a Wegman's run, followed by grilling burgers, and finishing with having Abu and Lossine stop by for dinner and to visit with Mimi and Papa Butch. 

Absolute joy, and another day of 50 degree weather and sunshine.

Alas, the rain returns this morning and after shaving my father I need to get back to the chaotic grind of University life. Fortunate for me I have flexibility if needed, but I need to get on top of my game for the second half...especially the grants. I think I opened my sweet tooth, though, because I can't stop thinking about those cupcakes. So good (and as I figured, dad grabbed the red velvet one before I even had a chance to tell him I got him treats...he sniffed them out...this man who never ate such things in the past). 

I think I know why Karal loves visiting...it's constant attention coming at her in stereo, which she loves. Speaking off...I took a photo of her last night and my phone asked, "Do you want to know more about black-mouth curs?" I was like, "Huh?" Then I looked it up...I'll be damned. The adoption place said she was terrier and collie mixed. Um, I think my phone might be onto something. Check it out here!

Ready for Another Day in the 50s in Syracuse, NY. It Really is Like I'm on a Balmy Spring Break Like Most of My Faculty Friends

Every year I hear the listing of beautiful locations my colleagues are going to rest their minds and to rejuvenate for the rest of the semester. Mind you, these are the same people who have summer off and don't lead teacher institutes and literacy labs for youth during June, July, and August. I've been in the habit of coming to Syracuse whenever I have space so that I can care for the parental units, walk the ol' stomping grounds, and simply go mindless.

Sure I cook (last night it was horrific kielbasa found in the freezer), do chores (like creating a barrier for the flooding puddles out front whenever it rains), and trying to keep the sink empty (which is nearly impossible). But I also come to simply let the day go where the day will go.

Yesterday, Papa Butch and I sat for several hours talking to Bob Ryan on a rare, sunny, March afternoon. In like a lamb this year...don't want to be around when the lion comes. 

Spring Break '24. Clay, New York. Yes, every once in a while the sun does pop through all the wet and gray. It was fortunate to experience such a day yesterday and it looks like another one is coming our way today.

The week flew by.