Punching Bag

Perhaps you remember the post I wrote about Rex Ogle’s memoir Free Lunch. That book centered on the year Rex was in 6th grade and detailed the physical, verbal and emotional abuse he suffered while living as a child with his mother, stepfather and younger brother. While I’ve never been physically abused, the book landed … Continue reading Punching Bag

Keeping it together as the Beatles fall apart 

I’ve been binging on Peter Jackson’s documentary series, Get Back, about the Beatles and it really couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s the kind of show, in my opinion, that doesn’t require acute attention and that’s kind of where I am at present. The project most certainly was a labor of love for … Continue reading Keeping it together as the Beatles fall apart 

Your mother never was one

Recently, I've been on a Lumineers kick and the  title of this post comes from their song, Donna. It wasn’t the first lyric in the song that caught my ear, but it was the one that prompted me to write it down. Let’s just say it resonated. I’ve written, and even publicly spoken, about finding … Continue reading Your mother never was one

Summer school(ed)

This week I’ll begin my 27th year teaching. If you factor in my own years as a student, I’ve spent 45+ years of my life greeting September by returning to school. That’s a long time. Despite all those decades of experience, a new school year always comes with a combination of excitement and dread. Each … Continue reading Summer school(ed)

Unpacking

Returning home from a two week vacation with your 16 y/o son on the same day your 22 y/o son temporarily moves back home for a couple of months, is not something I recommend. Especially when your older son’s style of packing doesn’t involve boxes or any real sense of organization. While my trip was … Continue reading Unpacking

Final west coast night

It has been a wild and incredible couple of weeks. My son and I have seen things we both always, yet never, imagined. I guess, maybe, life is like that - there are things you anticipate and others you can never expect. It seems all one can do is roll with it with as much … Continue reading Final west coast night