York, England

 

On the Moon

Moon Child

     With my birthday on July 6th, I was always told that this birthday meant that I was a "moon child."  Now I never really knew what that was supposed to mean, but, by golly, I have always been fascinated by the moon.  I am probably getting a little too old to be the next teacher in space, but I love looking at the moon.  I could stare at the moon from our little cabin in Vermont, and last night it was spectacular in Connecticut as well.  But I digress...  The bottom line is that I am a over the moon about our wonderous moon!

Check out these links about something lunar that happens only once in a blue moon, and it's happening tonight- Wednesday, July 13, 2022!  

Full Buck Moon

Supermoon

 

The Long Island Sound

 

Making Sound Decisions

          When one of our 5th graders decided to run for CT Kid Governor and was a finalist, we knew that we had to do something very concrete to make Connecticut cleaner, which was the cornerstone of her campaign.  On Tuesday, June 14th, we did just that.  Our 5th grade citizen scientists loaded a school bus at 6:15 AM and rode to Groton, CT.  For some of them, it was the first time, they had been on a field trip.  For many of them, it was the first time in three years that they had been on a school bus.  For all of them, it was the first time that they would be doing real science.  On Project Oceanology, the students “...embarked on a two and a half hour, extremely engaging, cruise out on Long Island Sound aboard a floating classroom, the Enviro-Lab research vessel.  They will get their hands wet as they set a trawl net with the help of Project Oceanology professional staff and interact with marine life such as crabs, squid, fish and other living organisms from the sunlit surface to the bottom of the Sound.  Students will be involved in rigorous field sampling techniques using charts and the real scientific tools of marine science to measure and record accurate data and learn about ecosystems, adaptations, biodiversity and environmental issues.  The cruise teaches students why Long Island Sound is a vital natural resource worthy of conservation and protection” (oceanology.org).

            When the students returned to school 10 hours later they were tired, they were happy and they were determined to make Connecticut a cleaner place to be.

            If you have not had a chance to study the Long Island Sound, here are some cool resources:

Explore LIS

LIS Resource Center

All About Corals

All About Estuaries

All About Tides

All about Currents

All About Nonpoint Source Pollution

Lunenburg, Vermont

 The Time Machine

While this week is a sad one in the history of our family, we have much to be grateful for including our vast and extended family. In 1945, my Grandpa Kenney passed away on February 14th, forever impacting the trajectory of our family. More recently, in 2021, my cousin Kathy passed away on February 20th. I have so much love and appreciation for both of them on this day of love. Without the two of them, and so many more, I would not be connected to my some really awesome people!

This weekend when my pipes burst up at camp, I was immediately welcomed over to my cousins' house in Lunenburg. It was magical. Not only did I get a chance to celebrate my Cousin Katie's birthday, I sat around their kitchen table again. We sat there, eating and telling stories for hours. For me, that kitchen table is like a time machine or portal that transports me back to another era, and I have been lost in time ever since. I remember all of the family reunions we had out in that very barn on Bobbin Mill Road. I imagine what Lunenburg must have been like, back in the day, when my Grandpa Kenney met my Grammie Catherine for the first time and swept her off her feet. Okay, you can call me a romantic, but Valentine's Day is not always wine and roses for many. Even in my sentimental longing and remembering, I remain centered in love and gratitude for my immediate, and my extended, family. As a family, if we can look back and learn from the past as we make new memories together, we can stay connected for generations to come. I can't help but think that Grandpa Kenney and Cousin Kathy would be rather pleased by that.

#ValentinesDay #loveourfamily

Broadway

 To Kill a Mockingbird

A Draft

Confession- I love the novel To Kill A Mockingbird. I have read it approximately 30 times and each time I do, I feel like I am reading it for the first time.  It is the perfect novel.  Every character, each word is perfection in action, and the themes are seamlessly woven together.  Every time I read it, I believe that Tom Robinson will be exonerated, and Atticus' closing arguments are like a soliloquy to my heart in a quiet and affirming way.  As I reflect on Sorkin's take on my favorite classic, I am struggling to separate my feelings about the novel and this divergent version as an entity in its own right.  

As I sat in the audience at the Shubert Theatre last night and watched my beloved storyline unfold, I felt a little like I do when I walk in to a class reunion.  I see all of my friends, we tell and retell all of the same stories, but another five or ten years later, we've all changed just a bit-  a little wiser, a little older and our world keeps turning.  Huddled up with my favorite civil rights attorney and watching To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway last night felt less like immersing my self in a greatest American novel ever written and more like a call to action.  Hearing the words "All rise" will never feel the same.  

Here's why... for what it's worth! (spoiler alert...Please do not read these bullets if you want to see the play and know that I feel like I need to see the play AGAIN to bat around some of these impressions a little bit more.  Yes, the irony of this statement is not lost on myself!  😆)

• The Aaron Sorkin play, directed by Bartlett Sher, version of To Kill A Mockingbird feels raw to me like the crying of Calpurnia when she hears the news of Tom Robinson's death.  
• I am haunted by Bob Ewell and the overt discussion of the klan and lynching Tom Robinson and Atticus Finch.  Seeing the two ropes the mob brought to the jail shocked me and my own shock disappointed me.  There is no happily ever after here.  I am not a fan of Lee's sequel Go Set A Watchman.  In fact, I was angry and outraged after reading the novel, but, perhaps, this is the effect of what Harper Lee was after.  The work of this novel has not been realized even in 2021. Sometimes, my outrage is misdirected and closes my senses to what I should be seeing, hearing and most importantly DOING!  
• I loved the fact that Link Deas and Boo Radley were played by the same character. POWERFUL!
• Ian and I talked a lot about use of music in the play.  The jury is still out.  
• The acting, and the set it was on, is stunning.  We loved the fact that the actors changed the set.  Those transitions smoothed out what felt like a speedy plot, and we were truly left breathless by the time we arrived at the curtain call.

Tonight is New Year's Eve, and although we celebrated the New Year when we were all together, I feel like I need a do-over after watching the play.  While my intentions focused on wellness and worship for 2022 are important, in some ways, I feel like I need to metaphorically burn the house to the ground and start again.  Maybe this year, buoyed by legit courage and grit to be the change I want to see in the world, I can resign from my patient evolutionary beliefs and placations that good always conquers evil, and embrace the bold and bright revolution brewing within.   ALL RISE!

(To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway FB page) 

Darien, Connecticut

 Convent of St. Birgitta- Vikingsborg Guest House

I had the wonderful opportunity today to retreat to the Convent of St. Birgitta in Darien, CT.  It was a stunning spot from beginning to end!

Here are some of my pictures and related resources.  

St. Bridget of Sweden

Website for Retreat Center

History of the Bridgettines

Lessons for Peace

United States District Court

 My Day in Court

When my Summons for Jury Service arrived in the mail,  I wasn't sure what to think.  Part of me was afraid-  what if I am selected for a high profile case such as the one in To Kill A Mockingbird?  The other part of me what thrilled to experience a new adventure in citizenship.  I made my way to the U.S. District Courthouse, and here's what happened:

• I went through security.  We were not allowed to bring our cell phones, so I just had my car keys, a summons and a new book. 
• I checked in with the clerk and then was taken into a waiting room/courtroom area.  It was impressive.  We spent a lot of the time waiting, but watched a video on recognizing bias.  We were told that, in addition to the 30 people who were waiting in this room, there were another 30 people who came to the jury selection process earlier in the day.  We were told that all 30 of us would have to provide 12 pieces of information and answer any follow up questions.
• Next we had a break as the attorneys for both sides hashed out which 30 of the 60 jurors would come back for round 2.  The team called jurors up for a sidebar conversation or clarifications.  Not me, I just sat in my seat and read my book!
• Finally, after more conferencing with the judge, the attorneys had to come to agreement on which 14 jurors would be selected.  One by one the judge called the numbers of the jurors, and then he dismissed the rest of us.  

I am sorry to say that I was not accepted for this jury trial, but just going through process was so educational!  Check out these resources and pictures (ctd.uscourts.gov) below:

Resources:

Mock Trial

Courtroom Vocabulary

Kids' Court Orientation