This is my symphony

P: Past and Present (A-Z Blogging Challenge)

Laurie Larson

April 19, 2016

Today is day 16 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s words: Past and present

In Writing Workshop a couple month’s ago, Emily read the poem “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon. It’s about finding ourselves at the “You are here” spot on the map that is our life. When you read it, you’ll find the poem evocative and powerful–a poem that can stand on it’s own two feet and doesn’t pussy-foot around. Those old photos Lyon writes about, the ones we press so carefully into scrapbooks (or toss offhandedly into shoe boxes)–those photos point to who we are and how we got here.
And in true workshop fashion, we wrote a copy change:

I am from the woman with the page boy and legs up to here,

from the man with shirtsleeves rolled–

smudged with graphite, the student.

I am from the college campus with winding walks

and buckeyes rolling downhill–

from Saturday night card parties in attic apartments,

I am from the lab school where graduate students

mined seven-year-old minds for gold,

from Dick and Sally and Jane.

I am from a time when life was as clear as simple syrup–

A time melted away like the Stoddard’s frozen custard that dripped down my chin

leaving me sticky with memories.

Update: I found this video of George Ella Lyon reading “Where I’m From“–it’s a must-see. Also mosey on over to Denice’s Day and read her P post: Photo. Denice is a friend, a photographer, and master-in-the-kitchen. Her post is a nice companion to Lyon’s video.

O is for Outside (A-Z Blogging Challenge)

Laurie Larson

no comments

April 18, 2016

Today is day 15 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: outside

Ten days ago I went to a baseball game in the snow. We drove home in sleet and saw at least a dozen cars involved in accidents.

Today … not so much. Saturday’s high temperature was 79. Sunday and Monday the forecast is the same. (And man oh man will my junior students be playing hooky!)

When it’s that warm in April, we Michiganders get positively giddy. After nearly five months of temperatures below forty, shoveling, boots, s lush, and road salt, we don our flip flops, put out the deck furniture, and grill. We rake the flower beds and lawn. Hang clothes on the line. And a few brave souls even put out a pot of annuals. (We know it’s too early, we know we’ll have another frost, but still.)

So we’re outside–by my estimation nearly all of the 193,792 residents of My Town are out walking their dogs, pushing strollers, tossing a baseball, or riding their bikes after they’re finished with that yard work. We went to buy groceries and threw a Spiderman watering can in the cart for little Jo to play with and hubby bought a new trellis for our re-located clematis.

We sat on the deck and watched the birds at the feeder. The finches are gold again and the Red-winged blackbirds are trilling and chattering. The orioles and hummingbirds are due back in a couple weeks, and I’ve got nectar ready for the hummers and grape jelly for the orioles.

If you stop by and knock on the door or ring the bell and we don’t answer, just come around to the back. We’re on the deck or working in the yard. The ball game is probably on the radio. But you can be darn sure we’re outside.

N is for The New Yorker (A-Z Blogging Challenge)

Laurie Larson

no comments

April 16, 2016

Today is day 14 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: The New Yorker

MyEyeSees@Flickr.com

I think my first New Yorker subscription was over twenty-five years ago–it’s now a budgeted item, costly subscription notwithstanding. I’ve rarely been disappointed in an issue and love the breadth and depth of the writing.

I’ve read about Saddam Hussein’s death and Taylor Swift. About a dentist who faked his running records and the people who try to amass world records for Guinness. I learned about hand transplants and hoarders. About murderers and drug dealers. I read an article by the Newtown shooter’s father about his son. This week’s issue? A voyeur who recorded his observations over decades and a Filipino nanny.

And the covers. Oh my goodness the cover art. I saved this one because it said so much about how our first Black president was perceived.

In my AP class, I use some articles as classroom reading and for one marking period students choose an article each week from the several years I have saved. At first they complain the articles are too long. Then they get hooked–and often confused by the cartoons. (“I don’t get the ‘pictures’? They don’t go with the story …”) Dancers read reviews of ballets and drama kids read play reviews. There is a profile on Taylor Swift and one on John Green. Concussions in high school football. Hopefully, at least a few of the kids will remember the magazine fondly–and someday subscribe themselves.

Magic Trash and the Heidleberg Project (Blogging from A-Z Challenge)

Laurie Larson

1 comment

April 15, 2016

Today is day 13 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: Magic Trash

Take a peek back at “K”–remember when hubby and I took in a Tiger game on opening weekend? After we left in the 5th, I had a list of Top Ten Things To Do In Detroit all ready to go, links and everything on my phone. I came prepared, people! Now you might ask–Detroit? There’s things to do that would even approach a Top Ten list?

And yes, dear reader, there is.

Because Detroit is coming back–it’s a story on the Michigan Radio NPR station just about every day. And if it’s not yet “back”, Detroit is certainly trying. We found Historic Fort Wayne, a Civil War fort and home of the Tuskegee Airmen museum. Closed, sadly, until the end of April. We found Eastern Market, a urban farmer’s market that spills over into some of the surrounding neighborhood with foodie little Magic Trash shops and such. And we found The Heidelberg Project. Now I’ve heard about the project for years (on Michigan Radio, of course!) and I’ve seen footage on TV news when it was vandalized by arson. Twice.

But you really must see it to believe it.

Heidelberg Project I found an incredible children’s book in the gift shop titled Magic Trash that tells the story of Tyree Guyton and his art. As a boy Guyton’s grandfather (a house painter) encouraged him to channel his extraordinary imagination by painting. Like many artists, Guyton was also a keen observer of the world around him. He saw his beloved East Side decline as neighbors left for the suburbs. He watched riots light the city on fire in the late sixties. And he got out of there. This is one children’s book I bought for myself–the illustrations are whimsical and some of the writing, poetry: “Brush greens and blues/On wheels and shoes/Slosh, slap, and splash magic trash”.

But Guyton eventually came back to Grandpa Sam’s house and started to transform the ugliness around him into something beautiful. Now this is where is gets tricky because some would look at The Heidelberg Project and question, not exclaim, its beauty. (In fact, some believe that the arsons were, in fact, an attempt to destroy the Project–but art is eternal, no?) And I’m not an expert in contemporary art, so I may not be the best judge. But I do know that The Heidelberg Project is stunning, extraordinary, profound on some level I can’t quite explain. It is vibrant. Alive.

The Project’s mission states their goal is to, “inspire people to appreciate and use artistic expression to enrich their lives and to improve the social and economic health of their greater community.” One neighbor took that goal to heart. The Yellow House allows guests to sign and date the siding–and has used the money to repair the house: new porch, siding and soffit repair. That’s enterprise–the Heidelberg philosophy in action. Lives enriched. Economic health of one family improved.

Tyree Guyton is an evangelist for his art and his city. At the end of this YouTube video, (which is a must-watch, by the way) Guyton says he believes Detroit will come back. That if he can do one little thing to help that happen, he’s done his job.

We’re planning a trip back this summer.

L: Madeleine L'Engle (Blogging from A-Z)

Laurie Larson

1 comment

April 14, 2016

Today is day 12 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: L’Engle

Most readers come to Madeleine L’Engle through her Wrinkle in Time books. (At least that’s what I call them–L’Engle’s website lists the series as the Time Quintet). When my own children were of an age to read the books twenty years ago, they proved a great entry into the world of science fiction and fantasy. (Here’s a great segment about Wrinkle on NPR’s All Things Considered about its appeal.) And believe it or not, Wrinkle in Time, published in 1962, was even popular when I was in grade school. But I didn’t read it.

I first came to Madeleine L’Engle through a series she wrote: The Crosswicks Journals. Part memoir, part spirituality, the books explore the writer’s life as a mother, wife, and writer. They are introspective and not at all preachy, dealing with caring for an aging relative, our need for solitude, marriage, and the role of the sacred in modern life. (In fact, writing this, I think I’ll return to the books this summer.)

After falling in love with the Crosswick Journals, I backtracked and read a few of the Wrinkle books, as well as Meet the Austins and Troubling a Star, titles I’d consider Young Adult. Even as an adult (a crossover!) I wasn’t disappointed with the ideas in books that were written ostensibly for younger readers.

In fact, I have a Wrinkle in Time and Swiftly Tilting Planet in my classroom library–and just yesterday, I had a young man check one out. He’s sixteen, mind you. A true testament to the endurance of a writer who cares about Ideas.

K is for Krazy Kats

Laurie Larson

1 comment

April 13, 2016

Today is day 11 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s words: Krazy Kats
(Yes. I know it should be Crazy Cats, but C is days past, so spelling correctly wouldn’t fit this post!)

Krazy Kats Last weekend my husband and I went to a Tiger’s game on opening weekend. Now this being the Great Lakes region, the weather in early April is usually pretty sketchy. He’s a lifelong fan who has been to dozens of Opening Days–and he’s just as likely to sit in the cold rain as he is spring sunshine.

This game, however, won hands down. It was the coldest game ever played in Comerica Park–temp at game time was 31* and it went up to a balmy 32* by the time we left. But I went prepared in long johns and layers, wool socks and stadium blanket. I drank coffee, not beer. And as long as I stayed really still and the wind wasn’t blowing, it was pretty tolerable.

Tolerable until the fifth inning, that is–we were down by four and the Yankees hit a home run. It was time to leave and get the blood circulating to my toes again.

The Tigers lost 8-2.

J: Joy, or "Are you happy?" (Blogging from A-Z)

Laurie Larson

3 comments

April 12, 2016

Today is day 10 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: Joy

Someone recently asked me if I was happy–the implication being, of course, that I was not. I was a bit bemused by the question because I’ve worked incredibly hard over the past few years to answer that very question: What brings me joy? What makes me happy? The basic mid-life better-get-my-sh*t-together stuff. And I think what most people mean when they ask that question has to do with situational happiness: Am I happy with this or that relationship? Does my job or lifestyle make me happy?

But I think a person can have a deep, satisfying sense of joy–and still not like certain aspects of this or that relationship, job, or lifestyle. In fact, I should be dissatisfied with some facets of my life … or I’d never be nudged to change and grow. Discontent is a powerful motivator.

So here’s why I know I’m happy.

I’m happy because I’m free–really and truly free to make any choice I’d like. I’m happy because I know my heart–I know what I believe, what I value, what I long for. I’m happy because I understand (okay, I’m coming to understand) my flaws and imperfections–I’m learning what to accept and what to transform. I’m happy because I have a deep sense of connection with this Great Big World, one that fills me with joy and moves me to tears at times.

So this or that relationship? Yes and no. The job? Not always. Lifestyle? Maybe not so much.

But am I truly happy? You betcha!

Author crush: I is for John Irving (Blogging from A-Z)

Laurie Larson

no comments

April 11, 2016

Today is day 9 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: Irving

What I read

University of Houston

I started reading John Irving with The Hotel New Hampshire. It was crazy different from what I was accustomed to reading, but I was hooked. I devoured Cider House Rules and Prayer for Owen Meany as soon as they were published. By this time I was working at the bookstore and my author crush was widely known–my manager even asked the publishing rep for an extra cover so I could have this dreamy photo of him.

Why John Irving? His characters behaved outrageously compared to my conservative Midwestern friends and family–but for some reason I accepted them as if not a jot or tittle was out of order. They felt like my people, somehow. (And no, I’m not a furry; I’m of normal stature, my true love isn’t a wounded veteran, and I’ve never had a hand transplant.) For all the outlandish plots and characters, his novels have some elemental Truth-with-a-capital-T.

I kept reading Irving into The Son of the Circus and The Fourth Hand. I read In One Person. But somehow, that glow was gone and the books just never quite lived up to those first few. At least for me. There were glimmers of Cider House, mind you–but the characters were more shocking than Real-with-a-capital-R and the plots more audacious than they were a hero’s journey.

I also happened to catch a TV interview with Irving on a morning talk show shortly before A Son of the Circus was published, and my Crush-with-a-capital-C came face-t0-face with reality. He looked less like the book jacket photo than I thought could be possible, fifteen years not withstanding. (I have no idea what the photographer did to that photo, but it was less a likeness than a rough approximation.) And he spoke. Gah! My man crush heart sank: his voice was a bit nasally, a tad lispy, and a tenor. *Sigh*

But, still, there’s nothing like an author crush, is there?

What I lived
My firstborn probably strolled up to the library when he was only a few weeks old. He was a May baby and the branch was only three blocks away. I started the habit of taking the kids once to check out books and once for story time each week. I never waited until the two-year-old age limit for story hour on the library flyers–the kids knew books and stories from the get-go. No worries there.

It was the smallest little library branch you might ever see. Just three rooms open to the public and small ones at that: general fiction, reference & children’s together in one room, new arrivals and non-fiction in another with the card catalog (remember card catalogs?!) No fancy sofas and chairs with charging docks. No coffee bar. No tablets for check-out. Just brown linoleum floors and blond wood tables and chairs. Standard institutional stuff in the 70s.

But is was there my kids first met Curious George and Madeline. They knew the Five Chinese Brothers before they were shut away for not being politically correct. They read the adventures of the Ducklings and Mike Mulligan, and they picked blueberries with Sal. When they got older they hung out with Ramona and Beezus Quimby and some orphan children who lived in a railroad car. We were totally old-school, and it didn’t hurt them a bit to read books that gave not a wink or a nod to Disney or Pixar–not that there even was a Pixar back then.

If Mom wanted to browse, I walked up when the branch had evening hours. Without three little ones I could read jacket flaps to my heart’s content and hopefully find two or three to last until the next week. I read constantly, even when the kids were infants and toddlers. I read when I nursed them, I read when I cooked dinner, I read while I watched them play from the front porch steps. I often worried that they’d resent books and hate reading because my attention was so often diverted.

But, nope. This story has a happy ending: they all three became readers themselves.

H: How It Used To Be (Blogging from A-Z)

Laurie Larson

4 comments

April 9, 2016

Today is day 8 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s thought brought to you by the letter H: How it used to be

On Wednesday I wrote about my tour in Amish country and I’ve been turning it over in my mind ever since. Amish farms usually have a smaller house on the property called a Daadi Haus or Grossdaadi Haus where grandparents “retire” when the son takes over the farm. I’m guessing “retire” is used only by the English because in an Amish household there is always some cooking, sewing, gardening, and baby-minding until a grandma is too feeble and frail to help out any longer. Older family members play an integral role in the life of a young family and the community. Every elder has a purpose–and it’s how we all used to live.

-elderly-woman-washing-produce-pv It’s an idea worth thinking about, especially as I get closer and closer to my sixth decade. Of course, I could continue teaching far into my sixties or maybe even my seventies, if I was so adventurous. (I’m not.) Americans seem to think of retirement as time to play and be a little self-indulgent after all those years of child-rearing and career-building. Which is all well and good. Quite frankly, I am looking forward to a little more “me” time.

But will that be enough?

Americans are an independent lot. We live and let live. Keep our nose out of our neighbor’s (and family’s) business. It’s every man (or woman!) for him(or her!)self. And now that I’m a grandma, I actively try not to interfere or impose my way of child rearing or house keeping on my children. I don’t step on toes. (I hope.)

So where will I find purpose once I’ve decided I’m done with grading papers and copying handouts, once I’ve taken down my bulletin boards and closed the door to B209 for the last time? I can’t babysit forever–those littles will soon grow up and move into their own busy lives. There’s no huge plot to garden in my small city yard (although a garden is certainly a possibility), no family business to be a part of. I could start sewing again, I guess, and volunteer more. I figure I can only travel for so long. And then what?

I see that playing out in my still very active eighty-year-old mother right now. A widow, she has no end of friends and activities that keep her busier, it seems, than me sometimes–but even she still feels the slow tick-tock of some long days spent alone.

Don’t get me wrong, or accuse me whining. I’m happy. My mind is still sharp. I’ve weathered some treacherous storms in my life and my boat is still upright and sailing on. My daily needs are met ten times over. I have interests and hobbies and no end of curiosity about the world around me.

So I’ll work part time in my sixties. I’ve just started looking into the Peace Corps. I’ll keep busy. I want the last decades of my life to be useful, gratifying. But I think it rather odd that we now have to manufacture ways to be productive.

Sometimes, I wish we could go back to how it used to be.

G is for Grandma (Blogging from A-Z)

Laurie Larson

1 comment

April 8, 2016

Today is day 7 of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. The challenge began with A on April 1 and continues the alphabet throughout the
month, except on Sundays. My theme for the month will be this blog’s tagline: life, books, and all things bookish, so you can expect a little bit of this ‘n that. I’m still reading, though, and I’ll add reviews whenever possible. Thirty days of blogging is a huge commitment for me, but I’m looking forward to meeting and greeting new blog friends.

Today’s word: Grandma

I babysat my 16-month-old grandson this morning, so today’s post is a shameless promotion of cuteness, runny nose and all!

G is for Grandma