Tag Archives: SOLC 2024

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SOLC Day 21: Spring is coming?

March 2024 SOLC–Day 21
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

Spring is Coming! Spring?

What I planned to post this morning:

purple crocuses
amidst damp and dun grass
promise unfolding

What I saw outside the windows this morning:

Light creeps up
a sudden dawning–
It snowed last night!
©Molly Hogan

Time to rethink today’s shoe choice…

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SOLC Day 20: A Dose of Calm

March 2024 SOLC–Day 20
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

Last Saturday I woke early. I knew I wanted to drive to the marsh for sunrise. After a hectic week of report cards, I needed a dose of calm. The forecast had promised fog and it delivered.

I arrived to a shrouded world. Objects faded in and out of sight as I walked. The puddles seemed to offer portals to other worlds.

I was wrapped in quiet, my view limited to what was immediately around me. The horizon held its secrets close. After the busy, stimulation of the week, this limited focus was a balm.

Occasionally, a faint shadow appeared in the distant fog. Eventually, it resolved into another person. We’d pass with a nod or a hello. Then I’d be back to reveling in the solitude, hearing only the far off calls of birds– mostly sea gulls, and geese and the repeated joyful serenades of the song sparrows.

Finally, the sun gained an edge over the fog, and blue patches of sky emerged.

It was time for me to leave.

I left feeling grateful, carrying the calm of the morning within me.

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SOLC Day 19: Conferences

March 2024 SOLC–Day 19
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

Careening through the days
One after another
Never enough time for planning, for sleeping, for a
Full breath or a short pause
Everyone is scurrying,
Run ragged, until…
Each family arrives with their child,
Nervous or excited, and we talk.
Celebrating growth and success
Envisioning next steps
Sitting and sharing together

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SOLC Day 18: A grounding exercise

March 2024 SOLC–Day 18
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

Last week, Rob Walker’s post appeared in my Inbox. It was entitled, “Attention vs. Anxiety” In it he talked a bit about the relationship between attention and anxiety, and shared a prompt that can address both, by grounding you in the moment. It’s called a 5-4-3-2-1 prompt and I realized this morning, when I woke up, already wound tight about the week of teaching and conferences ahead, that I could use something grounding.

5 things you see:

  1. The cat’s eyes peer through the window. It’s still dark out, but the interior light spills out and she’s clearly visible. A ball of furred want and need. She does this all day long –begs to get out and then pleads to return. I let her in, knowing that I can’t focus with those eyes staring at me, even when I try not to make contact. Soon she’ll be clawing to get out again.
  2. The overhead light in the kitchen spills interesting striped shadows through the back of the island chairs. They contort from floor, over radiator, and partway up the wall.
  3. The outdoor plant I opted to make a houseplant is blooming. The petals are lilac-hued, veined with deep purple and they have a soft yellow center.The initial buds are tiny, spiraling up on a long stalk, and then the showy blossom emerges. It’s inconceivable how it was all tucked away in such a tiny space.
  4. A picture of my three young children in Mexico is propped on my desk. They are all independent adults now. I take a moment to trace their long-ago features with my eyes. Drink in the sight of them. Feel pulled from the here into the then.
  5. The shell on my desk is half hidden behind the action figure of John Smith of Disney Pocahontas fame. My children played for hours with the latter. I can almost hear the refrain of “Colors of the Wind” as I remember. The shell, collected long ago from some beach, was once a home. Now, my eyes often linger on its spiral, following its path over and over.

4 things you feel:

  1. Beneath me, the hard wooden contour of the chair supports my weight. It must be a thankless job to be a chair.
  2. My coffee mug, heavy in my hands, radiates warmth. I pause momentarily to feel it seep into my palms, then put it down and return to typing.
  3. The air is cool on my cheeks. We didn’t stoke the fire last night, so it’s chillier than usual in the room.
  4. My robe is warm and soft against my neck. It was a gift from my son and daughter-in-law. It was one of those things you didn’t even know you wanted which then becomes indispensable. The best kind of gift.

3 things you hear:

  1. The burning wood, wet from some recent rains, is whistling in the wood stove. A mini steam kettle in action.
  2. Our other cat passes behind me, her nails click click click on the wooden floor. There’s a sudden rollicking galloping thumping as the two cats briefly chase and tumble through the room.
  3. From the kitchen I hear the steady tick tick tick of the clock. (It doesn’t make me feel grounded.)

2 things you smell:

  1. There’s a whiff of sulphur in the air, from the match I struck not too long ago to light the fire.
  2. The scent of coffee lingers. From the pot. From the cup beside me. I realize that coffee, brewing in the morning, fulfills all these sensory categories.

1 thing you taste:

  1. Ah, yes, coffee. I take another sip of my strong coffee, splashed with some milk, and savor it. It’s mostly decaffeinated, but still I anticipate that first sip every morning. It’s taste will linger until I wash it away with a bubble and scrub of mint toothpaste. Another flavor to savor.

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SOLC Day 17: Weed or Flower?

March 2024 SOLC–Day 17
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

For six or seven years now, I’ve submitted a few poems to a weekly column in the Maine Sunday Telegram. This column, entitled Deep Water, highlights poems about Maine or by Maine writers or publishers. Every year I’ve received my rejection letter encouraging me to try again. And I do.

Many years ago, after reading Stephen King’s “On Writing”, I began celebrating my rejections, as evidence of my effort and the tenacity of repeated submission. My husband has learned to say “Congratulations!” whenever I mention a rejection. My writing group does this, too. In fact, one of them just shared a great, related article this week.

As I was writing this post, it occurred to me that a rejected poem or piece of writing is a lot like a weed. It’s just a flower growing in the wrong place. Who said that anyway? It turns out that a lot of people have claimed this line, or a close variation of it, but most often it’s attributed to George Washington Carver. While checking that out on Google, I found another pertinent quote.

All of my rejected poems are rather like a bouquet of weeds. A rejection doesn’t fundamentally change them, or make them unworthy. It might simply mean they weren’t in the right place at the right time. It’s someone’s judgement at that moment and in that context. Just think of the “lowly” dandelion, that master of tenacity! Some people spend hours trying to obliterate them from their yard, yet, drooping and bedraggled in the generous fist of a child, they are transformed into a treasured gift. To a bee, a dandelion is manna. To a pristine lawn lover, a persistent invader. To a photographer, a fascinating subject. Same flower, different judgements.

So, last June, I received a letter informing me that one of my submitted poems to “Deep Water” had been accepted and would be published on March 17th. I was over the moon. But bear in mind, this poem had already been rejected as a weed elsewhere. This time, apparently it landed in the right place, at the right time. The same exact weed was suddenly deemed a flower.

I’m sharing this poem here, because I am delighted it was accepted. It is a heady pleasure to have someone else judge your work as worthy. Still, going forward, I’ve decided to combine my rejections and acceptances in a larger bouquet. I like the look of it. Truth be told, when they’re all gathered together, it’s hard to tell the flowers from the weeds.

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SOLC Day 15: One Bold Decision Set the Tone

March 2024 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

Should I? I hestitated. Would I regret it later? Was this premature?

After a few minutes of indecision, I opted to firmly step in to the Land of Optimism and went for it. It was March in Maine with a forecast for a sunny day with temps in the high 40s or low 50s. Time to show some skin! Decision made, I was all over it and feeling pretty sassy about it, too. It was a bold move, and I think it might have set the tone for the whole day:

Yesterday, I wore pants… with sneakers…and NO socks!

Yup, I was sporting naked ankles.

Then, while eating my Cheerios and granola, I suddenly decided that I wanted to show a little gratitude to my amazing teammates. After some thought, I decided I could get to the grocery store at 7 am and still be at school before 7:30. I slowed down my morning to get the timing just right. I hit the store at opening and came back out with cheerful yellow begonias and salted caramel dark chocolate bars in hand. I was back in my car and on the way to school in no time. Driving in, I watched the sun rise and bopped along to the music on the radio. My spirits were locked into happy!

I momentarily pondered what was causing this unusually good mood. Maybe because it was a relatively chill day ahead at school? Maybe it was because it was a fake Friday, with a PD day today, which meant a night with no planning? Or maybe Daylight Savings isn’t totally evil and the increased sun and activity at the end of the past few days was having a positive effect? Whatever the reason, I decided to ride the wave. I felt great and it was going to be a super day!

I got to work later than usual, dropping off the spontaneous gifts on my colleagues’ desks on the way in. Once in my classroom, I reached into my bag to pull out my computer, ready to get to work.

Whoa! What?

My computer was hot! I mean hot! hot! Really hot!

Oh no! This can’t be good!

I pulled it out of the case and opened it.

Nothing happened.

I pushed a few buttons hopefully. Then a little more forecefully.

Waited.

Waited.

Waited.

Nothing happened. The screen remained ominously dark.

What happened?!? I just used it before I left for school! … deep breath…Ok, I’ll just close it for a minute and do a couple of other things and then check back.

So, I bustled about writing my morning message, changing the date, etc. Amazingly, although I was concerned, I was not freaking out. The mood was a little shaky but holding!

Eventually, after some more opening and closing and button pushing, I had to concede my computer was not going to turn on without either divine intervention or at least the assistance of our Amazing Tech Guy. I called him and when he didn’t pick up, I left a pleading message. After a little while, I hunted him down.

Our Amazing Tech Guy was able to get my computer on, but wanted to migrate all my files, etc. from my relatively old (and definitely worrisome) computer to a new one. I agreed to leave my computer with him for the day, but wanted to check my e-mail and the morning message from the office first. I scrolled through quickly noting messages/reminders and who was out and who had subs for meetings.

What?!

There was my name listed for an IEP in the afternoon.

I don’t have an IEP today! My thoughts scrambled.

Oh, no! Did I? I knew I had one coming up…and it was on a Thursday…could I have gotten the date wrong?

My good mood was starting to bruise a bit. It had honestly been given quite a work out already.

Thinking hard, I realized I was pretty sure my colleague, also named Molly, had mentioned having an IEP today. The office probably mixed up our names. Ridiculously, there are four staff members named Molly at my school. Ironically, the woman in charge of Morning News is one of them. A quick trip to the office confirmed the mistake.

Phew!

Pretty soon, I was back in my classroom with a back-up computer to use for the day, a plan to get a new computer, and my good mood relatively intact.

It even survived a lice visit later in the day.

I really think it all started with those naked ankles.

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SOLC Day 14: Vignettes from the Classroom

March 2024 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

Vignette Number 1:
I leaned in close to check in with C. who was engrossed in his book, Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot.

“So, have you figured out what the problem is yet?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied, “Dr. Stinky is trying to destroy the city.”

He suddenly paused, as if struck with an idea, then continued, “Wait! Maybe Dr. Stinky was bullied as a child… and that’s why he was trying to destroy the city!”

Vignette #2:
At the end of the day K. approached me as I was watching the computer for dismissals.

“Mrs. Hogan, do you want me to show you the chicken dance?”

“Sure!” I turned away from the computer to watch.

K. took a step or two backward, paused and took a dramatic deep breath. Then he scratched one foot on the ground. Then he scratched his other foot on the ground. Next, he bobbed his head back and forth a few times. He stopped moving and grinned at me.

“Wow, K. Did you learn that from someone, or did you make it up?”

“Oh, I made it up,” he stated proudly. Then he strutted away.

Vignette 3:
This last one isn’t my story, but it’s just too sweet not to share.

A colleague was walking down the hall and saw a first grader standing outside of an empty classroom looking a bit lost.

“Do you need some help?” she asked her.

“Yes, I’m looking for my soulmates.”

“Do you mean your classmates?” asked my colleague.

“Yes.”

Teaching elementary school offers so many sweet rewards!

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SOLC Day 12: Celebrating characters on and off the page

March 2024 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

Yesterday in my second grade class, students were celebrating their fiction reading by creating posters of favorite characters they’d met during their reading travels. They had a number of items to include on their posters, but were delighted by the illustration portion of the assignment. The class was totally immersed in the project, and there was a happy little buzz about the room. Everyone was taking their time and doing their very best.

One student, C., was working slowly and carefully on his depiction of Franny K. Stein. He had four books from the series in front of him and looked back and forth between them. One time as I walked by, I saw him frowning and heard him mutter, “One of her pony tails is longer than the other.” Then he carefully erased and redrew it.

As students began to finish up, they roamed about checking out each other’s work. Before long, I noticed a small crowd had gathered around C, who was still working steadily. A voice suddenly piped up.

“C, that’s really good!”

“Wow, C! That looks just like Franny!”

“Oh my gosh! That’s so good!” another classmate enthused.

Drawn by the comments, J. popped over to take a look. He’s a bit of a whirling dervish– lots of action, good-natured silliness and impulsivity. When he saw C’s picture, he stopped in his tracks. His mouth dropped open and he proclaimed, reverently and slowly, “I would remove the Mona Lisa to put that picture in!”

Other students nodded along. C. basked in the glow of all the compliments.

Later, I saw C carefully slide his completed work on top of the other finished pieces in the bin. His gaze lingered on his illustration, and I thought he might be admiring his efforts again. Then, he cocked his head to the side, bent down to look a little closer, and under his breath muttered, “She looks like she’s got a Donald Trump tan.”

I fully anticipated that this project would be engaging, but I really didn’t expect it to be so amusing along the way!

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SOLC Day 11: Seeding Joy

March 2024 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

Outside the window, the birds fluttered and flapped from tree to ground to bush and around the feeders. Their songs and occasional squabbles filled the air. I stood by the window, amazed by the level of activity, listening, watching, and feeling my spirits inevitably lift.

Why were there so many of them?

My mind went back to the previous night’s blustery, cold, last-minute filling of the many bird feeders. Oh, yeah… What a lovely reward I’d reaped for following through, albeit quite reluctantly, on that task.

“You’ve got to seed your joy,” I thought, looking through the window, enjoying the fruits of my small effort, and my small word play. Happily, the birds were able to enjoy it as well. A pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled, right?

That phrase “seed your joy” has been lingering in my mind ever since. I know firsthand that small pleasures can sing and their effect can linger. A smudgy, grubby microwave finally cleaned, a gritty stairway vacuumed, or some fresh flowers placed on the table require minimal effort, but bring me a flash of pleasure every time I look at them. A letter written, a phone call made, or yes, bird feeders filled, spread the joy a bit further afield.

So, I’ve been pondering. What other small things can I do? What seeds can I plant today for myself and others that will eventually yield a small crop of future joy?

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SOLC Day 10: Merlin works magic!

March 2024 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

What was that?

On my way to dumping out the compost, I stopped to listen. There it was again–some sort of bird call, but one that I didn’t recognize. 

I am not very good at recognizing bird calls. Or music. Or sounds in general. I think it’s an auditory issue of some sort. I’m really, really bad at it, even when I try. I am not exaggerating. My husband loves to quiz me with songs and musicians.

“Who’s that singing?” he’ll ask.

When I inevitably give up, he’s aghast. “How can you not recognize Mick Jagger’s voice?”

At any rate, maybe a few years ago, someone told me about the Merlin app. If you like birds and don’t know this app, check it out right now. It’s free and amazing! I only dip into the sound recordings to help me identify birds by their calls, but there’s tons more to investigate. Just the sound-recording identification feature alone is game changing.

Yesterday, I went back inside to grab my phone, wanting to use Merlin to identify the unusual call. Of course, when I came back outside, all the birds had vanished, and there was nothing to hear. I looked around. Nothing moved. I waited a few minutes. Finally I heard a far-off call, though not the same one. Still, I turned on the app. 

Bit by bit, as I stood there, the backyard came alive with bird song and flight. I listened and watched. As I heard each call, it appeared on my screen.

I do know many birds by sight and I can recognize chickadees, robins, titmice, the jays, gold finches, a variety of woodpeckers, the crows, the cardinals, and many more. I’m still fuzzy on house finch versus purple finch, and my hawk identification is pretty limited, but I’m getting better. Using the app really helps. I can use the sound identification and link it to the bird.

On this particular morning there were some surprise visitors, even though they remained unseen. I’ve learned to trust this app. If it says the bird is there, it usually is. 

I was delighted to see brown creeper pop up on my screen. I love these small brown birds with their curved beaks. I don’t know their call, but I do know them when I see them. They are year round residents, and expert camouflagers. They move up the trunks of trees, scouting for bugs, and then always fly along to land low on another trunk and begin another upward climb. I scanned the tree trunks. I still didn’t see a creeper, but was excited to know they were around. 

As I listened, I found myself looking through the trees, trying to find the bird that matched the call. Hoping this time the call and the bird would stick in my mind. 

Having spent more and more time bird watching, I don’t always need the app. Some calls are quite easy to recognize. When I heard the geese, I immediately scanned the sky until I spotted them flying overhead. I have also finally learned to recognize the distinctive call of the white-throated sparrow. The confirmation on screen always makes me smile though. Got it!

Then a few surprises appeared.

Screenshot

A brown headed cowbird! A pine siskin! A yellow-rumped warbler! Merlin has icons that tell you if a species is rare (red dot) or uncommon (orange semi-circle) for your current location and date. All of these species were marked, yet I hadn’t heard (or recognized the call of) any of these. I had no idea they were around. Pine siskins are more apt to appear in midcoast Maine from fall to spring. Yellow-rumped warblers are some of the first spring songbird migrants, and cowbirds also return in the spring to breed. Their juxtaposition confirmed what I’ve noticed lately. There’s change in the air!

I stood on the back porch for 10-15 minutes, every so often glancing at the phone in my hand, listening to and watching the birds. It was such a delightful interlude.

It’s so easy to miss things when you don’t stop to pay attention.