6 word challenge

So NPR was covering this contest yesterday where listeners could submit six words (a short phrase) that they would like to hear in the inaugural address of Obama. I thought I would challenge you today to create a series of 6 word phrases that the country needs or wants to hear from Obama.

For example, "Invest in civic resources- they're renewable". I stole that, by the way. They mentioned it yesterday on the show and it stuck with me.

One of the pipes leading to our kitchen sink is frozen and so we have no hot water for dishes. Our kitchen is cluttered. Quinn woke up at 6 today. I am wearing mis-matched slippers. Quinn is wearing his Star Wars t-shirt again today, though he helped me hand wash it last night and hang to dry.

I'm having a bit of a conundrum about what classes to teach next term. Any ideas?

Don't forget to update your change work and also venture into your writing project. Just one week left!

Extra credit to anyone who will blog through the inauguration next week. Heck, you should all try some real time blogging--- say, watch a show online and blog throughout it with your review. Fun stuff.

Mixed feelings

I just spent the last half an hour reading blogs and commenting. The heel of my right hand is sore because I rest it too hard on the desktop. Odd, but true. There was a real diversity to what people wrote about today. I'd have to say that my favorite writers of today were Faith and Morgan. Their free association made me thoughtful and they were interesting blogs. Victor too has been composing some great memoir entries. On the other side of things, people wrote with passion, vigor and anger about many things. Others wrote contemplatively about topics I felt compelled to debate. I suppose that's a good thing, right? That your writing should invigorate me, or less formally, piss me off enough to question whether I should maintain my teacher personality in my responses...

I wonder, at a school this size, what do students think about teachers? I remember when I was about 20 and I was at the Gay 90's with some friends, catching the show and dancing. When we walked downstairs from the drag show, I saw my high school English teacher at the bar and I fled the other direction. I didn't care so much about his sexual orientation, but I certainly wasn't interested in chatting him up at the bar. Are the teachers here your confidantes? Mentors? Instructors? Do you imagine we experience the same levels of anger and joy as you? Should I bring the concerns from this forum to the leadership?

I feel trusted- at least in this writing community- and that is an enormous thing. Why do I feel that way? Because people share with honesty and candor their emotions. Or, are you censoring?

I'm compelled to leave you with a topic brought up in one of your peers blogs that I was drawn to-- the school's vision statement. What is the purpose of a vision statement? How is that different from what is actually in place? Why do we organize a vision statement around the ideal instead of the actual? Who owns a vision for a community-- who is in charge or realizing that vision?

Sadness

It was an interesting weekend. For a few months now, my Mom has been talking about how Shadow- our family dog- was doing poorly. Her hind legs barely worked and she had a hard time getting up and down stairs. Still, I mostly ignored her remarks because who wants to think about the end of a life, and a precious one at that. When I was a sophomore in college, a group of pre-teachers traveled to Arizona to teach for two weeks on a Navajo reservation. There, I learned a great deal, took up smoking camels and found a destitute and sick puppy that I would rescue and adore. This weekend, my Mom and brother brought Shadow to the same vet where a childhood dog being put to sleep would bring tears to my hyper-masculine father's eyes... and where I would refuse to return. Shadow was my first baby, if you will. When I found her, she was only 6 weeks old (they estimated) and horribly ill. Imagine a Caravan full of college students, driving back to Iowa and in the back seat is a puppy who won't stop throwing up or peeing blood. I held her in my arms, trying to force water down as I wept silently. It was not a pretty trip. Her recovery, though, was a thing of beauty and she was the most loyal and loving dog a person or family could know. So, I feel awfully sad. My Mom, a single mother since I was in 5th grade and a dog owner for the past 40+ years is sad and feeling the loneliness of an empty house. All of this contributes to why I seemed to say over and over this weekend, "We're a family" when with Luke and Quinn. The three of us would be crossing a street or sliding down a slide together and I would happily say, "We're a family". And why? Because when Quinn was born I learned about a new kind of love, one that would validate and hearten my feelings for all other important people in my life, but also stands alone as unique. Shadow was a wonderful companion and enormously sweet (the anecdotes go on and on) but she became a secondary concern once Quinn was born. This wasn't because I intended to be neglectful or found her boring, but Quinn demanded/needed (and I delivered) more attention. I'm not sure why I'm starting your week off with such a blog, but there are just some things you have to write about to begin to grieve or process things. Good writing, for me, can put off or take the place of a good cry. Alright, so there's one of my stories from my weekend. You have 8 days left to blog. Many of you have yet to commit to a final writing endeavor/project. Please be sure and update us about your work to change a part of you. Have a strong day of writing.

The Results of the Multiple Choice

Well, I didn't do the dishes last night, but I did make a light dinner, watched a bit more crap tv and that was that. I completed a load of laundry before bed and also was refreshes to play with Quinn when he got home from class. We had "coffee" with Curious George and Elmo at his little table. It was fun.

I really like reading people's heartfelt musings about change and also what they're going to do to achieve it. Sometimes, the thought behind the idea is just as important as the actual DOING. The more we consciously consider an action we went to take, for instance, or one we need not to take, the closer that thought it to the forefront of our mind. Plus, there's nothing like repetition to reinforce something. For example, I casually tell myself that I should be a kinder, more attentive partner to Luke, but days will pass and when I reflect on them, I haven't done anything exceptional to be a nicer, more affectionate person. My "intent" was good, but my follow-through was non-existent. So, for those of you that haven't really developed your goal or your idea, please do so.

Next, the great thing about this class- for me-- is that I'm writing every day and reading student writing everyday. Just like you might procrastinate on homework, I put off correcting things sometimes because I want to hang with Quinn or have to make dinner, etc. And, while I write comments on all work I receive by hand, this class affords me the chance to give more feedback. PLUS, I have a record of all you write and all I write so both of us can truly see the evolution of it all! So, when I say that I want you to design a writing project for the remainder of the term, I want you to select something that allows you to suck the marrow out of the cool design of this course. Write letters to all your friends or Congress. Read the paper and respond to editorials. Write a slew of outstanding poetry. Count down the days to the inauguration by thinking about what the next four years might be like; what you want it to be like. Write your will or your eulogy. Work on college essays-- heck, research colleges and post-school options and then process that through blogging. Write a choose your own adventure and make each day a single choice the reader makes. Write a sequel to the last Harry Potter. Have fun!

What should your day consist of:
A. Tell me how your project/goal/resolution is going and what you're doing to make it happen
B. Dive into your independent writing projec
C. Conference with Becky with either A or B bewitch you:)

Owning Change

A little time on the couch and a little crap tv has given me a bit more perspective on what I might venture to change about myself this year. Luke and I have set plenty of financial and familial goals for the year, but the individual gets lost in the family. I don't mind that, to be clear, because being a Mother is seriously great stuff. Quinn, as I've previously mentioned, makes me feel at peace in the world, optimistic about the future and full of love. And yet, some wise people have told me that I will be a better mother and partner if I am also making sure that I am happy. The fact that I've paused writing this for about 10 minutes so I could watch more Bret Michaels bus of Love is telling. I need more mindless, relaxing time. Of course, the only way that can happen is if I'm done with all the things I really need to do. That list is always longer than time I'm afforded. At present, there's laundry I could do, dishes to wash and I haven't made myself dinner yet because I'll have to clean it up too. Monday nights are Dad's class nights when Quinn and Luke go to Early Childhood Family Education class together. I've got about 30 minutes until they return. Will I: 1. race to clean dishes, 2. eat dinner, 3. watch more crap tv. 4. blog or none of the above??? Stay tuned. Oh, and read the next blog.

Feeling bliss

We've got our keyboard situated differently on our desk and the screen too is at an odd angle. I have a series of cramps in my upper back... and still I write. I'm like the Michael Phelps of blogging-- haha. So, I believe that I've finished reading everything composed between December 18th and yesterday and have commented on a slew of things. Thank you for the hearty mix of drama, humor and revelation. There are many strong, vivid, entertaining and provocative writers in our midst. I do hope you are reading one another's work:)

So, the majority of you have selected something about yourself that you resolve to adjust or tweak. Super. Now, you need to make a plan. How will you accomplish your goal? How will you consciously work on this objective? It's worthless for me to say I want to lose weight if I continue to eat and live in the same manner as 2008, right? in today's blog, please include a short plan and/or rationale (depending on how much thought you've shared already on this goal) for your goal. Each day of class until the end of the term I would like you to comment on your progress and how things are going. For some of you, a daily note will be short and others of you may find that immediately you have things to say and report.

For all the goodness to this venture, it will surely not fill your writing time each day, so I'd like each of you to brainstorm a meaningful writing project for yourself. For example, I might select a book I've been dying to read and spend time each day reflecting on the new novel. Maybe, you'll read the newspaper online each morning and then spout off an editorial-like blog about the state of the world. Maybe you want to expand your memoir that you started last month. Possibly you want to write more short stories or a novel... at least, the start of one. Or, maybe you'd simply like me to start giving more traditional writing prompts each day. For me, I'm going to become a more devoted FOCUSED blogger and spend time blogging on my Quinn's Mom site. Maybe you want to start up a new blog that focuses on an issue or objective daily. Let me know your thoughts and ideas in a blog today.

Cheers!

Welcome Back!!!

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's
words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning."
-- T.S. Eliot

I love this quotation. Muse on them for a moment and begin your blog by pasting them into your message and responding. Then, tackle my task below.

Welcome to 2009 dear writers,
I hope that you enjoyed a relaxing and refreshing two weeks. More than likely, you had some fun, some surprises and a bit of extra sleep. The narrative to describe such things will be fun for me to read. And that is what I'd like from you today-- a meaty recitation on your break. In addition, I'd like you to recall that prior to break I asked you to think about something you'd like to change about yourself, whether that was a habit, a way of thinking, a pattern, etc. As we journey through the next three weeks together, we will spend time writing and thinking about your selected change. Ideally, we will also act as a support network for one another as we all attempt to tweak something about our unique and wonderful selves. So, your work today consists of three parts:

1. Quote reflection
2. All about your break recitation
3. Change reformation:)

Finally, I hope that when I check my dashboard that people made use of break to make up missing blogs. January 1st was the last day to post anything from December.