Off to See The Wizard

Iwas trying to come up witha topic for my summer school class that would appeal to older students and that we could have fun with. I thought of a few, food, travel, and finally decided on The Wizard of Oz. It has everything- themes of home, family, quest, fantasy, adventure, politics, etc .We can chart the changes in America through the book, the movie later adaptations- The Wiz, and now Wicked. Im excited, I can;'t wait to navigate the road the Oz. Follow the yellow brick road!

Be Kind

I was cleaning out some papers last week when I came across a letter my mother wrote many years ago when she thought she was very ill. In this letter, she told each of us how much she loved us, and asked us to be kind to our father and each other. It is now 20 years later, and they are both gone, but her words stay with me. As soon as my dad passed away the veneer of civility in our family disintegrated. One of my sisters and I have stayed close and have tried to remove ourselves from the fray. It amazes me that someone would risk losing the only family they have just to make sure that they get their fair share. God forbid that one person should have one dime more than the next. There are a few things of my parents that I would like to have- the dining room table where we shared family and holiday meals, and where my grandfather presided over Saturday night dinners, but otherwise I've lived without it this long, I can live without it! My sister and my children mean more to me than any piece of furniture. It is so bad, that one of my sister's complained because I took a bunch of paper plates from the basement, I guess she wanted to get the fair market value from them. By the way,I took them to our church, we sponsor several families in a program called Family Promise. The families basically live in the church basement for a few months while they are seeking help with jobs, skills, finances etc. The paper plates are there for backup, so they don't have to wash dishes- I guess I should write my sister a check for her fair share! Anyway, back to my original thought- after all is said and done, if we are not kind to each other what good is anything else- I would argue that our possessions will crumble and fall around us, but kind words and deeds will sustain us through eternity. I just sounded religious, and I am not religious at all. I guess that means it's time to stop writing!

Food for Thought

I was trying to decide what topic to explore with my adult students this summer, and came up with the topic of food. Food is at the center of our lives. even if we don't cook, food brings back memories of childhood, of family and special occasions celebrated throughout our lives. I read in the paper today that City Tavern on East Blvd. has closed and felt a deep sense of loss. My ties to the building go back to my childhood. My grandparents took my sister and me to dinner there when it was the Drum restaurant over 50 years ago, and I spent many Sundays there eating bereakfast with my family after church. More recently, as City Tavern it was the place where I took my Dad for lunch on Saturday afternoons after my Mom passed away. He enjoyed the food and the trip down memory lane. After luch, we often drove down Lynway Dr ( a few blocks from City Taven) to look at my grandparents old house. This trip inevitably brought up stories of family gatherings, picnics under the flowering cherry tree in the backyard, Sunday visits when my grandmother always sent us home with a bag of grapes and a package of lady fingers, among other goodies. My dad has been gone for 10 months now, and I miss our lunches ,I still make the occasional trip to Lynway Drive, but even if they tear down the old drum, Ill still have great family memories.

I digress, back to food- food is our comfort, our connection to each other and the outside world, we love to share recipes handed down from family members, and tell others about our heritage and traditions.

i am going to incorporate this topic into my class. I'm excited and I can't wait to write about the results!

April fool

Thought about my Mom today. she loved april fools' Day. she is probably the only old lady in the world who took her grandchildren out when they were small and taught them how to roll yards! Yes, she loved to play pratical jokes on people. I have a joke for you.
isn't it funny ha ha
april fools!

Writing

Writing ( Or Not!)

okay so one of the reasons I started this blog was to make sure I wrote everyday. Well, so much fior great plans! I have a hellacious teaching schedule this semester, plu all the family drama9 referred to in previous blogs!) My sister and I have hired an attorney so hopefully things will progress, and I can write. Missed the call for papers for SAMLA- I have a great one on the role of women and art in victorian literature, mnaybe I'll just submit it as an article!