In which I embarrass my family on Facebook

"Tony died."

At came down to breakfast. breaking the news about Anthony Bourdain--apologetically. And now, at the end of the day, I am just grateful that everyone I know online seems to recognize the curiosity, empathy, and generosity that made him so extraordinary. Big A had worked overnight, but I knew that this would be the one celeb whose passing would affect him. And sure enough, as soon as he got off his shift, he texted: "Tony died." We have all his books, watched some of his shows back when we had time, and knew enough to love him. And all my media and/or NYC people had stories about meeting him, of him being an ally without making it all about himself.

On the way home from getting Nu from school, while we were waiting for the train to clear the tracks, we were rear-ended. I had taken the puppies for a little car ride, and Huck is so tiny that she flew into Nu's lap from the backseat. I went to talk to the driver of the other car, and it was a young woman who immediately began apologizing so profusely, all my criticisms were silenced. It looked like both cars were fine, and she swore that she wasn't texting, so I told her to be safe, and brought the kids home. Big A was rather loud and adamant that I should have taken her insurance information anyway.

Of course, I've been crying--somewhat disproportionately--since then.
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Field Trip All Day

Greenfield Village: Nu's backpack holds 

bug spray, sunscreen, lunch, a water bottle, 

phone, headphones, assorted purchases 

and THREE books she brought from home.

When Nu went to pretend suffragette jail. 

We'd just watched excerpts from Iron Jawed Angels* in there 

and her expression while appropriate, nevertheless cracks me up. 

Both girls were horrified that women were not allowed to attend college.

The real, actual, Rosa Parks Bus. 

I loved that  Nu remembered 

the statue of Rosa Parks sitting in the Capitol 

from our D.C. visit two years ago.

"Everyone else is standing, but she gets to sit."

* And as I linked to the film's Wikipedia link, I was mildly horrified both by the lack of a hyphen in the title and the gratuitous seminudity on the poster. Really?!?

Summer 'Hang'

I'm trying to transcend gravity 

on Nu's webby swing while she's at school.

 My companion is the other little girl 

who--just like her mama--loves the sun.

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Yet another 'piece'

Up the road from Nu's school.
This culture gets more terrifying every day.

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Journeys

End-of-term Academic Standards Committee meetings where students are dismissed, put on probation, etc. are difficult. When I recognize students' names, it's difficult not to mourn the lost opportunities for learning, success, accomplishment... Today I recognized two students from my FYS who had been best friends all through grade school and then roomed together at college. Fun, likable kids who showed up increasingly sleep-deprived in class and then frequently not at all. It was difficult not to take it personally--I thought you liked my class! It's little consolation that their transcripts appear to show that they did even less in other classes. I wish we'd been able to reach them in time. Perhaps they will be back someday or find another path through college.

At least I had some good company on the way there and back. I'd originally taken this pic because my sister had demanded a picture of me smiling, but this picture is here for a completely unrelated reason. We were listening to Kendrick Lamar when I took this pic, and I feel like At LOOKS LIKE HIM in that moment through some weird aural alchemy.

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Extra AF

Peonies and roses are always already a bit showoff-y

(I love summer)

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