the dirigible plum

What surprised me yesterday? I got home late last night, later than I usually go to sleep, and as the headlights from my car flashed into the garage, five feral cats went scattering in every direction–my beloved Clothilde, the very pregnant black mama cat from across the street (she waddled more than scattered), her nearly […]

I love reading and writing metaslices–those slices about slicing. Normally I write one or two each month, and they tend to be longer slices because I can muse at great length about writing. Today I’m challenging myself with a prompt I found at Wordsmithing, based on a tweet from author Jarrett Lerner. My slicing process […]

The invitation arrived yesterday. I thought I’d save it for later in the month as I usually do, for a writing day that feels thin, when I’m stretching for an idea. But like Terje, I’m so eager to get started that I plan to be one of the first to arrive. Look at that sky! […]

Clothilde is not my cat. I feed her and give her fresh water every day. She sometimes warms herself on a heat pad I provide. But she is not my cat. She is not my cat, but I am her human. Her “I’m hungry” stare is so powerful that I can sense it through the […]

Yesterday was a rough day in my building. Among many other things, a teacher walked out and resigned in the middle of the day. Today, we may have more subs than teachers. I am grounding myself for the work ahead by writing my morning slice. It’s not even five a.m. and already there are wins […]

It’s Thursday–or, as our wonderful building manager calls it, “Friday eve.” Today may feel extra long since insomnia had me awake extra early. When I don’t get enough sleep, it can take more effort to embody the gentle patience my students need. I hope that a morning gratitude practice will help me reframe the day. […]

I’m a morning slicer, always have been. Partly for the simple reason that I’m awake very early most mornings. 3:41 a.m. on Tuesday, for example. What else should I do but slice in the hours before I need to leave for work at 7:00? Waking up so early also means I go to bed very […]

This year, I am unapologetically a countdown teacher. There is the weekly countdown to the weekend (three more wake-ups!) and the monthly countdown to the next break (thirteen more wake-ups!).  When I taught high school for the first time, back in the early 2000s, I didn’t understand countdowns. I thought they were a sign of […]

At this hour… A gentle rain plinks against the windows. The lesson plans I didn’t have time to write on Friday beckon. A cup of coffee, still hot, waits for me to take a sip. Three cats curl across my outstretched legs, a warm, purring blanket. The sky has not yet begun to brighten. *********** […]

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you this is the first time I’ve been in a coffee shop since I traveled to New Hampshire–and their much lower Covid numbers–back in July. When I finally feel safe unmasking around other people for long periods of time, I may just take up residence at my local […]