came to Sewanee today and made me smile.
Then, I discoverws that SWD's oldest daughter has been at camp with my neighbor's oldest daughter for the last two weeks.
Finally, my neighbor's sister, on hearing where SWD is staying tonight and tomorrow night in Monteagle, said, "Oh I know R! From New Orleans!"
Small world. Smoke and mirrors. All over again
I've been blessed with the nourishing force of friendship over the last several days .I am now an honorary member of McGehee's Class of 1977, thanks to my continuing relationships with a set of girls I once taught and still love. Their humor and strength as they face a significant age marker have lifted my spirits.
A more recent (though no less valued) friend re-gifted me with a whole, spiral-cut ham, providing thirteen freezer bags of delicious protein when my larder is low. A slice sure made a great middle for my eggs and toast at lunch.
Several months ago, a truly local friend told me about a new Chattanooga charter school (Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy), which sponsored a recruiting session this morning. There, three dynamic women spoke powerfully about the betterment of young women's futures through education. Their passion, vision, and commitment sparked the spirits of every educator in the room.Taking part in the venture of living: friendship.
This summer, when I visited my niece and her family in North Carolina, she suggested I join Facebook.
Why, I asked.
Because you connect with old friends, she said.
But I don't want to see what my students are up to, I said.
She said, you'll be sorry. It's great.
So I joined Facebook, and . . .
I can avoid looking at what my students are doing by just not looking at their pages . . .
and I have already connected with many former students from New Orleans. I have seen photos of their weddings and read about babies and upcoming weddings and new jobs and relocations and . . . I love those girls. I mean young women.
And I have missed running into former students and their mothers and fathers at PJ's or Starbucks on Maple Street or at Lebanon's Cafe on Carrollton or at the alum Easter party at McGehee's.
Facebook, as my niece promised, has been a wonderful adventure.
She's a smart cookie.
My friends Jill and Ronn shared more of the bounty of their garden: little blue-purple potatoes, one creamy yellow tomato, two lovely little Roma tomatoes, and a whole mess of okra. Theirs is a deer-fencing protected garden, so they manage to grow vegetables (Ronn told me he gave away 30 cucumbers yesterday) and flowers. It's a magical place. And my dinner was equally magical. I'll let the two photographs speak delicious volumes for me. I am saving the glorious okra for tomorrow.
(There is no picture for this part of my blog entry. First thing this morning, at school, I did a dumb thing. I am embarrassed to admit that I sent an invitation to Shelfari (originally sent to me by a New Orleans friend back in January) to everyone in my Gmail contacts instead of just to my students, and I did so completely unitentionally! While 16 14-year-olds fluttered about helplessly in class, calling my name and requiring my help, and while the Internet was as slow as lard still in a can, I pushed the wrong button and bingo! 670 contacts got invited! Argh. The great thing is that almost two dozen old friends and former students emailed me! One is an oil engineer in Texas; one is teaching in NOLA; an old friend from Vanderbilt updated me on his family from South America; one lives in Oregon and teaches online with Kaplan University; two mothers of former students wrote me about their reading; and a McGehee graduate of 1972 said I was the best thing to happen to her in an otherwise hectic day. Something good can come even from a careless mistake, and that's even better than my dinner!)
A more recent (though no less valued) friend re-gifted me with a whole, spiral-cut ham, providing thirteen freezer bags of delicious protein when my larder is low. A slice sure made a great middle for my eggs and toast at lunch.
Several months ago, a truly local friend told me about a new Chattanooga charter school (Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy), which sponsored a recruiting session this morning. There, three dynamic women spoke powerfully about the betterment of young women's futures through education. Their passion, vision, and commitment sparked the spirits of every educator in the room.
Why, I asked.
My friends Jill and Ronn shared more of the bounty of their garden: little blue-purple potatoes, one creamy yellow tomato, two lovely little Roma tomatoes, and a whole mess of okra. Theirs is a deer-fencing protected garden, so they manage to grow vegetables (Ronn told me he gave away 30 cucumbers yesterday) and flowers. It's a magical place. And my dinner was equally magical. I'll let the two photographs speak delicious volumes for me. I am saving the glorious okra for tomorrow.
(There is no picture for this part of my blog entry. First thing this morning, at school, I did a dumb thing. I am embarrassed to admit that I sent an invitation to Shelfari (originally sent to me by a New Orleans friend back in January) to everyone in my Gmail contacts instead of just to my students, and I did so completely unitentionally! While 16 14-year-olds fluttered about helplessly in class, calling my name and requiring my help, and while the Internet was as slow as lard still in a can, I pushed the wrong button and bingo! 670 contacts got invited! Argh. The great thing is that almost two dozen old friends and former students emailed me! One is an oil engineer in Texas; one is teaching in NOLA; an old friend from Vanderbilt updated me on his family from South America; one lives in Oregon and teaches online with Kaplan University; two mothers of former students wrote me about their reading; and a McGehee graduate of 1972 said I was the best thing to happen to her in an otherwise hectic day. Something good can come even from a careless mistake, and that's even better than my dinner!)
