Where the waters begin...

This was supposed to be on our last quarter reading list and is ready to go for us the second day of class next week! I really like how Cecelia writes, you feel like she is in your living room or study or at a cafe and telling you the stories of her family. So cool.

Water flowing from Mt. Tahoma via Paradise

I'll post my notes next week. Halfway through the book...and am inspired.

Winter Quarter starts...January 4th!

So excited. One week till winter quarter. We will have one 4 day field trip back to the mountain... supposed to be in cabins this time...and 4-5 day field trips me thinks to the Nisqually River basin area...

I have most of my books and most of my art supplies...need to check in with my fellow commuter and zaparini we are off to Oly for some more fun...science, natural history, ornithology and water routing with some anthropology thrown in for good measure. First People participation back and forth...

Will post more after the first day...as always the future is changing so till then campers...find those snow shoes and sharpen those pencils!

Writing as Zen...

Writing a blog is like holding space for zen meditation. You select a time of day perhaps everyday or once a week. You put out your cushion and if you have another you put that out too. There is no announcement or advertising, just the thought, the effort and the sitting....
Some of the best writing just comes off the top of your head...like drops of rain dripping down your forehead and off your nose when walking out of doors without your coat...same with sitting...and if you sit long enough someone shows up...could be a friend...could be you in another time...could be imagination or fantasy...could be the truth...whether you are ready or not...to sit...to write...

Book lists

I've realized there are many types of book lists. The obvious one for this site, my school book list which most are ordered for the winter quarter. The list your parents would love you to read and you probably won't. The list of books your friends read and you would like to read them because your friends are smart and funny and you respect them; some of these books you will read and some you won't. Many lists come from helpful websites self or not, and as much as I would like to read these even if I purchase them, most I do not. My favorite book list is the one that is not made, not given, not assigned, not "should have"'d, nor suggested. It is one that is spontaneous and sometimes startling, where a title falls on your shoulder or better yet your head from a shelf far above, a book that you keep coming back to and unconsciously are drawn even though you are looking for a gift for a friend. This list is not written, shared, suggested or drawn out. The most thought provoking and luminous darkly written books that are keys to unlocked places inside you have always wanted to know or to be made know...I love these books, they are gifts and joys and prods to your inner being. Revelations of those things which cannot be spoken or taught or learned... synchronous books like a glance out of the corner of your eye, did I just see that or hear that? Books that I want to read right after I finish them. Some of these books are in my library and some I suggest to friends of which they may or may not read. As it should be.

Winter Break

The luminaries almost made a complete trail down through Paradise valley on the island...till the rain started and the inexpensive candles failed... Winter Solstice is my favorite holiday, not because of hoopla and fanfare or gifts given as a supplication to what we should be doing all year long. It is a day of inner reflection; of remembering our connection to nature, our loved ones and to light. Sharing a quiet meal with your love. It is because it is a day of separate tasks joined together shoulder to shoulder with people you may or may not know. Walking a few miles, filling, placing brown paper bags filled with sand and a votive, fluffing and cuffing the tops of the bags which are spaced out at 20 or so paces, then going back to the ends and start lighting the wicks, or trying to light the wicks, all while watching the dusk settle and small glowing beacons of orange light line the road we all pass by normally without looking. It is a day of giving time and laughter and hope. Hope that it will not rain on the small luminous beacons. Hope that this next solar year will be one of health, peace, abundance of what we need, and of solace. Thank you Marianne for being my partner! Thank you my friend Biondo for hosting luminaries every year come rain or shine. May we all remember our inner luminaries. Peace out...

Holiday blues...or is that greens...

So much has happened between end of the Fall quarter and now...Winter Solstice is next Tuesday and there will be a full moon lunar eclipse as well...very auspicious and thought provoking.

I received part of my art supplies for Winter Quarter and realized a new item needs to be created or procured to hold my charcoal items; there is the standard black square charcoal and also some hard wood charcoal that looks like it will explode into powder if I sneeze too hard...and it needs to be a hard cased container no more than 1.5 " thick and no more than 8"x4" in layout size...hummm...I must have something in all that stuff stored in the loft...

One of the drawing pads is larger than I am...well not really but close...I have this image of being out in the field with my classmates and trying to balance this on my knee while giving my subject matter that one eyed focus all the while holding on to the explodable charcoal with my teeth...ha prolly nothing like that will occur, just stuff that pops into view from time to time...

Reading, gifting, journaling...so campers put your wish list out there...Santa or whomever brings you prosperity is listening!

Cheers

winter booklist

Oh I have the bug I do I do I do... ordered half of the books I need for class, some I have already and others I will get at school. And there are art supplies, some of which are coming tomorrow.


Looking forward to getting back to working the grey matter and expanding my horizons.


Here's the list of new titles:

·      Where the Waters Begin by Cecelia Svinth Carpenter (I was able to pick this up last quarter and am half way through; love the myth and symbology of the first peoples)

·      Wisdom Sits in Places by Keith Basso

·      Messages from Frank’s Landing by Charles Wilkinson

·      Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

·      Ecological Literacy: Educating our Children for a Sustainable World by Michael K. Stone and Zenobia Barlow

·      Ten-Minute Field Trips: A Teacher's Guide to Using the School Grounds for Environmental Studies by Helen Ross Russell (Still need to get this at TESC bookstore)

Reference books that I've added:

·      National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer

More updates to follow...in the meantime campers...Keep an extra pair of socks handy and in a dry place!

In between....

In between finals and evaluations and start of the Winter quarter...I worked...my partner had life altering emergency appendectomy surgery...we had to put our love Manu down since he had an agressive lymphoma cancer in his mouth and body...very sad...M is recovering physically...then we got the hospital bill...ok we can handle this....negotiation is the key...and then the rain and wind storm...holidays...lists for the start of the new quarter...negotiating financing for school, grants and scholarships...and decorating and gifting and cookie making and gift giving and and and....meeting cousins and family and all sorts of fun heart warming adventures....

I am grateful to the powers that be that my M is healing and safe and we are together...there is no greater gift than love and health and family! I give thanks for all and more...

Books are ordered...art supplies are ordered.... classrooms scheduled and I am looking forward to all miracles that happen each day if we just take the time to look...

Bright Blessings Campers... keep those rowboats at the ready....who knows what Pineapple Express is coming your way!

Finals, what Finals...

Lordy where does the time go...finals...yes they happened, yes I had just a minor freak out before...only spaced on two questions in both finals...yes thats both.... each instructor had their own... we had two hours to write out two final exam answers...here is how it went
Am... meet with the pre sem group...cover answers we are not sure about...two others join in...asking question we covered two weeks ago...no problem...as the time grow nearer for seminar which is two hours before finals, we have to go over that last book read...honestly I don't remember anything of that seminar...all I remember after lunch is when I sat down at 3 pm and was handed both of the finals...two pens ready in case one failed and started to write...I wrote continuously for two hours answering to the best of my knowledge each question except the two I blanked on and also answered the bonus questions just in case...and as I finished the last question I had 10 mins left to review my exams...holy moly batmat...10 mins...so I reviewed in a most haphazard manner...2 minutes left. I looked at one of the non anwered questions and made my best guesss...that last one totally eluded me.... so I took the opportunity to express to my instructor how much I disliked Gifford Pinchot... and turned in my papers and left the building...

We got our finals and the comments at our evaluations...did I over worry perhaps...did I stress unduly... perhaps...

Needless to say the finals came out fine...I survived and was not docked for my cheeky response about Gifford Pinchot.

I finished my quarter with good marks and 16 credits...

I am now a Sophomore!

Who knew you could return to college as a freshman and in one quarter become a Sophomore! Love those transfer credits!

Winter Quarter starts January 4th!  Oh how I can't wait!!!!