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SOLC Day 31: Community

March 2026 SOLC–Day 31
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

And so the last day arrives…

I’ve been pondering what I wanted to write on this last day for several days now, knowing that this post would come mid-Parent Teacher conference chaos. I wanted to get ahead, which has been quite an elusive goal of late! I thought and thought. What do I really want to say?

First and foremost, I’m forever grateful for this community of writers and for the ongoing commitment to writing, sharing, and supporting each other. Connecting and reconnecting with each other is such a gift! More than ever, though, my reading and commenting goals this month fell far short of the bar. I wish I could have been more present.

This year, for whatever reason, I have felt slightly removed from the challenge. There are things I intended to write about (that I probably need to write about) that have remained as small seeds tucked in my notebook and unexplored. I haven’t had the bandwidth or energy to really invest in my writing, and often have opted for the easier post. Writing each slice often felt more like checking things off a to-do list than like actively diving into a moment and mining it for meaning. Of course, I had fun writing some slices and seeing how they developed, but that was the exception rather than the rule. My writing felt a bit…well, rote.

Honestly, I’ve had to struggle not to write negative post after negative post. I mean who wants to read that!? My energy and outlook are not where I’d like them to be. I’ve been floundering a bit, trying to keep my head above the water. I keep trying to “go positive”, pull myself up by the bootstraps, etc. Instead, I fear that often I’ve just gone superficial.

I wrote the above portion of this slice yesterday morning. As I slept (and occasionally woke) last night, a few more thoughts drifted their way to the surface. One of them was quite persistent.

Overall, the challenge this time around has been a bit weird for me. I feel like I’ve taken more than I’ve given to this community. So often, I’ve found my daily conversations peppered with “I just read a blog about…” and my thoughts lingered on others’ posted insights, perspectives, experiences, etc. I was entertained, enticed, and enriched by what I read and was also supported by so many thoughtful comments on my own slices.

What I woke thinking this morning is that community involves give and take. Sometimes we hold others up. Sometimes they hold us up. Together, we are buoyant.

Thanks to all of you for keeping me afloat this month. In the future, I hope to return the favor.

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SOLC Day 30: Mystery Solved!

March 2026 SOLC–Day 30
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

Earlier this month (here), I caught a quick glimpse of an intruder of the mammal variety. Due to the dim light, I wasn’t sure if it was a raccoon or a porcupine. I saw it head into our defunct chicken coop and intended to check for tracks in the new fallen snow the next day. Like many things these days, I never did get around to that.

Fast forward to late yesterday morning. I was walking out to my car and happened to glance into the backyard. Aha!

It was a porcupine! But was it the same one, or not? Or was it perhaps a newly visiting porcupine? Might the earlier sighting have been of another porcupine or even a resident raccoon who liked chicken coops? Hmmmm….

I returned to the house to get my camera, hoping for a few zoomed in close ups. The porcupine was apparently content with some tender new green grass, so it remained in the same spot until I returned. Then it posed for a few portraits.

It’s pretty cute, isn’t it?

I moved a little closer in and it decided to move it on out. And where do you think it went?

It scrambled across the lawn and straight into the chicken coop.

Mystery solved!

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SOLC Day 29: On protesting, Star Trek, and connecting

March 2026 SOLC–Day 29
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

The crowd was quieter on Saturday. I think it was smaller, too. It felt a bit more like a reflex than an active resistance. Does this even help? I wondered.

I haven’t looked at the numbers yet to see how many people turned up yesterday, but many people I know, who have protested before, opted out this time around. There were many reasons, but I have to wonder if many are simply worn out from this ongoing madness. Nothing seems to help.

A while back, I read an article about how showing up is important, even though it seems like such a small act. The article maintained that the numbers of protesters are noticed by the self-serving, pusillanimous, sychophantic representatives (I may have added a few words there) as they consider their upcoming electoral battles. Remember, they are self-serving. It’s all about them maintaining power. So, even if it seems futile, the author maintained, it is an important thing to do. The numbers carry weight.

As I wrote the word “futile”, it brought to mind the robotic message of the Borg in Star Trek. “Resistance is futile.” If you aren’t aware, the Borg were the enemy of the Federation in the Star Trek universe. They were a collective with a hive mindset, who actively tried to assimilate other cultures/beings. I’m not a Trekkie, but I do know the Borg were ultimately defeated. How?

A limited dive into the internet and all-things-Star-Trek revealed that one thing that contributed to the defeat of the Borg was when some of their drones regained their individuality and rebelled against the hive mindset they were linked into. One can only hope. I suppose this emphasizes the importance of communicating, of connecting with people and sharing ideas and information. Of stepping back from the inflamed rhetoric and trying to relate to one another.

Trump’s actions have always reminded me of another episode of Star Trek. (I swear, I really am not a Trekkie! lol) In this particular one, there’s a god-like being who is toying with the Enterprise, forcing them to follow his will and play war games. At the end, it turns out he’s a young god who, one reviewer commented, “lacks the experience and wisdom to feel compassion for those he hurts or to see beyond his own interests.” Sound familiar? In that episode, his adult god parents arrive to take him home, scolding him, even as he insists, “But I was winning!” Clearly that won’t be happening here.

This post has wandered a bit. It’s representative of my thoughts this morning, pin-balling from one thing to another. Looking for context. Looking for hope. I think back to where I started–with the crowd gathered on the grassy mall of a nearby town. Even though it all felt a bit diminished, I remind myself that there were hundreds of people there. And there are people demonstrating every day in big and small ways. Anytime I drive down the highway, I see signs and people on overpass bridges. “Honk if you want to save our democracy!” Ongoing protest has become a visible part of our current culture.

Yesterday, we all took the time to make signs, to show up, and most importantly to connect with one another in the crowd. Right now, that connection is what I’m holding onto.

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SOLC Day 28: Speak Up!

March 2026 SOLC–Day 28
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

The first time I protested (during this administration), these were my signs:

When I last demonstrated, I knew things were already bad, but I didn’t anticipate how much worse they would become. It’s all so overwhelming. I’m disgusted, horrified and outraged on a daily basis. It’s hard to know what to do, and all too easy to get caught up in my daily life and do very little. I can call my representatives (and I do, though not very often) and I can stand up and speak out. Today I’m doing the latter. Here are the signs I’ll be carrying:

This side of my sign is taken from Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s 2007 poem, “Pity the Nation”. Here is more of it, and a link to the entire poem:

PITY THE NATION

Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves

Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture

On a side note, I am so thankful that I work with young children. Teaching them to be kind and honest little humans is a meaningful task, and one that feels like resistance against the ongoing culture of incivility and eroded truth. I take some solace in that.

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SOLC Day 27: A Kid’s Perspective

March 2026 SOLC–Day 27
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

Thanks for this slice’s inspiration goes to someone who earlier this week wrote about asking their first grade students the question, “What’s the hardest thing about being a grown up?” (Yes, I’ve already forgotten who! Sorry! If you read this, please let me know!)

Yesterday morning, we were gathered at the rug for our Morning Meeting, and had just finished our greeting. It was time for our Share. Sometimes I ask a “Would you rather?” question or maybe have them to share a thought or an idea about something. Yesterday, I asked,  “What’s the hardest thing about being a grown up?”

I pulled a popsicle stick and J’s name was pulled to go first. He can be a hesitant participant, but not on this morning.

“Well, if you work in a school, everyone doesn’t be that good, so you have to deal with it and not get much money.” 

I wasn’t sure I’d heard the last part of what he said correctly. “Can you repeat the last part of what you said, J? I couldn’t quite hear you.” I said.

“Teachers don’t get much money,” J1 said.

“Oh, yeah, teachers don’t make any money,” another kid commented sagely. A few more nodded. I shifted uncomfortably.

We moved on, and the next student2 commented, “Well, my dad always says, ‘I don’t like work. I’d rather be with you.’ Oh! and they have to pay taxes.”

We kept moving around the circle. Every student was invested in answering. No one passed.

“Well, kids don’t listen. You need to respect your guardians. That means your parents,” M3. said.

“You have to pay the bills or take care of kids. And you have to go to work, and pretty much a lot of stuff that kids don’t experience.”

“They have to work and can’t ever buy what they want without their kids wanting to come, too.”

“They have to pay for all the fun stuff for their kids.”

“Taking care of kids because your kids are a lot of work,” said R4.

On and on we went, each student taking turns to share their opinions. There were lots of comments about having to work and having to pay for things. It was interesting to hear how often taxes came up. As I said to my husband later that night, “I’m 100% certain our kids would never have had a clue what taxes were when they were in second grade!”

Next week I plan to ask them, “What’s the hardest thing about being a kid?” Stay tuned!

  1. Later that day J was yelling out “Chicken butt!” during a lesson. ↩︎
  2. This is the same student who earlier this month said, “I want to be a beaver when I grow up!” ↩︎
  3. At recess a teacher pulled M aside to help her work through a conflict she was having with another student. In a nutshell, M. said that if someone teaches someone to do something and then they do it incorrectly, it’s the teachers fault. The teacher said, “So, if someone teaches you to write, and you choose to write on a bathroom wall, it’s the teacher’s fault?” “Yes,” she insisted. As you can imagine, this was not the only conflict resolution discussion she’s had during recess. ↩︎
  4. I won’t go into details, but R. definitely knows what she’s talking about on that one! ↩︎
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SOLC Day 26: Missing

March 2026 SOLC–Day 26
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

Where were they? 

I was totally and utterly discombobulated. 

The day started as usual. I woke early (3:45…sigh)  and got out of bed at 4 am and slid into my normal routines. I grabbed my robe. Went downstairs. Turned the coffee pot on. Poured my orange juice. Fed the cats. Dealt with my Invisalign. Then I went to slide on my slippers and sit down and write. But my slippers were nowhere to be found. 

We wear slippers a lot, especially in the winter. We live in an old house and the air is definitely cooler around the floor. Also, the tops of nails sometimes work up from old pine floors to snag unwary socks. Slippers are always a good idea. Typically, my old and bedraggled slippers sit waiting for me under my desk, like a faithful hound, ready to warm my feet. Sometimes I’ve moved them in the evening and find them in the morning beside my chair, or near the door to the hallway. They’re always somewhere in the family room.  But not this morning. I looked around the room, again and again, but I simply couldn’t find them.

Finally, I shrugged and sat down to write. I started and stopped. Started again. Stopped. I just couldn’t settle. Nothing felt quite right and my feet were chilly.

After a few moment’s of struggle, I gave up and got up to look for my slippers yet again. I glanced all around the room. They had not miraculously appeared. I looked under my chair, under the table and by the door…again. I walked out to the hallway and scanned. I looked in the mudroom. I had a dim recollection of wearing them last night and of taking them off when I went upstairs to get something. I went out to the hallway to check. Nope.

Where in the world could they be!?

I couldn’t believe how much my missing slippers threw me off my stride. I’m sure this says something weird about me, but at this point, I was determined to find them. I keep re-searching, looking in the same places and a few new and unlikely ones, but they were nowhere to be found. Finally, I gave up and sat down to write, but I still felt off, as if part of my brain was still churning trying to remember where I had last seen my slippers. Eventually, I got up again and put on a pair of warmer socks, but they were a poor substitute.

Apparently my slippers not only warm and protect me, but they ground me, too. It’s kind of laughable. Who knew I was that dependent on my slippers! 

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SOLC Day 25: Insomnia

March 2026 SOLC–Day 25
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

I’ve not been sleeping well lately. Usually, I fall asleep quite easily (book in hand), and then wake up a few hours later–wide awake with my mind swirling and spinning with thoughts and concerns. I have learned to try NOT to look at the clock, as it really only makes things worse. Sometimes I can fall back asleep again. Other times I become more and more awake, racing along an unpleasant trajectory of thoughts.

If I need distraction from the growing crescendo of concerns in my head, I usually turn to my book. Guaranteed distraction. I slip under the covers, turn on my book light and read. Finally, most nights, I’ll fall asleep that way again. But, it hasn’t been unusual lately for me to be up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night, filled with increasing dread at my inability to fall back to sleep. (Or at the direction my thoughts are taking.) Reading hasn’t always helped. Sometimes I wake at 1:30 or 2:00 am with my eyes set to wide open and my mind on overdrive. (I said I try not to look at the clock. I’m not always successful!) On those nights, or mornings really, I sometimes just give up and get up around 3:30 or 4:00 am. This makes for a long, long day.

When reading fails, my go-to for trying to get back to sleep (and escape my suctioning whirlpool of doom-and-gloom thoughts) is to write acrostic poems. I know I’ve written about this before, and probably during the challenge. Sadly, it remains a current topic. And as in those previous posts, my go-to word typically is….insomnia!

Here’s a recent night-time composition:

I lie awake
Night after night, hour after hour
Spinning my wheels, going nowhere fast
Overthinking everything
My well of worries
Never runs dry and
I dip into it, over and over
All night long

Here’s hoping you’re sleeping well! If not, what do you do to ward off or cope with insomnia?

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SOLC Day 24: A Striking Moment

March 2026 SOLC–Day 24
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

I stepped inside from my walk, appreciating the blast of warm air, but even as the door shut behind me, my attention turned back outside again. Some movement had caught my eye. I scanned the gardens through the window, stopping when my eyes spotted a large-ish bird in the driveway.

What is that?

I moved closer to the window to see better, and noticed a smaller shape on the driveway beneath it. 

Oh! It‘s a hawk, and it must have caught something!

I’m not great at hawk ID, but I know what’s local, and figured it was probably a Cooper’s or a sharp-shinned. Clearly, it had just caught a bird, though I couldn’t see enough to ID the victim. The hawk’s flying strike must have been the movement that caught my attention. 

I raced for my camera and then moved stealthily back toward the window. It was still there! I knew a picture through the window wasn’t optimal, but I doubted the hawk would stick around if I opened the door. I took off the lens cap, turned on the camera, and tried to zoom in.

Nothing happened. What?!

I tried pressing the button to take a picture. Again, nothing happened. I checked to make sure I’d turned the camera on, and pressed Zoom again. Still nothing.

Suddenly, I remembered that days ago I’d decided to recharge the camera batteries, but… I’d never put them back in the camera! Backing away from the window and cursing my prior self, I moved to the outlet. Sure enough, there was the battery, nicely charged and waiting. 

I quickly grabbed it and pushed it into the bottom of the camera, my fingers fumbling in my haste. Already moving toward the window, I flipped over the swing cover…but it wouldn’t latch shut.

What!!?? Argh! What was going on?!

I glanced toward the window. The hawk was still there. For now. Hurry up! Hurry up! It’s going to fly away any second!

I looked back at the camera and battery again. Ugh. I’d put the battery in upside down! Another curse and groan. Quickly, I dumped the battery into my palm, inverted it, and reinserted it into the body of the camera. This time it clipped neatly into place. 

I raced back over to the window and tried zoomed in again. Yes! My camera was working. I moved up and down and from side to side, trying to get the best vantage. The varied stems and branches of the garden made focusing a challenge. Thankfully, the hawk stayed put. A few more adjustments, clicks and curses and then…I got the shot! Immediately afterward, the hawk spread its wings and flew off toward the trees, the nuthatch firmly grasped in its talons. The whole thing took only a minute or two.

It was a rare treat to see a hawk so close… but that poor wee bird at its feet!  Once I’d zoomed in, I could see its white belly and gaping beak. It was a nuthatch. One of my favorites. Even as I felt sorrow for its end, I marveled at the beauty and strength of the hawk.

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SOLC Day 23: To listen or not to listen?

March 2026 SOLC–Day 23
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

I step outside, and a flock of grackles departs from the feeders in an audible rush of flashing wings. They halt their flight in a nearby treetop, perching like dark buds, and as I walk down the driveway their squeaky-gate calls fill the crisp air. They are raucous and discordant, and it makes me smile. They’re so dang noisy!

Listening to them reminds me that I have a bit of a conundrum. You see, I’ve been working hard to get back into a daily habit of walking, but one way I’ve encouraged myself to do that recently, is by bribing myself with listening time on my audiobook. In the past, I’ve always frowned on this practice, feeling like it undermines the whole point of getting outside, and being in the moment. But since the weather has been less than lovely here, and I’ve been unmotivated, a bribe has been necessary to get my butt out the door and moving. It’s been pretty effective.

Hearing the grackles reminds me that I have no doubt been missing a lot when I walk with an audiobook pouring its story into my ears. I’m definitely not hearing much, other than the narrators, and it strikes me that I’m probably noticing less as well. My mind is turned inward to a story vision, not outward to the world around me. I don’t like that inattentiveness, even if it does aid in the cause of exercise.

Suitably berated by the grackles, I walk down the driveway, listening to the steady beat of my boots. I hear how the tone changes when I hit the concrete at the street. In the distance I hear crows calling and the squawk of a bluejay. Maybe I’ll wait a little before turning on my book, I think, holding my phone loosely in my hand.

As I walk, I listen attentively to what’s around me. I can feel my other senses kick up a notch, too. It’s just beginning to snow. I feel the sting-kiss of the snowflakes hitting my cheeks, and hear the slight brushing sound they make as they land on my coat. I feel the vibration of my steps rising through my legs. Someone has their wood stove going, and its smoke scents the air. I scan the fields and watch a large bird take off from a distant hummock. Was that an eagle? I hear intermittent bird calls–red bellied woodpecker, chickadees, and some other unknowns.

Suddenly, I hear a different call. “Conk-la-ree! Conk-la-ree!”Wait, wait! I know that sound! It takes a beat for my brain to catch up, but then the puzzle pieces slot swiftly into place. Oh! It’s red-winged blackbirds! I keep walking, listening to their back-and-forth calls, and mentally mark another tally in the “Signs that Spring is coming!” column.

Then, I’m not sure if I hear something or see something, but some sense makes me turn away from the open fields on the left and toward a house on the right side of the street. There, standing together and watching me are five deer. I stop abruptly.

We stare at each other for a long moment, until suddenly, as a group, they turn and bolt into the adjacent woods in high lunging leaps, white tail flags flying. I listen to the crunch and crackle of their passage through the undergrowth until it fades away.

I can’t say I wouldn’t have noticed the deer if I’d been listening to my book, but I’m sure I wouldn’t have heard the blackbirds. I definitely wouldn’t have noticed much else of what was going on around me. The message is pretty clear. It’s time to enjoy what’s out here, not what’s in my book. I slip my phone into my pocket. The audiobook can wait.

Then I set off walking again. Who knows what awaits!?

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SOLC Day 22 Tracking Spring

March 2026 SOLC–Day 22
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org

Friday was the first day of spring.

Yesterday, I saw crocuses, bright purple exclamations of hope in the dull winter-worn front yard.

Today, we have a Winter Weather Advisory and a snow map. (My home falls within the 2-5 inches band.)

The snow hasn’t started yet, so I step outside into the chilly morning air. It’s dim, as the sun hasn’t risen, but I can see patches of white snow glowing hither and yon across the yard. Soon it will all be white again. I sigh and feel bad for the crocuses. 

The green bird feeder has been taken down yet again. This time part of it has been moved out into the driveway. I haven’t managed to figure out who the culprit is, but they are definitely persistent. As I walk over to retrieve the tube of the feeder, I hear bright notes of bird song. Out of curiosity, I turn on Merlin, wondering what birds it will pick up. Is our bird population shifting yet? As I stand still to record, I hear a far off sound. 

What’s that? 

I hear it again.

I’m pretty sure it’s wild turkeys gobbling. The sound comes again, louder, and my certainty increases. Merlin is stubbornly refusing to pick the sound up and confirm this for me, but it does note a variety of bird song closer at hand, including robins, which is quite hopeful. 

I step toward the backyard, hoping if I  get a little closer to the distant gobbling that Merlin will be able to pick it up. It’s not working, but I walk a little further, ever optimistic.

Suddenly, I catch sight of a slight movement. I stop.

There’s a humpbacked shape ambling through the backyard. Porcupine? Raccoon? Bird food thief? I watch it casually walk toward the old chicken coop. From this distance I can’t tell if it goes inside it or behind it. I walk a little closer, but am reluctant to get too close.

Hmmmm….maybe that snow will be good for something after all. Note to self: check for tracks tomorrow!