Spring Break has officially begun!

I’m done! I’m done!

All of my own work has been turned in, and I’ve graded and returned my student's portfolios. All I have to do is enter their grades (this is done electronically). Spring break LIVES! Woo hoo!

I have lots to do this break, mostly of the fun kind. Some of the possibilities include (not in this order):

*Preparation for next term's teaching (I’m teaching WR 121 again)

*Gardening

*Going to at least one film (theater variety)

*Catching up on Grey School work (classes to write, studying to do)

*Working on my Gargoyles book

*Finishing three book proposals for New Page

*Cleaning up the family room—it needs a good post-floor vacuuming. (I’ll probably do this on Tuesday, when Ernie is at the vet having his teeth cleaned)

*Lunch with Amanda

*Lots of reading—for fun, rather than by assignment (imagine that!)

*Walking—every day

*Doing my taxes (ick)

*Catching up on paperwork

*Watching some DVDs here at home

*Sleeping!

The above may not sound exciting to y’all, but after the hell and chaos of the past weeks, it sounds like heaven to me.

Scattered through this email are a few photos of my WR 121 students, geniuses all. (Truly!)

How are you spending your spring break? Even if you don’t have an official one, it's spring, after all!

A blessed Ostara!

Ostara comes from the goddess Eostre, “Eastern Star.” Eostre was the Saxon goddess of rebirth and fertility. Such female-based terms as estrus (referring to the menstrual cycle) and estrogen are based on Eostre’s name. The name Esther is also derived from Eostre.

Other Names (or Spellings) for Ostara:

Eostara
Eastre
Ishtar
Astarte
Ashera
Aphrodite
Inanna
Alban Eiler (Welsh)
Esther’s Day
Venus
Lady Day
Spring’s height
Spring (or Vernal) Equinox
Easter (the Christianized term)

Ostara occurs on the astronomical Spring Equinox, usually on or around March 21. It is a time when night and day stand in balance.

The traditional symbols of Ostara are related to fertility and birth:

Eggs: In ancient times the return of the birds meant the return of an important food source for the people. The ability to find eggs often meant the difference between health and hunger in the days before the crops were ready. Eggs correspond with fertility, mysticism, and ancient questions.

Rabbits: Central to mythology worldwide, rabbits are often associated with the moon. In traditional Goddess cultures, rabbits were an important totem animal and eating them was widely prohibited. A Scottish superstition held that eating rabbit was tantamount to eating one's grandmother. Rabbits were used as divining creatures by the Greeks, and also referred to by the Iceni Queen Boadicea, who correctly predicted victory from the direction of a darting rabbit. Since the hare can sleep with its eyes open, the Romans equated it with vigilance and believed that rabbits watched over everything--just as the moon appears to. In European folk belief, the phases of the moon could be seen in the eye of rabbits.

In Asian imagery and myth, rabbits and the moon are virtually synonymous. The Japanese see the Rabbit in the Moon. An enduring Japanese symbol is one of a rabbit pounding rice into flour, and the word mochi means both rice flour and full moon.

Moon and rabbit associations carry across the Pacific Ocean to the Americas, where Ixchel, the Mayan Goddess of the moon, midwifery and weaving has a rabbit totem. Mexican panels of 600-900 AD illustrate this moon goddess giving birth to and suckling a rabbit, while another shows the rabbit symbolizing phases of the moon. In North American lore, the rabbit plays the part of the trickster and the embodiment of fertility power. Worldwide, rabbits or hares co-exist with the moon as sacred symbols of vitality, fertility, and the life force. Some cultures associate rabbits with tricksters, shape shifters, and longetivity.

Newborn animals—particularly chicks, bunnies, and ducklings--remind us that we have survived the long dark winter, and that life is beginning anew.

Dairy products—things that are made of milk or milk products—are consistent with the newborn animals and life of spring. Milk corresponds with Goddess energy, mothering instincts, and nurturing behaviors.

Young spring greens, spring flowers, herbs, and flowering bulbs are signs of the Earth’s returning life. Lettuce and young greens correspond with peace and relaxation. Flowers and herbs have unique correspondences—you may want to investigate these further on your own.


Above all, Ostara is a time for rebirth, initiation, and new beginnings. This is a tremendous time to embark upon a new path or set of goals.

Equinox blessings to all!

Finals Week

The above picture is for Erin. She knows why.

I am now officially in Finals week, and I’m not likely to update this blog until Thursday night. Your thoughts, prayers, and useful spells are appreciated.

Summer is coming...

...and it's never too soon to start thinking about wholesome summer swimwear.

What planet are you?

What Planet Are You From?


this quiz was made by The Autist Formerly Known As Tim

-----

Knowing that I am Gaia may help me stay centered right now, and I'll take whatever help I can get, for next week is Finals Week.

My work load for the next 9 days includes:

Finishing a 25+ page case history for my Contemporary Comp Theory class, plus making 15 e-journal entries that I've been procrastinating on.

Finishing a 10+ page critical summary on how I envision Jacques Derrida and deconstruction as a metacommentary on the American Enlightenment,

Finishing revisions of a 2500 word profile piece on a living subject (Jamey Sharp) and a 2000 word profile piece on a dead subject (Samuel Lancaster), along with commenting on 9 2000-word revisions belonging to my classmates.

Finishing a 10-section, probably 50+ page portfolio for my GA class, "Teaching College Composition."

For the WR 121 class that I'm teaching, responding to 20 5-page essays featuring the Toulmin model of argument, and then issuing final grades for a stack of 20 final portfolios, each probably 40+ pages.

This is in addition to my usual classes and to several hours in the Writing Center.

Helpful, upbeat sayings, heartfelt wishes for sanity, and CARE packages of chocolate graciously accepted.



P.S. Check out the Mars maps on Google. Stunning!

If I were....

I woke up this morning to big, fat snowflakes, the size of half-dollars. Alas, it's 34 degrees, so none of it stayed, but gosh, was it pretty. I sat with a cup of coffee and just watched it for a few minutes.

I got this meme (below) from somewhere, but didn’t make a note of it and can’t remember where. Or maybe I made it up? I can’t remember that, either. Anyway, it’s fun!

If I were a natural phenomenon, I would be…dusk, where it’s not quite dark, and the horizon stands out in a deep blue, sharp relief.
If I were a metal, I would be…silver.
If I were an animal, I would be…a bear.
If I were a color, I would be…green.
If I were a mythological being, I would be…a Moon goddess, full of cool, silvery power.
If I were a human activity, I would be…reading.
If I were a work of art, I would be… something in chiaroscuro. What he does with light is amazing. See the above painting, by Caravaggio.
If I were a weapon, I would be…words.
If I were an emotion, I would be…contentment.
If I were a character in a book, I would be…Morgaine, in The Mists of Avalon.
If I were an article of clothing, I would be…a warm, soft woolen shawl.
If I were a flower, I would be…a daffodil—secretive and seasonal, and always a good surprise.

Someone else's turn!

A Dark Day

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a few days.

South Dakota has now approved a nearly complete ban on abortion. The procedure may only be performed when the woman’s life is in immediate danger.

Women who are raped? Doesn’t matter.

Pregnancy resulting from incest? Sorry, doesn’t matter.

Pregnancy following a birth control failure in a woman who has a dangerous chronic—but not immediately life-threatening—illness? You guessed it. Doesn’t matter.

Documented chromosomal abnormality that will cause catastrophic impairment—or death—to the fetus? Nope. Doesn’t matter.

There are peripheral problems as well.

Rapists and committers of incest in South Dakota may well have moved to new levels of consideration as “daddies.” (Shudder.)

South Dakota physicians who continue to provide safe medical abortions face fines and prison terms.

The new ruling will be hardest on poor, lower class woman, who won’t have the resources to fly off to a state (or country) where abortion is quick and legal, but who, instead, will go back in time to self-abortion methods involving knitting needles, coat hangers, and ingested poisons.

And although this argument gets a little slippery-slopey, it’s reasonable to think that if abortion is banned, limitations on contraception may not be far behind. This is especially true of contraceptive methods that work by preventing the implantation of an already growing embryo, e.g., the IUD and the “morning after pill.”

(Perhaps South Dakota should also think about banning Viagra sales within its boundaries? But, I digress….)

The ban also brings us one step closer to fulfilling the agenda of the religious fundamentalist right in this country, which seeks to make us One Nation, Under [THE FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIAN] God.

It seeks to support the religious right’s agenda of taking abortion back into the Supreme Court for an overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Those who know me know that I’m not necessarily pro-abortion. I think that when an abortion is performed, a baby’s life is taken. I mean, it’s a human life—it’s not a sunflower, or an armadillo. It is a prototypical human, with every bit of genetic material and engineering potential needed to become a fully formed human being.

But while that is my personal opinion, I would never take it upon myself to tell other woman that she could not have an abortion, if that was truly the most sensible thing for her to do under the circumstances. I think it’s a terribly difficult decision to make, but for some women, it ends up being the best one.

South Dakota’s action catapults us backwards.

It imperils our rights as women.

Take notice.

What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?

Thanks to Grey School teacher Estara T'Shirai for this meme.


You will be sucked dry by a leech. I'd stay away

from swimming holes, and stick to good old

cement. Even if it does hurt like hell when

your toe scrapes the bottom.


What horrible Edward Gorey Death will you die?
brought to you by Quizilla

I have a committee!

Let me explain. In the literature part of the Masters program at Portland State, there are three ways to finish the program:

Thesis option: the student writes a critical thesis of 80-140 pages on a focused topic. They do an oral defense, and may also be asked to do a written 1-3 hour exam upon whim of the committee. Their committee is composed of three tenured profs who are relevant to the thesis’ topic area.

Exam option: the student selects three areas of focus, and selects a committee member for each of the three areas. Each committee member provides a reading/topic list with which the student is supposed to become conversant (i.e., you have to read them all). The student then shows up on a designated date and takes a 6-8 hour (that’s not a typo) written exam on the three areas. After that, they have a 1 hour oral interview/exam with the committee.

Portfolio option: the student selects three areas of focus, and selects a committee member for each of the three areas. Each committee member provides a reading/topic list with which the student is supposed to become conversant (i.e., you have to read them all). The student then works to create a portfolio of scholarly work in the three areas. Ultimately the portfolio is read by the committee and then an essay question is assigned (based on the portfolio contents), and the student has one week to generate a 12-15 page response. Once that is done, the student does a 1-hour oral defense of the portfolio.

So…. Almost no one does the thesis option anymore, because it really doesn’t take you anywhere. If you’re going to be hired somewhere or admitted to an advanced program, they want to see breadth of study, and a thesis is a highly focused piece of work. But, a few people who are really zeroed in on one discreet idea still do a thesis.

Lots of students—probably the most—do the exam option. It’s killer to study for, but their thought is that it’s a one-shot deal: you study like mad, take the test, and it’s over.

Many also take the portfolio. There’s more actual work involved than with the exam option, but when you’re done, you have something that you can use when seeking job placement, admission to another program, etc.

Okay, now that we’ve got all of that groundwork laid…. I have decided to go the portfolio route. And yesterday, I got my committee nailed down, which is a HUGE first step! (It’s important to ask them way ahead of time (1.25 years ahead, in my case!) because they get very busy and eventually start turning students down. And ideally, you want your first choices—the profs who know you best and who you feel comfortable with—to be the ones on your committee.

My committee will be:

Hildy Miller, emphasis in rhetoric and composition (she’s also my GA advisor)
Elisabeth Ceppi, emphasis in early American women’s lit (she’s also my lit advisor)
Lorraine Mercer, emphasis in women’s lit and Victorian British lit

Hurrah!

I’ve also picked two of my three areas. One will be rhet-comp, and the other either American women writers or just women writers in general. The third will have to be some aspect of Brit lit (we’re required to have a British focus as one of our fields), and I’m still thinking on that.

So, there you go. Just having the committee set is a major check-off on the larger list.

This has probably bored most of you to death, but, if you can’t go on and on on your own blog, where can you?

I'm an old soul

Thanks to Rebecca for this (stolen from her blog!), because I don't really have time to write this morning. Interestingly, it's spot-on, except for the part about wanting to get married quickly.

You Are an Old Soul

You are an experienced soul who appreciates tradition. Mellow and wise, you like to be with others but also to be alone. Down to earth, you are sensible and impatient. A creature of habit, it takes you a while to warm up to new people. You hate injustice, and you're very protective of family and friends A bit demanding, you expect proper behavior from others. Extremely independent you don't mind living or being alone. But when you find love, you tend to want marriage right away. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Pass the lithium

Any of you who’ve been reading my blog lately may have detected a recurrent theme of fatigue, exhaustion, and self-pity. I was honestly beginning to wonder if something was wrong with me, because I’ve been so overwhelmed the last few days. Some of it was spurred on by my realization that I was one-fourth (one fourth!) through my six general terms of grad school…. But did I feel like I’d accumulated one-fourth of what I needed to know to finish? Uh, no! Panic was setting in, and tiredness and worry about money were adding to it, and as much fun as I’m having, it was all feeling like too much.

But then, I went to school on Monday and headed for my GA office and started talking with my fellow First Year GAs about these “symptoms,” and they look at me wide-eyed and started blurting out the same things, and it was like we were all echoing each other. Enter one of the Second Years, who listened to us and then, with a rueful grin, explained that this was a common phase, a combination of adapting to GA-dom and of the dark winter post-midterm slump. It will pass, she said.

So, today, although I’m still mildly panicked and still somewhat tired, things are looking up. I found out that I’ll be teaching again next term—another class of freshman comp, a.k.a., Writing 121 (Big yay!). I’m meeting my lit advisor tomorrow to talk about my three areas of study (more on that in another post) and have also found out that I can work this summer, so at least a little bit of money will be coming in.

And, last night I had my first piece workshopped in our non-fiction grad writing seminar, and it went very well. The high point of the evening—and of my life for some time—was having the professor say that the writing was “very strong” and that one part, in which I used listing as a form of emphasis, was “perfect.” That rocked my world.

Things are looking up. That’s not to say the tantrums and whining will end, but I think I’ve got a tenuous grip on reality, which is something.

Men are like....

One of my Grey School students sent me this. Seemed appropriate, what with Valentine’s Day having just passed and all.

Apples and Wine

Women are like apples on trees. The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground, the ones that are banged up and sometimes have started to spoil, but are easiest to reach. The apples at the top think something is wrong with them, when in reality, they're ripe and unblemished. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Now Men.... Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

How Machiavellian Are You?

You Are Somewhat Machiavellian

You're not going to mow over everyone to get ahead... But you're also powerful enough to make things happen for yourself. You understand how the world works, even when it's an ugly place. You just don't get ugly yourself - unless you have to!

How Machiavellian Are You?

Cleveland, coping, and cold

We interrupt this regularly-scheduled blog to bring you an ERIN UPDATE……..

Erin just called at 5:00 PM—she is at her hotel in Cleveland. There was a bit of excitement when she landed in Chicago and got bumped off her plane (and was told they might not be able to get her to Cleveland before tomorrow!), but she evoked her inner Gammie and told them that wasn’t acceptable, and now she’s settled in her hotel room in Cleveland with cable TV, her own pizza, and a pending long, hot bath. It’s 13 degrees there (!) and there’s a lot of snow. Her audition begins tomorrow morning and runs through the day. She has Avril along, but not Magenta. (Those on the inner circle know the code words, right?)

We now return you to our regular programming……..

* * * * * * * * * *

I haven’t been a good blogger. Fact is, I’m just too busy to blog every day…. Which is a large part of why it took me so long to get a blog going, even though my daughters kept after me to do so.

Does everyone know that childhood game of ‘Crack the Whip’? These days I feel like the person on the end. The whip is cracking really, really hard and I’m being whipped around so fast that I can’t get my breath, and I’m hanging on by my fingertips, expecting to be thrown off at any moment but somehow managing to hold on. It’s exhausting and thrilling and fun and scary, and everything’s moving so fast that it’s all a blur and I’m afraid to let go and afraid not to. But it’s all worth it. After all, everyone knows that the only good place to be in ‘Crack the Whip’ is at the end. Otherwise, you’re just part of the machine, with none of the thrill.

That’s my life right now. I’m reminding myself a little too much of my old boss, where nothing got done until it was first on the current “crisis list.” But I’m managing, and even though some nights I’m so tired I can hardly even climb into bed, I’m loving the challenge, and am glad I’m doing it.

That said, we’re having a little bit of an Arctic blast right now (and for the last few days). It’s getting into the high teens and low twenties by night, and right around freezing during the day. Brrr…. There’s no moisture in the air, so now snow or ice. But it is cold, cold, COLD. Convincing Ernie to go outside (and go) is a challenge.

Bill has a cold-- a different kind than the Arctic kind--and my nose is feeling ominously stuffy. I can't even tell you how bummed I'm going to be if I get sick.

So, am I spending all this time and money for a good reason?

You Should Get a PhD in Liberal Arts (like political science, literature, or philosophy)

You're a great thinker and a true philosopher. You'd make a talented professor or writer.

What Advanced Degree Should You Get?

Welcome to it

I love what I'm doing right now, but it's no piece of cake. Here’s an example of why you haven’t heard from me all week. This was my Thursday (Feb. 9) schedule:

6:00: Wake up, shower, make bed, make lunch, feed birds, feed dog, give dog pills, decide what to wear, load schoolbag, get dressed, do hair, make-up, choose earrings (they should match), check work email, finalize story for Vanguard and email it to news editor.

7:45: Leave for work. Enjoy rush hour traffic. Visualize road rage. Breathe fumes deeply.

8:30-ish: Arrive at PSU. Enjoy snail’s pace parking lot traffic. Find a spot in Parking I level 4 or 5. Lock car. Walk to Neuberger (1 block). Climb one flight of stairs and walk another block to GA office. Hang up coat. Go through bag—leave stuff that won’t be needed until afternoon. Leave lunch. Plug in laptop. Say good morning to fellow GAs.

8:45: Climb one more flight of stairs and walk to other end of Neuberger. Enter English department office. Say hi to anyone standing around. Check mailbox. Enter boiler room (English-ese for workroom) and enjoy waiting in line for the copier. Make 22 copies of material for upcoming Writing 121 class, and hold breath that copier doesn’t break down in the middle (it doesn’t, at least not this time). Check out TV/DVD player from English dept. closet.

9:00: GA “Teaching College Writing” class, a.k.a. ENG 518. Participate actively in discussion.

9:55: Take elevator down 2 flights while carrying backpack and WR 121 case and pushing TV/DVD player and cart. Walk half the length of Neuberger to WR classroom. Enter the room and greet students. Plug in and set up DVD; this includes ignoring the threatening DO NOT UNPLUG THESE CABLES sign. Unplug said cables and hook DVD up to in-wall smart ports so that film can be shown on the movie theater-sized wall screen. Get out materials for class.

10:00: Greet students. Give quick quiz on reading. Collect reader response journals. Answer questions about next assignment. Turn out lights and show second half of Whale Rider.

10:40: Film ends. Turn lights on. Leave film score playing while students do a 10-minute free write.

10:50: Students take break. Unhook cables and restore DVD player to original configuration. Prepare lesson materials for next half of class.

10:55: Director of Writing arrives to observe second half of class. Try to look calm.

11:00: Students return. Lead guided discussion that merges Whale Rider, Louise Erdrich’s work, Joseph Campbell, The Matrix, Jungian archetypes, heroic quests, and magickal realism. Feel very happy when students respond with brilliant insights. Discuss homework assignment.

11:50: Dismiss class. Thank Director of Writing for coming. Walk back to elevator and return TV/DVD player to the English Department. Climb two flights of stairs and walk the length of the building to the GA office.

12:00: Give midterm conferences to six WR 121 students (15 minutes each).

1:30: Wolf lunch. Load everything back into schoolbag. Check homework for upcoming class and make a couple of handwritten additions.

1:45: Walk four blocks to Science Building II. Negotiate swarms of people and trucks who are on campus filming a movie.

2:00: Grad seminar class, a.k.a. ENG 507, “The American Enlightenment.” Listen to spirited discussion of Rigel's take on Ben Franklin and John Fitch (quick summary: While Franklin’s Autobiography was imperfect, it maintained a sense of hopefulness based on self-improvement and American ingenuity. Fitch hoped for somethign similar, but was his desire for power and accomplishment in the public sphere seem too obvious, and he became unable to distinguish public and private interest.) Try to stay awake in the very small, very warm room.

3:50: Class ends. Exit to SBII lobby and find an empty table.

4:00: A student from WR 121 arrives for yet another midterm conference.

4:15: Finish conference. Head for the nearby Starbucks across the street. Buy a triple shot of whatever they’ve got. Intend to read the assignment for your next class, but instead, end up talking to a fellow GA about teaching approaches.

4:30: Walk back over to SB II.

4:40: Non-fiction seminar, a.k.a., “Writing About People,” WR 552. The teacher—besides being a great professor and not hard to look at—has multiple connections to the writing world. Hence, it’s important to not only stay awake but to feign wittiness and insight.

6:30: Class ends. Walk back (5 blocks) to parking lot. Drive home.

7:00: Stop to get a Papa Murphy’s pizza. No time to cook tonight.

7:20: Arrive home. Let dog out, give dog his pill, look at mail (then add to the “later” pile), turn heater on, put pizza in oven, change clothes, play with dog, water plants, shake head at bedraggled condition of house.

7:45: Eat (pizza). Run dishwasher. Check email, respond to Grey School business.

8:30: Settle in for evening’s work. Read and correct WR 121 student midterm papers in preparation for more conferences on Friday. Do critical peer review of two midterm papers for Friday’s ENG 514 (“Contemporary Composition Theory”) class. Try to stay awake. Do cognitivist readings for ENG 514. Work on news story. Continue trying to stay awake. Spend an hour transcribing interviews for WR 552 profile/paper. Check email again. Pay a couple of bills.

11:20: Shut down computer. Organize the things that need to go to school in the morning. Plan what to wear to school tomorrow. Think about tomorrow’s lunch. Put out garbage and recycling. Check dog’s food and water. Give dog evening pill. Turn furnace off. Check doors (locked).

11:40: Get ready for bed. Wash face, brush teeth, take off makeup, take out contacts, etc.

11:50: Get into bed. Read some of paper (give up on rest). Try to read some of the next ENG 507 assignment. Fall asleep in less than 2 minutes.

Still too busy for a long post, but....

Thanks to Rebecca for this one....

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love. You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Puppy Bowl II

The Seahawks may have let us down, but Puppy Bowl II never failed to please. And you had to love the hardest hitter of all, the white miniature poodle--yes, poodle!--"Barry" (see below).

(I wasn't much for the kitten half-time show, though, although I'll take it over the experience of watching the Rolling Stone wrecks tottering around the actual Super Bowl halftime stage. Shudder. Someone get these guys a set of rocking chairs and some high-calorie milkshakes, and hurry! I mean, sometimes more really is less, yes?)

In other news, I am entering into a next few days that can be best described as something between slog and purgatory. I've got a pile of student papers to grade and a term paper of my own due, and that's on top of my usual insane schedule.

Don't worry if you don't hear much from me until the end of the week. And wish me luck.

Groundhogs and their friends

Punxsatawney Phil has done it again-- 6 more weeks of winter, we'll have.

And, this came to me from a friend:

This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address fell on almost the same day. As Air America Radio pointed out, "It is an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involves a rodent."

A blessed Imbolc....

During Imbolc, we celebrate the earliest return of life to the earth after the barren darkness of winter. Although it is still the cold, dark time of the year, the days are slowly becoming longer and we prepare to re-meet the world of spring. Small but sturdy signs of new life begin to appear. Lambs are born and new grasses appear. Ravens begin to build their nests, larks sing with a clear voice, and winter bulbs push up through the soil.

Lambs and sheep are strongly associated with the holiday. The sheep was a very important animal to the agrarian (farming) people of the past, providing food and clothing. Lambing—which occurred around Imbolc—was an occasion for joy and hope. Lambing also meant that the mother lambs began giving milk, which provided cheese, yogurt, and other foods to the people.

In legendary terms, the Goddess at Imbolc has recovered from the birth of the Sun God at Yule, and the God—who will live out his life span within one year—is young. Imbolc is a time to celebrate the light and to honor the Maiden aspect of the Goddess, as well as the child aspect of the God.

Scotland’s Old Woman of winter, the Cailleach, is reborn as Brigid, Young Maiden of Spring, fragile yet growing stronger each day as the sun rekindles its fire. With her snowy white wand, Brigid breathes life into the land and asks Winter to open his eyes.

Oimelc is also connected with women’s mysteries and women’s rites of passage. It is a time of purification, initiation, and new beginnings.

Passing the holiday:

• Conduct a ritual to banish the darkness and welcome spring. Remove and burn any remaining Yule greenery. Since Imbolc is all about cleansings and new beginnings, use your besom (broom) to “sweep out the old.” Many people begin their spring cleaning at Imbolc.

• Devise a ritual for blessing the candles that you will use throughout the year, or restock and bless your magickal herbs. Invoke Brigid for creative inspiration.
  

• Work candle magick. Put a small pillar candle in a glass jar; set the jar in a window and burn it until morning (note: make sure that there is nothing near the jar that could catch fire!). Place candles around your home.

• Conduct a hearth-cleansing, either of a fireplace or of your kitchen hearth (oven and stove). For a fireplace, sweep out the old ashes, then purify with salt, smudging, or any other ritual that suits your purposes. Finish by kindling and lighting a ritual fire. For an oven, clean it carefully, purify it, then use it to bake a special food or meal.

• Do a “spring treasure hunt.” Go outdoors and search for signs of spring: bulbs pushing through the soil, new leaves, etc. If dandelions are growing, gather the leaves, wash thoroughly, and add to a salad. Dandelions—with their sun-like, yellow faces—are sacred to Brigid. (Note: Make sure that the dandelions you pick have not been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides.)

• Meditate upon what you would like to see grow in health and strength this year: for yourself, your family, your community, the Earth, and ask for Bride's blessing upon your prayers.

I am the unopened bud, and I the blossom, I am the life force gathering to a crest, I am the still companion of the silence, I am the far flung seeker of the quest. I am the daughter gathering in wisdom, I am the son whose questions never cease, I am the dawn-light searching out glad justice, I am the center where all souls find peace.
--Caitlin Matthews

So mote it be!

Go Erin!

Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)...Go Erin...(uhmp)... (etc.)... DUH duh *chik* duh DUH duh *chik* duh DUH duh *chik* duh DUH duh *chik*.....

Earthquake!

We had an earthquake last evening at about 6 PM (see epicenter--red square--on the above map; my home is near the lower right corner). I was sitting on the couch when it happened and the first thing I thought was that a train must have been going by-- I live really close to a main north-south line, and it's common for things to jiggle when a big train goes by.

But #1, there was no train, and #2, this felt different. The normal train-goes-by shaking is very brittle and staccato; this was more of a fluild rolling sensation. It only lasted for a few seconds. The weird thing was, I sat there puzzling it out, trying to figure out what was going on since there wasn't a train anywhere to be seen. I didn't even really consider that it could be a quake. It was only a 2.8, which is nothing, but I guess it was quite close to the surface and thus felt pretty big.

Other than that, it just keeps raining. You all know how much I like the rain--I'm one of its biggest fans. But even I'm getting a little, erm.... saturated by it. It's rained something like the last 39 out of 41 days, we're close to breaking an all-time record, and once again we have a flood warning posted, which I'm hoping won't involve my basement. Bill actually went out a couple of weeks ago with pick and shovel and dug a trench that goes all the way around the chimney end of the house, where water was coming in. Since then we've been okay, but cross fingers.

The Oregonian 'EDGE' recently ran a contest to come up with a new Orgeon motto. All tongue in cheek and unofficial, of course. My favorite?

"Oregon...You're Soaking in It."

(Tip of the hat to Madge, and for those who don't get this pop culture reference, you missed out.)

Hppy ppy bthdth, Mozart!

(Points to the first person to post about the connection to the blog title.)

A big shout-out this morning to two people:

First, my beautiful, accomplished, amazing, pianist daughter--Erin--who is off in a few days to begin a round of graduate school piano auditions.

Second, to Mozart, who turns 250 today. (He doesn't seem that old, does he?) Cheeck out the Classical Music Archives for a sample of his music.

Thinkfast Mountain

I'm too busy tonight to really write a blog, buy here's something for your viewing enjoyment, courtesy of this site, which has collected a set of "Brokeback" poster parodies. Gotta love these, although apologies go out to Ernie and Bert. I've never believed they were gay, but if they are, let's just keep it quiet so Pat Robertson doesn't find out.

Above is the actual poster, next to the Titanic Poster, which Brokeback's was supposedly modeled after.

The fun just keeps on coming....

All fun aside, I saw "Pokeback...er, Brokeback Mountain" with my friend, Amanda, and it was incredible. If it doesn't sweep all of the awards this year, something's not right.

Forget all of the "gay love story" labels that are being slapped on it-- the real "Brokeback" is a story about love, plain and simple, and heartbreak. We've all been there. You'll find yourself in this film, and chances are you won't mind the scenery along the way.

Day of Birth

(Posted a day late because of problems with the Blogger site last night)
I am turning 52 today, but I count the actual day of my birth as BD #1—therefore, this is actually my 53rd birthday. My birthday is number 24423 in pi.

5:55 AM. Alarm goes off. Bill tells me ‘Happy BDay’ and gives me a nice backrub. We get up at 6:15. Ernie wants out the front door (has to powder his muzzle) but remembers to wag politely.

6:50 am. My mom calls to sing Happy Birthday. Yes, 6:50 AM. This is an annual tradition—she calls us all first thing in the morning on our BDs, and she’s always determined to be the first one to get in the HBD-from-a-distance wishes. This year she wins!

7:55 am. Found a Pig Latin translator on line. Don’t worry too much about how I found it. Appyhay irthdaybay ootay eemay!

I’m watching my morning dose of “Buffy,” which right now is in Season 6. Was half paying attention but just now realized that this is the episode where, at the very end, Warren comes after Buffy and tries to shoot her and ends up killing an important cast member, after which another one goes dark-eyed starkers crackerdog. A sad, sad episode (#119- “Seeing Red”), and the turning point for everything that will happen between now and the end of Season 7.

How come the depressing shows are always on my Birthday? (Rhetorical question—no answer needed.)

8:06 am. Shower, a nice, long slow one. This is going to be a relaxing day if it kills me!

According to Cosmo Doogood, it’s not only Cheese Day, but my birthday is also shared by Bill Maher, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and Frederico Fellini.

I check emails and find that my story on pedestrian deaths in Portland is on the Vanguard front page. Being as it's the Friday edition, that means it will stay through Monday. Yay!

9:30 am. I head off to Blades for a cut-and-color. For all of you who aren’t in the know, I’d be white-haired without this. It has little to do with age and everything to do with the fact that I began to gray at age 21 and was salt-and-peppered by 30. Kind of makes you feel all warm and happy about modern hair chemistry, doesn’t it?

12:30 pm. Back home, after stopping for a hot dog at the Purdee’s Weiner Wagon. (Great dogs, don’t ask any more about it.) My hair looks great—Ivy (hairstylist) put a plummy cast on it and a dark streak in front. I am officially cool.

I devour my hot dog under the careful scrutiny of a very serious-looking ancient poodle and while watching disk 5 of season 4 of Felicity.

I check my email and find a birthday howdy from two Grey School friends, Aaran and Rainmaker, plus an e-card from Aaran. Thank you! I also find an email from New Page with the cover art for my “Gargoyles” book.

I contemplate the fact that I should be in my Composition Theory class right now. Thankfully, Jonathan is taking notes for me.

I check my answering machine to find birthday messages from Erin (10:18 am) and Scott (12:17 pm). Scott wishes me a happy inauguration day. Yay!

Life is good.

1:15 pm. Katie calls for a “live” happy b-day from Alaska! She tells me to watch out for a present that’s in the mail, and talks about a baby moose who is wandering around her newspaper office’s parking lot.

1:30 pm. I leave at 1:30 to head for PSU, where I’m doing a taped interview of a subject for my “Writing About People” class. He’s a young rocket scientist. No, really—he is!

2:05pm. I sit in plaza of the Faboriz Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. I phone my interview subject—he’s a block away and on his way here. This place is amazing—a futuristic blend of ceiling-to-floor glass walls, neon, and shiny metallic surfaces. I feel as if I’ve been dropped onto a Star Trek set.

4:10 pm. I arrive home again. Katie's present is in the mailbox—a book: Ravens in Winter. Yay! I call her and we have a nice chat.

My interview went well. I’m meeting my subject for interview #2 on Monday afternoon and have been invited to the Wednesday evening meeting of the Portland State Aerospace Society, otherwise known as PSAS. Repeat: I am officially cool.

5:30 pm. Bill calls—he’s on his way home and we have 7:15 reservations for dinner at The Ringside. I can hear a steak calling my name, not to mention a basket of the most famous onion rings in Portland.

10:30 pm. We’re home. After a “small” (ha) basket of Ringside onion rings, I had a blood rare rib eye steak, while Bill went for fire-grilled wild Pacific salmon. Major yums. We finished with coffee, which the tuxedo-clad waiter presented via a cool coffee service with cream and rough lumps of white and turbinado sugar.

After that, we drove by Piece of Cake, where we got two cupcakes: one chocolate chantilly and one lemon coconut. We came home and I got to open my presents, then Bill made me blow out a candle and we had bites of cupcake. We only ate a few bites of cupcake; the rest of them plus the Ringside doggie bags—are in the fridge. Too much food for one sitting!

As I write this Bill is on the couch under the magick blanket, already falling asleep, while my eyes are heavy as I prepare to check my email. It’s been a lovely day of birth.

Sleep tight, everyone….

Insane

My life is insane now. In a good way. I love school and my classes and my students, but I just get worn out. Last night I came home at 7:30, ate some dinner, sat down on the couch to read (Habermas and Derrida) and fell asleep. Woke 90 minutes later! AUGH! Ended up staying up until 12:30 to get my homework and teaching preparations done, then got up at 5:45 this morning. Trust me, I'm too old for this kind of schedule.

The insanity paused briefly yesterday when I met friend Valerie for a pre-birthday cup of coffee a my annual birthday tiramisu. It was soooooo good to see her. While we were trying to take the above photo in Starbucks, a man asked if we wanted him to take our picture. We said no. He looked concerned. Some people....

Here are some pretty pictures from a MLK trip to the Columbia Gorge last weekend. Here's one of Multnomah Falls....















...and here's one of snow and cloud--covered peaks on the Oregon side, taken from Skamania Lodge (Washington side).

It was rainy and cold that day, but just goes to show you that there's no such thing as a bad day in the Gorge.

MLK and HobbitHouses

Happy birthday, Martin Luther King. You rocked.

Anyone bored this evening? Settle back with a favorite beverage and read MLK's "Letter from the Birmingham Jail." I find something new to think about every time I read it.

And just for fun-- as if yesterday's snowflake-making wasn't enough--here's something really amazing--a Hobbit's eye view of a Hobbiton-esque dollhouse.

Enjoy!

Sifting stardust....

Here's a great opportunity to reach into the Cosmos!

As you all know, the "Stardust" capsule just returned to Earth, carrying bits of interstellar dust from 'Comet Wild 2.' The dust-- which is older than the sun--will be examined by the Stardust team over the next several years.

Much like the 'SETI At Home' project, in which computer users all over the world worked to help scientists examine billions of bits of computerized data of evidence of intelligent life, Stardust scientists are now also looking to the public for assistance. In the "Stardust at Home" project, public users will be given bits of comet data to analyze, then will return it to the 'Stardust' scientists.

The project is supposed to start in the spring-- right now they're publicizing it and encouraging people to pre-register.

Go to the Berkely Stardust site to pre-register by submitting your email address.

Also, don't miss today's APOD page for an explanation of the comet and the project.

For your winter enjoyment....

Try this site: http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/.

Fall term begins

Two days of teaching come and gone. Wow, is it fun! I have somewhere around 20 students—I can’t be sure of an exact tally yet; everything is weird during the first week of school, with students adding and dropping classes. It takes a couple of weeks for things to settle.

But I have a wonderful group of students! They are creative, good writers, and engaged in the class. During the term the students will write 3 formal essays, each going through a peer-workshop process and each undergoing at least 2 revisions. They’re also doing lots of reading--from the class text and from a short story collection—and are generating reader-response essays from those readings. There are other short essays, and lots of in-class work on invention, writing styles, craft terms, composition, revision, etc. Pretty much what you’d expect from a class called “Intro to College Writing,” I guess.

My own “as a student” classes are going well, too. Here they are:

** ‘Teaching College Writing’ (meets for 1 hour/2x each week/ 2 credits)

** ‘Graduate Seminar: The American Enlightenment’ (2 hrs/2x/4c)

** ‘Writing About People’ (2 hrs/2x/4c)

** ‘Contemporary Composition Theory’ (1.25 hrs/3x/4c)

The class I’m teaching meets 2x/week for 2 hours each time.

The above should explain why you probably won’t be seeing daily entries in this blog!

Now…. I’d like you all to do a three-minute free-write on the relative merits of blogs. Please post your writings here.

I'm a teacher!

Today I taught my first class: WR 121, Intro to College Comp. It was amazing and wonderful, although between that and my own "as-a-student" classes, I'm too tired right now to share details. Must sleep. But what a day!

Happy Birthday, Ernie!

How well do you know Ernie? Take the special "Ernie Birthday Quiz" and find out!

1. For our family, our first promise of Ernie came as:

a. A bright blue stuffed poodle in a garbage bag
b. A card
c. A gift certificate
d. A singing telegram

2. Ernie was born in:

a. Portland, Oregon
b. Molalla, Oregon
c. The maternity ward
d. A garbage bag

3. Which was true of Ernie-the-puppy when we got him home?
a. He was so tiny, he couldn’t climb the stairs
b. He was already paper-trained
c. He stood on the grass for the first time
d. All of the above

4. True or false: Ernie has American Kennel Club pedigree credentials:

a. True
b. False

5. Ernie could have earned commercial fame marketing this product:

a. Doggie downers
b. Pedigree dog food
c. Fido Fleece
d. Milk Bone dog biscuits

6. Something Ernie would rather you didn’t know is his lust for:

a. Eating toenail trimmings
b. Doing annoying things with used underwear
c. Peeing on plastic bags
d. All of the above

7. Ernie eats this food every day:

a. IAMS Eukanuba
b. Purina Dog Chow
c. Healthy Choice dog food
d. Science Diet

8. Ernie’s all-time favorite dog toy:

a. The Hedgehog
b. The squeaky cheeseburger
c. The rubber nun
d. Nuts the Squirrel

9. Most of Ernie’s scrapes with death have been caused by:

a. Viruses
b. Falling from heights
c. Chocolate
d. Doing annoying things with used underwear

10. Which three dogs, in which order, are most intelligent?

a. Border collie, poodle, German shepherd
b. Cocker spaniel, Irish setter, golden retriever (yeah, right!)
c. Poodle, border collie, Scottish terrier
d. Dachshund, poodle, border collie

11. Ernie probably saved Erin’s life by doing this:

a. Barking for help when she fell down the stairs
b. Treeing a full-grown black bear that had come up behind her when we were camping
c. Getting her off the streets and into college
d. Convincing her to make the piano her life

12. Which of these human foods would Ernie choose not to eat:

a. Sushi
b. Hot and sour soup
c. Oatmeal with raisins
d. Crab pasta

13. How old is Ernie today?

a. 14
b. 15.
c. 16
d. 17

14. When confronted with a strong smell, Ernie does this:

a. Smiles
b. Growls
c. Licks his chops
d. Bites

15. If you try to touch Ernie’s feet, he does this:

a. Smiles
b. Growls
c. Licks his chops
d. Bites

16. True or false: Ernie once chewed up the hand of a would-be burglar badly enough to require an emergency room visit:

a. True
b. False

17. When Ernie travels in a car, how does he behave?

a. He curls up and goes to sleep
b. He whines and paces continuously
c. He tries to jump into the front seat
d. He bites whoever is sitting next to him

18. Who is Ernie’s Alpha?

a. Erin
b. Mommy
c. Bill
d. The cat next door

19. Ernie invariably barks at:

a. Cats
b. Men with beards
c. Pregnant women
d. A and B

20. Last but not least, what totemic Ernie-icon occupies a high place in the living room:

a. A basket of select dog toys
b. A dog bed
c. A 5 x 7 portrait of Ernie
d. A poodle skeleton

Answers tomorrow!

Random Day

Random day yesterday.

Went to a teacher’s supply store Amanda told me about and was thrilled to find a game (above) that my kids loved when they were little. I was so excited to find it, I bought it! Maybe some day I’ll have (ahem) grandchildren to play with.

Went to PSU for a GA meeting. The First Year GAs are getting ready to teach our first classes, and our advisor wanted to see how we were doing. It was an exhausting but fruitful two hours.

Picked up my tuition voucher, which always makes me feel very thankful.

Corresponded with my agent (!) about the Gargoyles book; he’s sending me the final contracts to sign, and 30 days later I’ll get the first chunk of my advance!

Renewed my RN license on-line and was reminded that it was issued on Aug. 22, 1975. This took me back to nursing school days at what was then the Good Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing. We graduated in June as “GNs” (graduate nurses), then a few days later sat three days of State Board exams in Salem. It was spooky—we took the tests in a cavernous armory, each of us sitting alone at long tables that stretch wall-to-wall in dim rows. Proctors were everywhere—you weren’t allowed to go to the bathroom alone, and when you left for lunch, everything but you cash had to stay in the building. Two months later, THE LETTER came. I was proclaimed a registered nurse, licensed in the state of Oregon. Still am, even though I’m no longer working as a nurse. My license will hold up for several years yet, as Oregon only has a practice requirement of 900 hours/5 years and no continuing ed. Which is insane, but, whatever.

Read a dozen stories for the Portland Review, a literary journal that I read and review for.

Worked more on my class outlines for next week.

Talked to Scott, who was bubbling over about running and life in general.

Pretty typical day, overall.

65,000 words

Some days, it pays to get out of bed.

A large packet came in today’s mail. It included three “author courtesy copies” of the fall-winter issue of Oregon Humanities Journal. Check the table of contents and you’ll find a personal essay by yours truly: “Magical Roots,” about being a Pagan in a mostly non-Pagan world. The treatment in the journal is gorgeous. There’s a lovely Tree of Life superimposed underneath the essay, and to one side is a large Celtic cross. I'm thrilled with how beautiful it looks.

(If anyone thinks they might like to take a look at the essay, go to the Oregon Humanities site and submit your name and address. They’ll mail you a copy for free! It’s a really interesting journal, always with a central theme. The current theme is “Belief.”)

But the day continued to get even better. Some of you know that I’m in the process of doing a lot of writing in associated with the Grey School, including submitting proposals for books to be part of the Grey School “Arcanum” teaching library. Well, today I was notified by the man who I suppose is now my agent (!) that one of my proposals had been accepted! I will be writing a book on the history, lore, art, and magical traditions of “Gargoyles” for New Page Books. It’s due next September—all 65,000 words. Can you believe it? I'm writing a book! Now I have a big, scary contract to read and sign, decisions on illustrators to make, research to do, etc.

Author-in-day. Go figure. Truly, sometimes I look at where I am and what’s happening in my life, and I think of everything I’ve done and how far I’ve come and how each little piece has fit into just the right place to get me here, and…. It’s amazing.

As Shelby Foote once said, “I’ll stop when they hold me down.” Until then, some days it really pays to get out of bed.

P.S. Last night, I registered the domain name "Writingdownthemoon.com." It's something I've been thinking about doing for awhile-- I got the inspiration and the final prod from Jonathan (thanks, JF!). The domain name is now all mine for the next 2 years. Maybe I'll be able to get some use out of it--a place to list all two of my publications!

Happy birthday, Mom!

A big shout goes out to my Mom, a.k.a. Barny, a.k.a. Gammie. Today's her birthday-- 76 years young without appreciable signs of slowing. Above is a photo of Mom in her element (e.g., carrying a bottle of champagne) and with her favorite grandson, taken last June at Erin's and my grad party.

Have a great day, Mom!

Happy 2006!

Happy 2006! You’ve gotta love Google’s holiday logos….

Well, unlike my children (ahem), I had a very quiet New Year’s at home with Bill. Truth be told, we both slept through the midnight hour, then woke up, then went back to sleep. Quick, everyone: feign surprise.

This morning we started the day with the family’s traditional gin fizzes—I’ll post the recipe tomorrow. We sat around and read the papers (Sunday Oregonian and Sunday New York Times), then went out for a drive to nearby Willamette Falls. It’s been raining hard here for two weeks and all the rivers are at flood stage. We expected the falls to be spectacular, and we weren’t disappointed--see photo above.

Then, we went to see The Chronicles of Narnia, which was very enjoyable—and very pretty to look at.

Last but not least, home for tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches and for quick chats with Mom and Katie.

A pleasant, unabashed way to welcome 2006. One day down, 364 to go….