Trailer

When we were kids, we did a lot of camping. We used a heavy green canvas tent that I would love to have again. It was big enough for five kids and two parents. I think Bruce would sleep in his own tent, being the eldest. It was rectangular with a layer of vents like windows on two sides that you could let down with ties. I remember the special smell that tent had; green, outdoorsy, canvas.

Then we graduated to a Shasta trailer which I also loved (but not as much as the tent). My sleeping spot was small and squished but I only have one split second memory of that; the rest of my memories include Dad telling campfire ghost stories (remember the one about Sam?) while roasting marshmallows and counting the stars, swimming, tubing, eating off paper plates, sunburns, mosquitos, running in the wilderness, endlessly washing my hands in the spickets at campgrounds. I don't know what fascination that held for me but I still have it although now I think about germs in the water, having a filter so nothing illicit escapes into our water supply to foul our pipes, has anybody hooked up a dirty hose to the source, etc.

As an adult, my friend Eric and I fixed up a '78 Chevy and I put a cap on that and travelled around. I found an old heavy cab over camper out in Wyoming and put that on. Then I graduated to an '88 Scamper camper found in MA, 16' feet long, newer, safer, with a Fantastic Fan, and used that delightfully, gloriously for years.

I kept thinking about traveling on the road with the animals (Pak, fine; Larkin, unknown) and how much more comfortable it would be to have our house with us. Lots of places don't like cats and cats don't like to be carried in and out which we owners like to do for the safety of our beloved pets. At least none of mine have ever liked it.

On the eve of my departure from 790 Ten Rod Rod, all three cats mutinied and spent a night and a day in the swamp behind the house on a slim log sticking up out of the water. Annie, the decision maker, finally came back and the other two followed. I promised them they would never have to travel in pet carriers again and I have tried to stick to that. Larkin is only three and wasn't on this journey. He loves our big 3000 sq foot house and his independence. He isn't hugely adventurous (that I know of) as cats go, and often will not go out if he feels a threat. Anyway, I want this to be as nonstressful as possible and it will already be noisy for him being in the trailer.

We had decided we probably couldn't afford a camper but found ourselves looking online (okay, it was really me that did this). We thought we wanted a Subaru Forester to travel in as I thought a truck would be limiting and bad on gas.

One fateful Saturday we went down to Mekkelsen's RV in East Montpelier, talked to the friendly folks there, and looked at Forest River R-pods which are well-made, shorter travel trailers, round, and colorful, with higher end options that come standard. They had all kinds: those with the wall that pushed out so you could sleep in tent-like fashion and be open to the air and vulnerable to bear attacks which can break through windows on a hard-sided RV anyway and those with slideouts and different floorplans. Bill, low-key, showed us a Forest River RBXL and we fell in love with it. Space. The bathroom was huge, which is good for the Irish lad who is tall and has big feet that don't always stop where they are supposed to. We put a hold on it.

On the way home I kept thinking about a passage in Full Time RV'ing. One should get the things one wants and not be regretful. Also, I kept thinking about Auntie Honey who likes to pull over and bake her rising bread in the RV oven. I bake bread too and we don't use the microwave much and we are not sure how long we are going to be in it. Because this is their busy season, they couldn't put the oven in, so I found another trailer online.

It was of course more money. A Dutchman 25F Sport. We figured out we could manage it and the rest is history! Not only does it have that oven, it also has a converter, couch, bathtub, A/C (which I have never had), and a microwave, along with a TV/DVD combo, and nice stereo system. The bathroom isn't quite as big, but the Irish lad can live with it. In fact, it has everything imaginable including a washer and dryer because we bought a portable mini washer, non-electric from one of our favorite catalog stores (Lehman's non-electric store), and a spinner to spin small amounts of clothes dry. We haven't tried the washer yet but the spinner spins clothes almost dry. They are both in the bathtub at the moment. We bought the cadillac of hitches and it towed beautifully back to our town on VT's bumpy, hilly, frost-heaved roads.

We have been, as time permits (which it doesn't but we're doing it anyway), taking the animals in to get used to it. Pak can't fit under the table because there are two posts holding it up, unlike the Scamper, but she is happy as long as she is with us. Larkin will ask to be let in. He slowly will get used to it. So we are holding our breath on that score.

And the truck. I am very happy with it. Today's trucks are more upscale than many cars. It is really Tom's truck of course. A Chevy (always a good thing), with a back seat for Pak. It is quiet inside (unlike my Legacy) and I feel very safe in it and I like being up high once again. It has Onstar which we will hook up just before we leave and the truck is still under warranty.

So it is a little like putting the cart before the horse (no job, big things still left to sell) but we did it anyway! I am starting to enjoy this.

Happy Memorial Day!

A good time to catch up as we have an extra day off.

We are moving North to Alaska! (yes, we have that movie and Mom and Day used to relate it to their own lives; they used to love to watch it together) in the summer.

I am finishing up my portfolio. As it comes together I feel less stress and more satisfaction. I feel more comfortable teaching and can see more student success as I gain efficiency and knowledge in teaching methods, clarity of purpose, and especially with discipline. I am no longer fearful that I will fail! It is a big jump from private studio teaching to public school teaching and a big difference from having to be in music class versus wanting to be there. I see it as my responsibility to expose students to the unknown, not as a chore.

We will be driving the portfolio to Montpelier this week. That will free up a huge chunk of time to allow me to put together a practical demonstration of me at work using pictures and my new flip camera for the panel in about a months' time at the interview.

It will also free up time to concentrate on the yard sale which I have now pushed to June 12. We are getting rid of a lot of things. A lot of things were left here in the basement which the Irish lad has been methodically wading through and elsewhere. A lot of things were given to us and I will never allow that again. At the time we were weak and didn't want to hurt any feelings, but I have found that most of it we would never have wanted to begin with. But because this is a big house, I have not had to deal with getting rid of things and now I have a big problem. (Oh-some of those curtains feel like they were made of plastic!) I am sure we will need a dumpster after that as well. I will endeavor not to throw anything out unless it absoutely has no use or we absolutely do not have any time left (which could very well be the case). I have been envying my sister-in-law's finds at thrift stores. We do not have any in this area.

I believe if all works out as I am trusting that it will, the Irish lad will have sold the shingle mill, electric company truck, and house and we will be off around July 10. He says July 1 but I won't be ready as the portfolio is not going in until the 2nd of June and it takes about a month before the interview can be scheduled. Really, once that is done and the yard sale is over and things have been gotten rid of, there will be little left to do.

We will head out to western NY on the first day although I do not think we will get there as we wil be leaving exhausted! Then on to Shipshewana, IN (a planned stop), home of the largest flea market in the MidWest. I think we will need the rest time at that point and also the time to adjust to sleeping in a trailer with a dog and a cat, who may not want to be indoors. I forsee a little difficulty with Larkin but Pakiitaaq knows something is U-P and is overjoyed at imagining a life on the road again. This time she will not be the navigator in the front seat; she will be in the back which she does not like as much but she has a good view and her own bench seat. Larkin will be in the trailer.

Then a rush to get past CHI and out to Deadwood, SD where Wild Bill Hickock and friends lived, fought, and died and recognizeable scenery from Dances with Wolves. We will stay there for a night or two depending and check out the historic town, nickel slot machines, and other interesting things. I remember some terrific second hand story in Belle Fourche, SD but that might be a little out of the way. I love the western towns with their wide streets and hitching posts.

Then on to Great Falls, MT and north on route 15 through Lake Louise and Banff Springs to the Alcan and one of my favorite and most magical spots on Earth: Liard Hot Springs! I have told Tom we both have had tough years personally for him and professionally for me and he had better not rush me through all this beauty.

I don't mind rushing to get past CHI but want to take it a bit slower after that. We will only be able to go as fast as the slowest RV on the Alcan anyway. I remember being stuck behind Winnebagos lumbering up through the Rockies at 25 miles an hour and being so frustrated. The rule of the road was to pull over if you had more than five cars behind you, but it never happened for me! It is a dusty road and winding and no longer the adventure it was when I first drove it in my '76 Datsun pickup which looke like the side was bitten off by a shark. It is now fully paved and The Milepost has more ads for shops and tourist attractions than gas stations and motels. Used to be you would drive until you saw a gas station/roadhouse and there you would stop for the night. It will be interesting to see what the differences are.

It will be joyful traveling with the Irish lad. He makes everything fun (once we get past CHI)! We have never had a vacation, never taken a trip together, never had an easy time in our seven years together. We met just after his mom died, then mine died, we had a chimney fire, I was rearended, he had health problems this year. So we are truly looking forward to enjoying each other and the journey, not the end result. It is nice to see him happy and looking forward to fishing and hunting and a new life together!

We do not have TV in the house, being readers, but there is a TV in the trailer and we have been sneaking out to watch my favorite PBS shows which I enjoy! This trailer is not the one we originally picked out but I really wanted an oven and so we looked at this one which not only has an oven, but a couch, and a bathtub, so we lucked out. What baby boomers we are to be traveling in comfort and style!

Anusara Yoga-Strength in Transition

This week's theme was strength in transition, particularly apt for me as I wait to see if the School Budget will pass on Town Meeting Day March 2. Although I am budgeted in at four days, the town cannot support a higher tax rate (not due to the School Budget, BTW) and there are grumblings and mumblings all around. The waiting is hard but it gives me time to explore other things, not that I have alot of time especially with BGT! coming up, the spring concert, Memorial Day festivities, and graduation to prepare for. The third grade is also having a Mom Day (all their own idea), so I am pretty busy. Still, in the depths of the night I wake up and wonder what the future will hold.

The poses we worked on were actually transition poses; connecting one pose with another; maintaining balance and stability while getting to another place. They were exactly like conjunctions we use in sentences, the ones we tend to gloss right over and put no stress or importance on. (Trying to teach singers to properly pronounce these words is quite hard actually, as it is so ingrained.)

Some years ago, I remember coming home from what was then Yugoslavia where I had spent a period of time on an island called Punat in the middle of the Adriatic. Nobody spoke English or any of the other languages I could get by with. I was forced to learn basic srpskohrvatsky to communicate. It was very rudimentary and present tense only, but I moved along enough so I could think in it as well.

Coming home on the plane I could not understand other speakers as I did not know where one word stopped and another began. It was one of the strangest experiences I have ever had because they were speaking American English!!

So this week I will try to be aware of my conjunctions, passing poses, and allow myself to feel the not-always-comfortable-emotions transitions always bring up. Kind of like being in the place of my students who had never been to music festival before!

Music Festival 2/16

Also this week was the elementary music festival. Events like this have to be set up a little bit differently than anywhere else, as schools in the district are far apart and slim resources do not allow buses to return children home. It is up to the music teacher to make sure everybody gets home and has all the proper permission slips from parents beforehand spelling things out and allowing the teacher or others to transport. And there were a couple of glitches with a sick child just before dinner and a parent who was able to come but didn't tell me I would not need to transport her home.

Not having a choral time also presented problems. The classroom teachers involved were wonderful; they recognized the importance of this learning experience and gave me time the morning of festival to have our one and only group rehearsal. For most, actually for all, it was the first time they had done anything like this. I was really worried they would choose not to go at the last minute (and two did). I knew if I could get them there, they would have a great time and needn't have worried about anything.

We took the bus which was so noisy I could not use that time to prepare them for the day and had to turn around when a child forgot not only her dinner. but concert clothes too. Once at the school there was organized confusion with schools from all over the district participating. That was the end of my personal time with my group as they all climbed onto the risers to rehearse under the very proficient conductor.

These events are always wonderful learning experiences for me too, as well as a chance to see fellow music teachers in our district. I often feel a bit isolated at our school and would appreciate a little more interaction with other fellow music teachers and we are all way too busy to keep up regular email. I always pick up a lot of tips, especially managing students especially. I was able to sit in on the concert band rehearsal for a short time, guest-conducted by an educator now at a city high school who used to teach at my school.

The program itself was great and very short actually. The Irish lad would have been half an hour late if I had not called him in momentary panic to see if he could bring the sick child home when we couldn't reach her mother. The repertoire included difficult concert band pieces with especially hard rhythms March of the Aliens (Barry Gott); Uskudar (arr by Michael Story and Robert W. Smith); Colonel John (Fred Weber and Frank Erickson); and Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple, arr. by Paul Murtha). The chorus had English and Spanish music with catchy rhythms and a very challenging Shenandoah (which I had practiced faster). That was in three parts and the kids pulled it off beautifully. The other pieces were Somos el Barro (Lorre Wyatt, arr. Estaire Godinez); Catch a Falling Star (Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss); Like an Eagle (Carl Strommen); What Can One Little Person Do? (Sally Rogers); and Turn the Beat Around (P. Jackson, G. Jackson). Beautifully put together.

Next year I will have a volunteer come with me to pass out communal snacks; give a sick child a ride home; help account for everybody before, during, and afterwards; and whatever else unexpected comes up. Also I want them to ride the bus so I can drive my car and have it available the whole time if needed, so the Irish lad doesn't have to go if he doesn't want to. A good learning experience for all. Really, the music was absolutely fantastic; it was just all the other unexpected things happening that made it difficult and I was awake for two hours in the night thinking about the child I didn't see afterwards even though others did see her and her dad. None of the numbers I had on my emergency contact lists worked either. I am told this is an ongoing problem in general.

I was really proud of the students who after all were only in 5th and 6th grade for choosing to participate in this new and scary experience. Our school is isolated and while that can be comforting it also makes students more afraid to step out of that comfort zone and try anything new.

2/19/10

On Monday we had a special visitor come and speak to us about her life in Banyam province in Afghanistan. Our School Climate committee of which I am a member had initiated Greg Mortenson's Pennies for Peace program to promote awareness of other cultures since we have so many friends and relatives serving in Afghanistan now, and also to promote kindness and generosity among students in our school. We found out through the grapevine that this 17-year-old young lady was an exchange student nearby and would be willing to come in and speak to our school.

I immediately began searching for Afghan songs for our students to learn and welcome her with. I know how I would feel if in a strange country with more liberal customs. In my search I discovered that when the Taliban came through they destroyed many things that were forbidden in their more restrictive religion, including ancient Buddhist statues throughout Bamyan province. I wish I could include these pictures I found on the web but I believe they are copyrighted. (Wikipedia has two stunning pictures of Bamyan province which show no water and plenty of water.) My words cannot do justice to the overwhelming beauty of the province which appeals to my wild spirit. And no words can certainly be stronger than the pictures of ruined Buddhist carvings in tall mountains. The Taliban also destroyed schools, books, and music.

30 years or so ago a young Peace Corps volunteer was teaching English and music to Afghan children and she collaborated with local musicians to produce 3000 copies of the songbook. This project was reborn when she realized most of the copies were probably lost and destroyed after years of civil strife, war, and dislocation. She re-published and started distributing it to children and schools in Afghanistan. (http://www.trivision.tv/news_songbook.html) Louise Pascale, now a professor at Lesley University, has donated the songbooks to Ayenda School in Bamyan but would like to reach more schools in the province. I decided to give our guest, Adelah, the book and CD which contains children's songs from various provinces in the original, English translation, an overview of each song, and the musical notation. Adelah has heard of this program and I have initiated communication between the two!

The performance was first thing Monday morning one week before vacation. Anyone connected with schools and teaching will know exactly what that means! I believe the students were so stunned by Adelah's beauty, traditional festive lapis lazuli attire, and stiletto heels that they were not able to concentrate 100%. But it really did not matter for Adelah clearly felt welcomed and appreciative of the efforts the students had gone to learn a song in her own language. And this was a huge thing for kids in our isolated area not used to performing or being outside of their comfort zone. It would have been a challenge for anyone to perform a song learned in an hour without a school-wide rehearsal.

The week before in each music class I introduced and rote taught the song. I chose the Alphabet Song because I had less than one hour to teach each class not only a song, but one in a different language! It has mostly one-syllable words, many of which rhymed, and many of which were words in English. I had the bigger kids write it on large paper using colorful markers with the rests and repeat signs written in, laminate, and post them around the multi-purpose room. Later in the week I got smart and had two wonderful 7th grade students come in to class and lead the singing and teach gestures to the students to make it more fun. We used expressive hand gestures and avoided any hip action or anything else that might cause offense. The kids really enjoyed that and the MS'ers were far more effective than I! I had the words and eastern melody running through my head like a Reuters news feed all night long and woke myself up often singing them, just like the old days with opera scores!

I have included some pictures. The other bigger event will have to wait until another post!

18 below

Greetings from the Northeast Kingdom! We were toasty warm last night (almost-but not quite too warm) as the temperature dipped. Foreshadowing of a cold night to come as it slipped below zero in the early afternoon. Definitely big quilt night with cold air seeping in from the Nupro window. I made it til 9 p.m. after a hard day of traveling 110 miles to and from a test center for the content knowledge portion of a pre-professional test.

We were up before 4 a.m. with very heavy snow falling (no wind thankfully). I checked to be sure there were no VT cancellations online. Although there were cancels for a lot of other states, there were none for us. We were on the road before the plows had come through and at 9 degrees it was slick and hard going with the snow flying into the windshield.

There is about a ten-mile treacherous stretch of the road where the elevation falls about 900 feet (and the rivers start to flow south again) that we went very carefully through. It was hard not to imagine sliding right off the road into the blackness over the edge and I felt bad for the Irish lad who was very tired from feeding the stove every three hours or so since December.

23 miles later we reached the highway with almost bare pavement and at least a foot less snow. Driving was easier from that point although it was unfamiliar area and still dark. We arrived at the test center 1/2 hour early.

There was a man there I had met at an earlier conference which was nice and I had been to this school before where a statewide conference was held earlier in the year which was also nice. The test rules were not relaxed in any way but the atmosphere was much less formal and that was really helpful for easing nerves.

I have no feeling one way or the other about how I did but I definitely was able to concentrate on each and every question in a way I wasn't able to during the previous test. Again, it was almost completely unlike the practice tests with many more questions on analyzing, technology, and progressions, unused, in the great interim between, areas.

Two hours later I woke the Irish lad up and we were on our way home. We stopped for basic groceries and I spent the afternoon reading my first non textbook in months (Anne Perry's Ashworth Hall), making sausage and peppers with roasted red peppers and garlic. The furnace still had coals 10 hours later so that was really good!!

Today because of the cold, we are having an Irish-lad-style-early-Sunday-dinner at around 2:30 after he's done plowing, then maybe part 2 of Ivanhoe and early to bed. It is good to have a rest day. I am going to resume yoga, snowshoeing, and as many social activities as I can to ease this dark time of the year. I feel a little bit housebound.

My new speaker came; it is a much hardier unit than the last one which lasted 3 1/2 months. The connections failed at both ends, probably from hard wear and tear by students who get the job of playing Deejay during class and the constant carting, even though they are in a leather "pocketbook'. This Altec Lansing little circle of a speaker has its own little case and a much easier way of replacing batteries; I hope it lasts longer. It is certainly useful in school as it hooks up to the MP3 player, uses rechargeable batteries, and is just in time for all of the new units tomorrow.

No pictures today; it just looks cloudy, snowy, and cold out there.