Doesn't Matter How Old I Am, I Will Always Hate Departures. It's Been Another Wonderful Summer Adventure with Abu Back In Town, But Now...

It always flies by when Mt. Pleasant is full of noise and crazy. In truth, Abu stepped up with Max, Jalen, and Mateo this summer in tremendous ways, filling in teacher and youth leadership roles that can't be measured. They get the rhythm, they get the time investment, they invest in the creativity, and they put the energy forward tirelessly. 

But now it's Sunday in August, the last of our programs have a bow tied on them, and it's time for a departure back to Syracuse for a 2nd interview and to maintain the livelihood he has up there (with a shift from the school where he's been working for several years).

We had a final beach day, and even with the sun out, the winds were too heavy making paddle-boarding a bit tricky. We got to hang with Patrick, Stephanie, Kaitlyn, Dominik, and the kids, but are vision of serene water time was stolen by Tropical Storm Debbie still passing through. 

My word to Abu is that he's approaching the age I was when I returned to Syracuse to earn a doctorate, thankful to meet him and his brother the second semester. Phew. Life changes so quickly....usually for the better (but I'm prepared it can go the other way).

Great food, awesome company, much laughter, tremendous singing, and so many flashbacks to memories and memories and memories. 

And we had summer '24 to share the Olympics (with commentary)(hilarious). 

It will be a still Mt. Pleasant again once he departs and I'll have to adjust to the t.v. never being on and the house always being eerily quiet, but it's something that comes naturally to me. It's my t.v. who always misses him most, especially repeat shows of Family Feud or Big Bang Theory.

So many years...so many memories...with me since the beginning to CWP-Fairfield and witness to every step along the way. Here's to new corners being turned and the possibilities from taking risks. We are both ready and deserving of something much, much better. 

This Is What It is All About: Generations, Teachers, Investments, Repurposing, Imagining, & Human Connectivity

One of the areas where I hope to achieve in my career and with education, is to help humans see the potential of other humans. Bring on 30 years of teaching, a doctorate, experience, and staying ahead of the curve on new research. Bring on Shamari Reid and self-care, and triple that with the self-love and historical brilliance of Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz, Gholdy Muhammad, and Betting Love.

Sprinkle this into youth and teacher communities and hold a conference, K-18, and allow students to attend, share, and take part, too. One of the high school kids told me at the end of yesterday, I wish we had more opportunities to learn alongside out teachers and equals, and not always as grade-grubbers. Shared professional development/workshopping brings us closer to our shared humanity and the fact that we're all learning. I'm not sure the 'dump it in another's brain" works anymore when we have all of us growing, sharing, and communicating so much on social media. Perhaps I've always had that philosophy: I know some things, you know some things, let's share what we know together.

The hierarchies are somewhat absurd: Yes, I love numerous individuals who have shaped who I am (see my poem "Nonagon"), but there are many who I forgot...usually showmen, know-it-alls and braggarts. I guess I've always wondered about authority and truth-telling. I prefer learning from listening to many.

Yesterday's They Call Us Writers: Humans That Teach was a success. We brought elementary students, high school students, college students, and teachers together to talk about art, voice, and shared humanity. Teachers left with resources. I left with wisdom of sharing with those who came.

One of the writing prompts from the day was putting forth the ideal classroom for tomorrow. I couldn't help but write that the last five weeks and this one's conference are the ideal classroom. I've recreated a semi-Brown School/LWP community at a University that is almost the antithesis of those values. Each summer, I have super diversity,  a community of scholars/teachers/students/youth working towards their own writing identities, and I get to study it. It's pretty amazing actually (and so is this blog, because I have daily evidence for the past decade...and then some...into how this all came to be).

Ah. but I'm hearing Abu, Shamari, and Beth. Self-care. Retreating. Resistance that comes from reclaiming my time. That is what I need to adjust in the weeks ahead, all while finding a more sane way of life that can have a larger impact without playing all the games that are out there.

Full Professorship = Done with Games. Period.

Perhaps this means I'll now figure out what it is I've always been trying to say. 

Wonderful to Dine with Dr. Kelly Wissman and Vanessia Wilkins, SUNY Albany, in Preparation for Tomorrow's @WritingProject Conference

I was excited to learn that Kelly arrived to Stratford early and Venessia was soon behind. Even more thrilled to promote their book, Teaching with Arts-Infused Writing Pedagogies: Freedom Dreaming for Educational Justice. It's a book I've wanted for some time now, but it hasn't been written. Kelly and her team wrote it, and they will be featured at today's They Call Us Writers: Humans That Teach that will also feature Shamari Reid, Sonya Huber, Beth Boquet, and Jennifer Wells. It's an all-star cast of scholars and presenters.

Abu loaded up the event hall yesterday with all the books and materials, and now we await one sleep before the crazy beings -- this time for teachers. I'm so proud of my team of K-12 educators and friends in the grant office/English department for helping me to pull this off.

Also biting nails, because you know how these things can get and there's so many details, and I hope I didn't miss any of them. It's one thing to have disgruntled kids...it's a whole other thing to have disgruntled teachers, which I don't think will be the case.

Kelly, Vanessia, Abu, and I ate at Lil' Pub in Lordship and watched the gray skies meet the gray waters. What miserable whether it is out there. Feels like Syracuse. And it's cold.

We have seen, however, there will be sunshine and 85 degrees on Saturday which wasn't on the horizon until this morning. 

Need to wrap this up and hit the road! We're off! Boom!

Long Overdue Conversation with an Ol' Friend...from the Bridgeport Public School Collaborations to a Colleague on Campus. Great to Catch Up

Abu and I met Yolehema out at Cibus. Great meal and wonderful company after a day of running errands for the conference on Friday and finalizing the program and presentations. We also watched a few soccer games, volleyball matches, and even handball. Well, I listened from the other room as I wrote on my laptop. Managed a walk, too, in between all the rain (and colder temperatures).

Today we do book runs, stuff bags, set up, and then wait for what will come Friday. We'll see, given the weather. It's been a bit wonky and my experience with large teacher events in Connecticut is that they rarely show. Ah, but it's paid for and we'll make it what we'll make it. It will be worthwhile for all who show.

Also glad to welcome Dave back tonight, who will be presenting on Friday before he heads off to a Mets game. Looking forward to having a CWP bonanza.

My new goal, too, is to get a recording of Karal and Abu in conversation, especially when she tires to block him from watching t.v. - she gives him lip like Juliette used to do...always having to have the last word.

Okay, better get offline sooner than later so I can accomplish all that needs to be done on the road today (set up is part of the heavier lift, but if it is done right, it makes for a lighter load at the actual event). 

Cheers. Still celebrating last night's meal with Yolehema. So So good. 

There are Times Where I Simply Cherish Mindless, Physical Work That Needs to Be Done - the Labor that Isn't Always Cerebral

Yes, I fixated on putting 100 stickers on notebooks yesterday and I loved ever second of it. It was a zenith, just like getting a genius rating on the NYT Spelling be, solving Worldly in 3, and getting the Connections puzzle in 4. It was a good morning. I went to campus, picked up more of the goods, and then went back to the Homefront for Olympics, sticking, and focusing on the program for Friday. 

I'm looking forward to hosting all the teachers from southern Connecticut interested in our back-to-school kick-off. Free lunch and several books are bonuses. As teachers have been telling me, "I wish we could count this as our back-to-school PD instead of whatever such and such district cooks up. 

Don't we all. Don't we all.

The hotel room are secured, the speakers are set, the food is ordered, and hopefully this morning all books are in and the baggies will be set to stash. This is the last round of wonderful grant support that arrived in February, but needed to be spent by the summer. You ask this guy to dream, and dream he will. 

Today, I need to get the program plan in Keynote fashion and the program printed for pick up for the occasion. Ah, and the weather finally snapped. Karal and I got a long humid walk in (I was drenched) and we beat storm number one. Now there are like 24 more storms to go over the next week - feels like living in Syracuse. 

But the temperatures have dropped and that is a good thing. So is rest...I got some this weekend (and Monday as a bonus). I'm looking forward to more. 

Shhh. I Loved Playing Hookey from the Universe So Much This Weekend, That I Threw in the Towel at 11 a.m. and Went to the Beach

And we paddle boarded and swam until around 4. My lobster skin is evidence of that, as is the emails awaiting my reply (they can wait). Leo asked me when was the last time I had a vacation and I could only answer the Key West trip with Chitunga several years ago, but we both worked while there. Truth is, the job I have doesn't allow for much time off because it serves teachers and students in the summer and I serve undergraduate and graduate students, as well as conduct professional development around the state during the year.

We had a great day of sun, Triscuits, cheese, and eventually water when we decided to pack it up and head back home. It was absolute perfection, which we ended by grilling more outside and service the meal over rice (that Abu cooked). 

Then we walked Karal. 

Truth is, we watched the weather and yesterday was the last sunny day in the high 80s for several weeks. The prediction is for temperatures in the 70s with rain every day, so we got it in while we could. I know I would have regretted taking advantage of a beach day as these other days rolled in. 

High five to Crandall for doing a little self-care.

But my thighs are on fire. Balancing on the boards for significant amounts of time is not easy, especially as waves and tides come in. But we did it - him a heck of a lot longer than I did, as I kept heading back to the shore to stare into space. 

Happy Tuesday. Bring on the 70s.

Just Loving My Cosmos Seeds All Over Mt. Pleasant as Different Varieties Bloom and Make Floral Fireworks for August & the Burnt Grass

At Christmas, I bought several variety packs of seeds to give to my sisters and me (although I doubt my younger sister did anything with the ones I gave her). I created different areas around the property, including hold stumps, where I put in the soil and seeds to see what would happen. The result is my yard is popping with the color...the lazy Susans, the Cosmos, and the Morning Glories are in hog heaven right now. The Glories would climb to the heavens if we allowed them.

I spent the morning doing yard work, the afternoon running errands, and the evening cooking steaks and taters. Abu took care of corn. I also prepared beans. Damn, it was a great meal. We also enjoyed a day of track and field and are looking at the weather seeing tomorrow might be the only sun to be seen for two weeks. I'm debating taking the day off to enjoy a little time by the water with my feet in the sand. 

Yesterday was Jakes' 10th birthday so Karal, Abu, and I took him a few birthday treats (Pam gave them doggie ice cream, too). 

Also bathed Karal, which was a disaster, because Abu thought he'd trap her on the porch to dry, which resulted in her crawling under the bench on the porch to the dirty part of the yard where she rolled around and made mud. When I came downstairs I was like WTF happened to the dog I just washed? She looked like Pig Pen, so back upstairs we went for bath two. After the second, I said we would take her for a walk to drive off so she couldn't make mud-pies in the backyard. 

Productive, good-eating day. Put laundry away, too, and did grocery shopping for the week. Also purchased a new harness and leash for Karal (while witnessing an awful car accident while we were at the register). We just wanted to get out of the way. 

Happy Monday. Here we go again.