Monday, September 19, 2011

The Little College that Could

Meanwhile--two hundred yards down the street from us--great events are afoot.

Reading about the resurrection of Antioch College in The New York Times, makes me realize all over again how much there is to love about this little village, how large and generous its soul is. (Looks like the reporter from The Times liked all my favorite village haunts too.)

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Sunday, September 18, 2011

Kathadi: Up in the Air

Pulling at the seams of words
one stitch at a time. Worrying
at gasp of steam of fog of cloud
of a sky made from all shadows

Soft as floating belly of mango
memory unravelling in the heat
stitch and mimic scent of night;
tug at flood of string, cut. Kite.

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Saturday, September 17, 2011

New Habit

New. Or "new to me" as Baby A says of the froggie gumboots handed down from the sibling eight years older than her.

Habit Blog: simple pictures; evocative words; no verbosity. And done.

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Baby A's nanny from two years ago came by for a playdate this morning (she comes by regularly because she has two boys in college and sometimes she just needs to squeeze a toddler).

But really, nostalgia appears to have no age bar. Although merely three years old, even Baby A apparently has tons of things she looks back on with affection: "That's what I used to do, back when I was a baby. Do you remember that?"

Yes. Yes. we do.

In the arms of an old favorite wearing something else that's "new to her."
The Wild Thing Tee that was the first present Big A got Li'l A all those many years ago. 

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Friday, September 16, 2011

TG(anesha)IF

Looks like my baby, the Mini, may need had to be towed to the dealership (leaking oil, engine light on, setting up the most terrific flapping-clattering sound under the hood). There's no way we're going to be able to drive the one hour to Columbus without hurting the baby.

Come back soon, little one!

But I ended the day at N&J's eating stuffed shells and cookie pizza and drinking big balloons of red wine while the kids played Minecraft ("not MinDcraft, Maya! MinEcraft"--Nine-year-old Pete corrects me, his voice dripping amused horror). And there--dare I say--I'm happy (even with Big A gone away at work).

To have friends with whom you can discuss whether women are always obligated to side with the only other woman in the room while being filled in on Game of Thrones is no mean blessing.

It's the stuff that keeps me warm as the year tiptoes away from summer.

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Thursday, September 15, 2011

Done!

I made it! 


Week two of three classes on Tues and Thurs broken only by office hours and the 30 minute drive to another campus with 15 minutes to spare before class (what happens if there's heavy traffic or an accident?).


I came home and excavated some frozen store-bought naan and some long-ago homemade bean-potato-eggplant curry from the freezer (stuck there because there were claims that people didn't like it when I made it--lo--those two months ago, although everyone finished up yesterday), got everyone fed, supervised kid showers and didn't feel dead by 7:30. 


Week 1 found me passed out at 6:30; but Big A was home then and took care of dinner and kids. Still, yesterday with no co-parent backup, I managed it. I did it. I'm reading something for pleasure.  I'm ok.


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Wednesday, September 14, 2011

What She Said (2)

This thief--my child.
Her smile 
fills her eyes 
takes my heart
talks.

Rest warm
firecat fears.
Her cool hand 
diadems my brow
girds my sleep.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Privately

Flood my blood 
at the edges of bed
our naked feet splinter
saplings, new miracles


Ravines of sheets
spin ghosts of arrival
taut wrist, tattered skin
bud, bury, holler: home


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dream politics

There's schadenfreude to those two horrible people having a snitty shouting match in public. But the horrors and the cruelty don't s...