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SOLC Day 16: Cruising into the Weekend

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 16
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

We set off on our Weekend Cruise in our vessel, the Good Ship Subaru (GSS), with a packed itinerary. After embarking, our first port of call was breakfast with our children and various partners. We made good time and arrived to make festive, celebrating our middle child’s 30th birthday while consuming churros, huevos rancheros, etc. The sun burst forth to join in the fun, lighting up a forecasted grey and dismal day. Eventually, we hugged and waved as we all went our separate ways. What a lovely start to our voyage! It should be smooth sailing from here! 

The sun’s jaunty appearance enticed us to make an addition to our itinerary–an unplanned detour to the Land of Energetic Walkers. We joined these walkers and set off at a brisk pace on the 3½ mile loop around Back Cove, enjoying the local scenery and the wildlife. As we walked, the sun disappeared, the clouds moved in and the temperatures dropped. Our pace may have unbrisked a bit. Still, we completed the loop, a welcome addition to the day’s itinerary. 

We hopped back into the comfort and warmth of the GSS and set sail toward our home port. Once upon familiar ground, our stomachs still full and bodies now tired, we hit the Sea of Sloth. It lured us off course, and we were pulled into the Whirlpool of Afternoon Nap. After this unexpected detour, I awoke dizzied and disoriented, my companion still lost in the grips of the whirlpool. It was up to me to continue the journey!  

I glanced around. There, off in the distance was the Land Of My Significant Obligations (LOMSO). The most important destination of the day!  Far away, I could see the locals jumping about and waving. I could hear their disgruntled voices calling to me. They clamored for my attention. 

Determined to reach this destination, I righted my craft and headed to the Isle of Provisions to stock up for the journey. Upon returning, and after neatly stowing said provisions, I entirely lost my bearings! I somehow (rogue wave?) fell overboard into the Sea of Distractions, a body of water of vast proportions, filled with dazzling and fascinating creatures. By the time I finally wrested myself away from the tentacles of a tenacious wordy tome, night had fallen. Realizing it would be foolhardy to attempt the previously planned voyage in a state of fatigue and in the dark, I retreated.

Instead, I detoured to head to the Land of Slumber. Unfortunately, my voyage there was filled with uncomfortable tossing and turning. Throughout the attempted crossing, I swear I could hear voices of reproach and recrimination drifting over from LOMSO. Time and again, my vessel was nearly swamped with regrets. All in all, the visit to Slumber was not a great success. 

Upon abandoning the Island of Bed in the Land of Slumber this morning, I made plans to revise the day’s itinerary. The journey to LOMSO must happen! It is the PRIORITY! And soon! But the Sea of Distractions still beckons, and a dense fog has descended upon the land. Will I ever make my destination? Will I prevail?

Summary/Translation: I totally procrastinated yesterday on writing report card comments and sub plans and preparing for an IEP–not to mention general lesson planning. UGH!

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SOLC Day 15: A cherita

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 15
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

Blue skies and sunshine prevail

We head out for an afternoon walk
serenaded by chickadees and waxwings

We’re slipping back into the habit
of wrapping up each day
with a gift to ourselves

©Molly Hogan

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SOLC Day 14: Wordle-ing

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 14
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

This post also serves as a Poetry Friday piece today. If you’re interested in checking out what’s on offer poetically, Janice Scully is hosting the Roundup at her blog.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT: DO NOT read this if you haven’t played Wordle yet today!!!

I’m pretty sure there are many unrecognized psychological profiling “tells” in our daily lives. We’ve often joked at school that screeners should add a question about “takes shoes off in class”. (How many of you are nodding your heads right now?) Another one might be if you use the same word or different words each day when you play Wordle. I can see the point for each choice, but I do wonder what it says about us.

Wordle is an entrenched part of my morning routine. Full disclosure: I choose a different word every morning. I don’t know what the says about me, but I typically go with whatever feels right for that day, even if it doesn’t “feel” smart phonologically. Sometimes I’m trying to set a tone for the day. Sometimes I’m thinking about the weather. Sometimes a word just pops into my head. I’ve used the word “tired” a lot this year.

This morning I pulled up the screen. What should I start with?

I glanced at the almost-over lunar eclipse out my window, and regretted not rising in the wee hours to see if the clouds had dispersed. Oh, well. Moon is too short….moony? Nah, that’s not a word …Is it?

I hesitated, then moved on. Peace? That sounds good except the double e feels risky on a first guess.

“Clear” popped into my head. This one combined the unexpectedly clear skies, and also felt like a nice tone for the day.

I typed it in. C L E A R.

1 yellow and 1 green. Not too bad.

Next guess?

Here’s where more phonics comes into play.

I don’t think the “c” will come right before the e…that’s not too common…though “scene would work”… “c” is also probably not the last letter because that would need a vowel before it and the letter before that’s an e…does anything end in “eic”? It could end in “ect” though….erect? Oh, no, there’s no “r” in the word so that can’t be it. Eject? Elect? Either one of those would work. Hmmmm….I don’t think the Wordle makers want to touch on “elect” as anything with the whiff of politics feels deadly these days…although the word was “greed” the other day… I know someone I’d like to eject…

I type in E J E C T.

Ok, that yellow e must go at the end. What ends in “ece”? …Oh! I’ve got it!

I quickly type in P I E C E.

Yes! (Please note the irony that I did initially think of beginning with the word “peace”.)

Now the second layer of fun starts. On most days, I take my Wordle guesses and write a poem in my notebook. They often go in odd directions and lately tend to be bleak. (Surprise!) I don’t usually share them as they are very “drafty” and really just a fun exercise.

Here’s what happened today…

Batten Down the Hatches

Clear feels like a goal–
a nice lens for the day
Clear-headed implies level
clear sailing suggests an easy path
with clear skies ahead…

Ha! Eject that fantasy!
Storm clouds gather
unrelenting
in a tumult of turbulence
All eyes turn to the skies
Warning sirens sound louder and louder
ALARM ALARM ALARM
a constant background blare
inescapable

Everyone is uneasy
Is anything stable?
The winds howl
in a frenzy of acceleration
ALARM ALARM ALARM
What pieces of our lives
will be smashed and scattered?
What will transform unexpectedly
into the next deadly projectile?
Who knows how long the storm will last
Who knows what the toll will be
but surely it’s coming…

©Molly Hogan

So that’s what Wordle and Wordle poem-ing looked like this morning at my house. Do you play? Do you use the same first guess? Or even more interestingly, do you have any unrecognized psychological profiling “tells” to share?

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SOLC Day 13: Signs of Spring

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 13
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

Even though I’ve been feeling like Winter is still entrenched, there are signs of spring everywhere if you look. The temperatures climbed up to near 50˚F twice this week, and students immediately took that as an invitation to wear shorts. Even some staff were exposing their ankles. The first sight of those sun-deprived limbs always reminds me so much of seedlings first breaking through the earth…anemic and hopeful!

There are other signs of spring about as well. Bright orange “Frost heave” and “Bump!” signs have sprung up along the roads. There are daffodils for sale at the grocery store. Something has woken up and is now robbing my suet feeders and knocking down the seed feeders. I suspect raccoons but Kurt did see a possum by our house the other day, so the jury is still out. At any rate, the animals are stirring, too!

In the biggest recent change, Daylight Savings is now in place, and it’s still light when I get home from school. (We won’t talk about the dark when I leave bit right now, because this is supposed to be a relatively hopeful slice.)

“Hey, Kurt, want to go for a walk?” I asked as I came in the door earlier this week.

“No, but I will,” he said. On the mostly better side of a nasty, tenacious virus, his enthusiasm hadn’t quite bounced back into shape yet. Also, he’s sick of winter and cold and more than ready for spring.

.“It’s windy,” I warned, ” but really pretty. It feels good!”

He glanced at me and then outside a bit dubiously. “I probably need to put on long johns,” he Eeyored.

I checked my phone. “The feels-like temps are in the low 40s. Hey, that’s not too bad!” I pumped up the enthusiasm in my voice.

“Ok,” he conceded, “but I might want to turn back early.”

I didn’t really care. I just wanted to get outside and get back into the habit of our afternoon/evening walks. 

Soon, we were off. We chatted as we walked, and about a quarter mile down the street, we came across two more signs of spring’s advance: a flock of robins and numerous tapped maple trees. 

“Look at all these signs of spring,” I enthused.

He huddled into his coat.

We walked a bit longer, noticing the mounting evidence of pileated woodpeckers hard at work on some neighborhood trees. Kurt pointed up ahead, “Look! There it goes!” We watched it swoop away. The wind sent leaves skimming across the road in front of us.

“Doesn’t the sun feel great?” I PollyAnnaed a bit more. (Warming sun=yet another sign of spring!)

“It’d feel better if I weren’t cold,” he responded.

Kurt made a valiant effort, but called it at about a half mile from home. We turned and crossed the road to walk back. 

Before long, we both were surprised to see another sign of spring…sort of. By the side of the road lay a very fresh bunch of asparagus in a clear plastic bag. 

What?! 

“I wonder where that came from!” I said.

Kurt laughed. “I can just imagine some kid unrolling the window and tossing it out when his mother wasn’t looking.

‘Why’s the window down?’ she’d ask. 

‘I don’t know,’ he’d answer.”

“Right,” I continued, and once they got home, she’d be like, ‘Where in the world did that asparagus go? I swear I bought asparagus.’ ” 

We continued to riff on this the rest of the way home, fully entertaining ourselves with our imagined scenarios.

It was a good walk, and here’s hoping it’s the first of many.

I can’t help but wonder what we’ll see next time.

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SOLC Day 12: Not my finest hour, but can you relate?

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 12
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 e-mail arrived at 7:08 am.

“What time is O. available for testing?” the sender queried. 

I quickly hit reply and started typing, stating I’d work around whatever she figured out. I know how hard it is for testers to schedule their time with students. Then I added the specific (and limited) amount of time that O. is in my classroom. I suggested that she reach out to touch base with the Special Ed. teacher about the times when he receives SDI, but also noted those times and the times when he receives small group support with Ed Techs. Finally, I listed when we have morning recess, recess/lunch and Specials, and clicked send. 

It was 7:15 am and I felt very efficient.

Fast forward to 1:46 and another e-mail from the same person. “I guess the easiest thing is if you can tell me what times I CANNOT test O. Ex – snack, lunch, recess, specials.”

“But I already did that!” I wanted to wail. I double checked my first response, and sure enough, the information was there. I know the writer is a lovely person and VERY busy, but for some reason this irritated the heck out of me. Probably unreasonably. Or maybe a teeny bit reasonably, since I now had to respond with the same information, and who has time for that? 

I sat down to compose my response, probably hitting the keys with a bit more fervor than necessary.

If you had read my last e-mail…

Ugh…I couldn’t write that. Delete. Delete. Delete.

Like I wrote in response to your first e-mail…

No, that definitely didn’t work either. Delete. Delete. Delete.

I struggled with needing to write some form of I DID THAT ALREADY AND DID YOU EVEN READ MY E-MAIL! until I finally soundly chided myself for overreacting (Isn’t it all too easy to go from pseudo-calm to psych these days?!), talked myself off that limb and composed a very grounded, polite list of the requested times. Then I clicked send and sent it on its way. I guess, ultimately, I’d rather be thought of as inept than thought of as defensive or “rhymes with witchy.” (Although after reading this petty slice, you may have your own opinion on that now! lol)

Addendum: After sending the e-mail, I opened the door to my colleague’s room and said in a rush, “I just need you to know that I already sent the information in my first e-mail response but I can’t say that in my response now or I sound like a jerk. I know you have no idea what I’m talking about, but I feel the need to make sure someone knows.”

I expected her to laugh at me, but instead she jumped right on board. 

“Yes!” she practically shouted. “I just had something similar happen. There’s so much to do already, and then something that needs to be addressed pops up and we know that ALREADY DID it but we have to do it AGAIN! And it sounds ridiculous and defensive to explain how and when we already did do that! UGH!”

She shared her example. 

I elaborated on mine. 

We commiserated. 

We both felt seen. 

And now as I finish up typing this, I feel more than a bit ridiculous for my overreaction (even though I managed to curb its outward manifestation).

Is anyone else finding it harder to stay level these days?

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SOLC Day 11: Trying to Love Winter

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 11
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’m trying to love winter. (And for those of you in southern climates, yes, despite today’s balmy (high 40s) temperatures, it’s pretty much still winter here!) Most of the time I do, but this year it’s felt a bit harder.

I keep telling myself that winters are wonderful! I mean, there’s so much to love! At any time, an ice storm can transform the garden into a wonderland. On cold mornings the windows erupt into filagrees of frost. There’s the geometry of forming ice, the dazzle of dripping icicles, and the perpetual wonder of a fresh snowfall. I want to focus on those things.

And just when I think I’ve got the hang of it again, there’s another subzero day with gusting winds and I’m back inside, looking out the window and wishing winter away.

I tell myself I shouldn’t wish it away. Winter’s a time for slowing down and getting some respite from the rush-rush-rush of warmer weather. It’s a chance to idle back and not feel even remotely guilty about spending a day by the fire curled up with a book. There are fewer pressing chores: There’s no lawn to mow or garden to weed. (I’m willfully suppressing thoughts of fetching firewood, shoveling, etc.) All the outdoor projects are on hold. It’s like a mandated break, so why not take advantage of it?

Also, the trees are magnificent in winter. They form dark stripes across fresh snow. Every graceful bend and twist shows, especially when lined with a frisson of fresh snow. The birds (those that are still hanging around) are clearly visible on their perches, and the sunrise shines right through intersecting branches. In summer everything is dense and hidden, and let’s face it, summer can get a bit over the top with all that color and the air suffused with the dense green of growing things. Winter offers more subtle rewards.

So, I’m trying to love winter…

but it isn’t always easy.

(Pssstttt–It also doesn’t help when my southern friends mention all the warmth and blooming going on down there.)

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SOLC Day 10: The Gift of Daffodils

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 10
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

Yesterday’s purchase brings this morning’s pleasure and a spontaneous acrostic poem.

Dancing daffodils greeted Wordsworth
all at once along a bay,
fluttering sprightly in the breeze, in
feisty, dancing waves.
On my own table a host of
daffodils blooms in merry profusion, an
illusion of spring, their
luminosity such a generous gift, as
snow falls lightly outside

©Molly Hogan

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SOLC Day 9: Morning at the Marsh

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 9
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 think I’m going to the marsh tomorrow,” I mentioned to Kurt as we went to bed last night. “I haven’t been in ages.”

Then I woke today and checked the forecast again. Windy?! Feels-like temperature of 15˚F!? Ew. Did I really want to go that much?

The marsh is about a 45-minute drive from me, and during the school year, I can only go on the weekends. If I didn’t go today, it would be another week before I could. Ugh. I hemmed and hawed a bit. Should I go? Should I not? I checked the forecast a few times, but it stayed the same. (Go figure!) Finally, I decided to stick with my plan, bundled up and set off.

I felt lighter as soon as I was underway. I never regret taking the time to go to the marsh. The light is stunning, and I always aim to get there before sunrise so that I can watch the day awaken. I get into a flow of walking, noticing, stopping, and photographing. Time slips by unheeded. I’m convinced that I breathe better there.

This morning was no different.

Here are a few photo highlights from my time there today, some of which are welcome harbingers of spring!

What a way to start the day!

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SOLC Day 8: Whiplash

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 8
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

You might think this title refers to the insane contradictory edicts issuing forth daily (hourly?)  from our capitol. 

It does not. 

It could instead, refer to the contortionist efforts I’m making to stay emotionally healthy and civically balanced in these times. How I literally yank myself mentally from outrage and despair at the news to push myself to notice bird song, cloud formations or an interesting play of shadows. 

Nope. 

Instead, it refers to how I woke this morning thinking about a student. Yesterday, I’d watched her in her book club while she was discussing characters in her book. I saw how she’d jotted down her thoughts and ideas as she’d read, and how she turned back to her book for evidence to support what she was saying to her group. I thought about how much this child has grown this year. How she’s become someone who is now leading by example, instead of someone noted in Guest Teacher plans as a student who “needs frequent check-ins to make sure she understands and is following directions.” I made a mental note to e-mail her mom and let her know. I love sending positive e-mails!

And then I thought back to an e-mail I sent yesterday afternoon to some parents–an e-mail expressing concern about this student’s increase in dysregulation this week. About how she’d struggled to manage her body and voice in expected ways. I’d asked if there was anything going on at home or if they might have some insights. But, with a pit in my stomach, I realized that I’d been in a rush to communicate at the end of a long week. I hadn’t taken the time to note again the strengths this student brings to our class. I could have framed my words better, emphasizing collaboration and sharing ideas for how to support her in being successful at school. In retrospect, my e-mail was relatively short and unbalanced. It wasn’t awful, but it could have been more nuanced, and it may well have landed heavily. I know better and I should have done better. Through experience, I’ve learned to wait to push send on tricky e-mails. Often a new day helps me see how to finesse my words and couch my message in the best terms. But, on Friday I forgot.

So, it feels like a whiplash kind of morning.

Usually, I don’t open my work computer until Sunday, but clearly I have two e-mails to write. 

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SOLC Day 7: A Hermit Crab Poem

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March 2025 SOLC–Day 7
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
This post serves dual purpose today as it’s also a post for the Poetry Friday Roundup. You might want to check it out. It’s another fabulous writing community.

This month it was my turn to pose a challenge for my writing group, The Inklings. I suggested that we try writing hermit crab poems. These poems are poems that take another structure, like a recipe or a want ad, and create a poem within that structure. As one website put it, “Hermit crabs are known for creating inventive homes in all sorts of surprising spaces and containers. As writers, we can use the containers of other types of writing to form inventive poetry!” People do some really crazy creative things with hermit crab poems and I’d been wanting to try one for some time, so, I inflicted my wish on my writing group. I hope they had fun!

Of course, once you set a challenge, you also have to complete it. Time passed…things got busy…more time passed. Then I sat down this past weekend, determined to create my poem, or at least begin. I hadn’t written anything yet, but I’d already been thinking a lot about it. I knew I wanted to use a seed catalogue format. I also knew I wanted to write something politically pointed. Finally, I was wanting to play with Canva a bit more.

So, I looked up seed catalogues, got some ideas for the basic format, and started writing. I opted to focus on Democracy, something that appears to need some significant nurturing and grassroots support right now. First, I created a list of common categories (light, water, etc.), and then tried to figure out how to adapt them to my topic. I really enjoyed the mental exercise of trying to find the overlap between my topic and seeds within the form I’d chosen.

I wish I’d had more time to play around with a prose poem introduction, but maybe that’s something I come back to. As it is, it doesn’t feel totally poetic, but I had so much fun with the process, that I decided I didn’t really care. (Poetic license not to be poetic, maybe?) Also, sometimes you just have to cross your fingers and put what you have done out there, and trust it will land in fertile soil. So here’s my hermit crab “poem”:

This week’s Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted by fellow Inkling, Margaret Simon. If you want to check out how she handled the challenge visit her website, Reflections on the Teche. You’ll also find links to lots more poetry goodness there. Click the links below to see what the other Inklings did with the hermit crab form:
Linda @A Word Edgewise
Mary Lee @ A(nother) Year of Reading
Margaret @Reflections on the Teche
Heidi @my juicy little universe
Catherine @ Reading to the Core (may be opting out this week)