Week 49 - Storytelling: Storms

“There is peace even in the storm.” - Vincent Van Gogh

#dogwoodweek49 #dogwood52 #2019dogwood52 #storm #weather

Cave of the Mounds

“Do not run away from the darkness. Remember the beautiful lakes which are hidden inside the dark caves. In the least expected places, there exist the most beautiful treasures!” - Mehmet Murat Ildan

Week 48 - Inspiration: Current Events

I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, but so far, we’ve only had rain.

#dogwoodweek48 #dogwood52 #2019dogwood52 #sparkle #bokeh

December • Colors of the Month

“What is the colour of Christmas? Red? The red of the toyshops on a dark winter’s afternoon, Of Father Christmas and the robin’s breast? Or green? Green of holly and spruce and mistletoe in the house, dark shadow of summer in leafless winter? One might plainly add a romance of white, fields of frost and snow…” ― William Sansom

November 2019 in pictures

“Spring's wakening bugle long is hushed; long dimm'd is Summer's splendour; October yields her easel bright to black and white November!” - James Rigg, "November," Wild Flower Lyrics and Other Poems, 1897

Currently • November 2019

“Don't wait until the fourth Thursday in November, to sit with family and friends to give thanks. Make everyday a day of Thanksgiving!”

- Charmaine J. Forde

READING:

• Paris Without End: The True Story of Hemingway's First Wife - “Hemingway's creative influences for novels like The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and The Old Man and the Sea came not only from his famous hunting trips, his liaisons in Cuba, or his relationships with Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce and other Lost Generation writers. During Hemingway’s period of greatest literary foment, his most seminal relationship was with Hadley Richardson, his first wife. In Paris Without End, acclaimed author Gioia Diliberto, biographer of Jane Addams and Brenda Frazier, delivers a gripping, novelistic exploration of Hadley’s personality and her role in Hemingway’s life, finally unclouding our view of Hemingway’s relationship with the one woman he never stopped loving.” Hadley is my favorite too.

• Developing Expert Learners: A Roadmap for Growing Confident and Competent Students by Michael McDowell — It’s part of my Professional Learning Plan focusing on the connection between surface, deep, and transfer learning and the Triple E Framework of technology in the classroom (Engage, Enhance, Extend).

• Visible Learning: Feedback - “Feedback is arguably the most critical and powerful aspect of teaching and learning. Yet, there remains a paradox: why is feedback so powerful and why is it so variable? It is this paradox which Visible Learning: Feedback aims to unravel and resolve.” This book helps me to give clearly more impactful feedback to teachers as I work with them to provide timely and meaningful feedback to their students: Win-win.

• Louise Penny mysteries — After numerous recommendations, I stared reading Still Life this summer, but was I reading too much at the same time and couldn’t stay focused enough to connect with the complex characters and vivid descriptions. This month, I finally made it through, the first novel featuring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, and I’m on to book two…

WATCHING:

• Ford v. Ferrari (in theatres now) - “American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.” This movie was Eric’s choice, but I really got into the story too.

• Band of Brothers (on Prime): “The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division, and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord, through V-J Day.” — perfect for Veteran’s Day and a month of remembrance, but it was heavy viewing and I need a break before taking on The Pacific.

• The Crown Season 3 (on Netflix) - If you can’t remember what happened in seasons 1 and 2, here’s a recap. I’m not sure about all the casting changes this season, but I’m eager to watch Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret.

LISTENING TO:

• NOT Christmas music — chez moi, it’s one holiday at a time. I’ll be ready for my Christmas playlist once Thanksgiving is over.

ENJOYING:

• The Nordic collection of Nespresso Verturo coffees. I especially like the Cinnamon Swirl and the Princess Cake. I’m not a big fan of flavored coffees, but these blends are subtle and delicious.

• A trip to Boston last weekend - a great conference (Learning and the Brain), strolling and dining on seafood (lobster rolls and clam chowder) and Italian food in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the North End, and Harvard.

• Some time off for Thanksgiving - I am so eager to spend time with family (especially Piper), read a book, and deck the halls.

PLANNING:

• Holiday get-togethers, decorations, gifts, Christmas cards, and food, etc. Notice that I put this in planning, not enjoying (yet). The same rule for Christmas music applies here, but the day after Thanksgiving, I’ll launch into full holiday mode.

• A summer trip back east: It’s been almost ten years since we vacationed on the east coast (not counting my recent business/pleasure trips to NYC and Boston). We definitely want to spend time in Newport, but are also thinking about going up to Maine. I would like to return to Boston to see the Hemingway collection at the Kennedy Library and maybe Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket.

• I’m always thinking about my next trip to Paris — no definitive plans yet, but I can’t stay away for too long!