Friday, March 17, 2017
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Daughter to Mama
"I made a new poem," she says.
"Let's hear it then," I say, half-listening as I start pulling dinner prep together.
Reader, I melted.
(Turns out she actually said MoMA because she's really into making art; but I heard what I heard.)
_
"Let's hear it then," I say, half-listening as I start pulling dinner prep together.
"You can take the NuNu out of the Mama
But
You can't take the Mama out of the NuNu"
Reader, I melted.
(Turns out she actually said MoMA because she's really into making art; but I heard what I heard.)
_
Monday, March 13, 2017
Sunday, March 12, 2017
NuNu has Haiku
Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog
Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog
Dog Dog Dog Dog-Poop
For the best effect, each "dog" should be in different tones of delight, love, and play (until the surprise ending, of course).
_
Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog Dog
Dog Dog Dog Dog-Poop
For the best effect, each "dog" should be in different tones of delight, love, and play (until the surprise ending, of course).
_
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Thursday, March 09, 2017
Wednesday, March 08, 2017
Tuesday, March 07, 2017
Monday, March 06, 2017
Friday, March 03, 2017
#MLGA
Over dinner, I vented a bit about a person who shall remain unnamed who told me that literature courses should teach "just the greats" i.e. Eurocentric canons.
Quoth the teenager: You mean their slogan is "Make Literature Great Again?"
Whoa. My favorite.
_
Quoth the teenager: You mean their slogan is "Make Literature Great Again?"
Whoa. My favorite.
_
Wednesday, March 01, 2017
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Monday, February 27, 2017
Conference Sadness
I ordered the Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding only because
I missed everyone so much and it reminded me of eating it with the fam in New Orleans.
But it didn't help.
Friday, February 24, 2017
TFW when you get dressed in the dark and in a hurry
Not sure whose pants these are
but I couldn't go to work in them
so I shopped for work pants
at the grocery store today
_
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Things I'm Oddly Proud About
I haven't pinned/liked/emulated any decor-porn with those mounted animal heads. Not even if they were obviously fake or were TOY stuffed animals. Just. No.
(Or as Baby Nu used to say: No! Very, very, NO!)
_
(Or as Baby Nu used to say: No! Very, very, NO!)
_
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Friday, February 03, 2017
Friendship as a butterfly
I did not expect a big crowd
for my feminist-y Bollywood
faculty forum presentation
Since so many fellow feminists
were headed to Grand Rapids
on a bus, for a board meeting
but Nu was there
(reading, grinning, asking Qs)
and lovely K made me a post-it butterfly
in case I was stuck for luck.
_
_
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Friday, January 20, 2017
Made it through today
I don't teach today, thankfully. K held a wake/media boycott of sorts at the bookstore and came bearing postcards for our senators. I showed up there, but was still shellshocked from the inauguration. I believe in deus ex machina. Then I went back to my office and read held a book.
After dinner (Chipotle # Resistance Party), left Nu with Big A after dinner and went to go see Split with At... Who had seen it with friends earlier today (At is a huge Shyamalan fanboy). Not that reality isn't scary enough.
We tried to get into the 9:20 show, but it was sold out (!) and so we sat through LaLaLa-the mediocre high school musical movie--before we went to the 11:55 showing. And *then* went food shopping at 2:00 a.m. and marinated and prepped until about 4:00 a.m.
Exhaustion will get me through whatever day it is right now.
_
Thursday, January 19, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Consumed
The children have left me
with this changed body
that holds onto their shapes
as though they're still inside
And the gulp of lovepride
worrylove happybrightfear
and other odd couplings
on the lip of my heart
___________________________________
Yesterday, lingering after dinner, smirky and teasing (and full of love), At and Nu told me that even if I was in a nursing home on Thanksgiving, they'd make sure to visit me (and feed me mashed potatoes).
with this changed body
that holds onto their shapes
as though they're still inside
And the gulp of lovepride
worrylove happybrightfear
and other odd couplings
on the lip of my heart
___________________________________
Yesterday, lingering after dinner, smirky and teasing (and full of love), At and Nu told me that even if I was in a nursing home on Thanksgiving, they'd make sure to visit me (and feed me mashed potatoes).
Sunday, January 15, 2017
One more reason this week's going to be terrible for us...
Both of us
had put a copy of
in the other's surprise
Christmas stocking...
_
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Reader
The sky has never been a wall
it has no borders to speak of
it takes my troubles everywhere
It's true that light is rationed--
but it's abundant by my birthday
(though scant at Christmas)
So I can read a book all day,
All Day. In a cinnamon haze
my sweet, dusty feast
_
it has no borders to speak of
it takes my troubles everywhere
It's true that light is rationed--
but it's abundant by my birthday
(though scant at Christmas)
So I can read a book all day,
All Day. In a cinnamon haze
my sweet, dusty feast
_
Friday, January 13, 2017
Moving
Today I have been moving
things across the table
as though a sudden ballerina
a flex of muscle and will
the shock of movement
Tomorrow's move might
well be a glacier
skeletal, powerful,
a dance in the register
of eras
Also, I love this silly song.
_
things across the table
as though a sudden ballerina
a flex of muscle and will
the shock of movement
Tomorrow's move might
well be a glacier
skeletal, powerful,
a dance in the register
of eras
Also, I love this silly song.
_
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Warmth
Sometimes it is the surprise present
an old, dear friend slipped
into our luggage as we said goodbye
(a present I didn't find until weeks later
because I left for the conference
the very day we got home)
that is the sweetest
and warmest.
_
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
On Being a Life-long Learner
So a dear (old) student posted this on FB, and I agreed with it so whole-heartedly that I typed 'YES' in all caps. Then I got a little self-conscious about my all caps and tried to explain with "This election has turned me into that crazy, old lady who types in all caps." Instead I ended up going with: "This election has turned me into a person who types in all caps." Because "crazy," "old," and "lady" shouldn't be insults. Sometimes, I'm my own best student.
_
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Opening
on the seams of my skin
longing's
cyclone lament
once we were hungry
face to face
hand in hand
an eye for an eye
admiring in the orchards
quarreling;
the moon hemmed
in the tallest branches
wordy memories of feasts
the soar of the sky
the sail of my cries
the crest of a smile
on the seams of my skin
_
longing's
cyclone lament
once we were hungry
face to face
hand in hand
an eye for an eye
admiring in the orchards
quarreling;
the moon hemmed
in the tallest branches
wordy memories of feasts
the soar of the sky
the sail of my cries
the crest of a smile
on the seams of my skin
_
Monday, January 09, 2017
Sunday, January 08, 2017
Saturday, January 07, 2017
Friday, January 06, 2017
Thursday, January 05, 2017
Love Truths
Got home after four days of conferencing today, After dinner, Big A went upstairs and fell asleep, and then the kids went to bed, and then I made a late-night grocery-store run.
He showed up as I was putting groceries away and stood there (not helping!) throwing and catching a cauliflower (not helping!) and... I must have given him a speaking side-eye. To which he responded:
_
He showed up as I was putting groceries away and stood there (not helping!) throwing and catching a cauliflower (not helping!) and... I must have given him a speaking side-eye. To which he responded:
Oh. I didn't actually come downstairs to help you. I came because I missed you so much and wanted to see you. *Grippy-Hug*This thing is sweet AND tough.
_
Wednesday, January 04, 2017
Conference Banquet
It was a great #SALA2017, and so glad I got to co-chair it with some wonderful and generous people. Here's a picture blurry enough to post without multiple permissions.
Monday, January 02, 2017
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Lost in 2016
It's got to a point where I woke up around 3:00 am this morning to refresh NYT to see if there'd been anyone else after George Michael and Carrie Fisher.
_
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Monday, December 26, 2016
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Sunday, December 04, 2016
Thursday, December 01, 2016
"Arrival Times"
After three different emails with that ambiguous subject heading, K and I finally got together with our respective human offspring to go see Ted Chiang's stupendous, extraordinary, etc., etc. sci-fi short story turned movie Arrival.
It broke me. It's intensely emotional and threw me for a loop (haha). And the small blazes of happiness were because At worked out and shared the reveal way before it happened and my Nu pointed out in the first few minutes that "Come back to me" was used as a refrain. Before she lost interest in the movie and took a tiny snooze.
Speaking of which, it's the first movie in a long, long time that I didn't slip a nap into. I even napped during--please don't tell my kids--The Force Awakens.
Although they've known all about it for years.
_
It broke me. It's intensely emotional and threw me for a loop (haha). And the small blazes of happiness were because At worked out and shared the reveal way before it happened and my Nu pointed out in the first few minutes that "Come back to me" was used as a refrain. Before she lost interest in the movie and took a tiny snooze.
Speaking of which, it's the first movie in a long, long time that I didn't slip a nap into. I even napped during--please don't tell my kids--The Force Awakens.
Although they've known all about it for years.
_
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Post-Thanksgiving
FIL and step-MIL came to visit the day after Thanksgiving and rather than feed them T-day leftovers as I did last year, I made ramen (with really nice broth, loads of fresh veggies, and lots of add-in toppings: peanut sauce, kimchi, roast chicken, fried eggs).
At the end of the meal, step-MIL says, "thanks for dinner.. it was really simple and..." And she just trails off. Healthful? Flavorful? No. Nothing. I don't think she was trying to diss my food, it was more like she genuinely lost interest in completing that sentence.
This morning--being back in the kitchen reminded me--and I started to giggle about it and had to explain to the kids why. At says, "Yeah, I noticed that too." So we giggled some more.
And it's been our response of choice to everything..."It's really simple and..."
_
At the end of the meal, step-MIL says, "thanks for dinner.. it was really simple and..." And she just trails off. Healthful? Flavorful? No. Nothing. I don't think she was trying to diss my food, it was more like she genuinely lost interest in completing that sentence.
This morning--being back in the kitchen reminded me--and I started to giggle about it and had to explain to the kids why. At says, "Yeah, I noticed that too." So we giggled some more.
And it's been our response of choice to everything..."It's really simple and..."
_
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
I solemnly swear
HOLY
FUCK.
NOW WHAT?
The kids and I turned up at the Mall for the rally, but they had already taken off... we did catch sight of them at College Corner though. They were magnificent.
_
Monday, November 14, 2016
A snippet from today
Nothing is the new normal.
But my kids are lovely.
We now live an hour away from work/school. And Mondays are especially long. At takes a course at the college, so we're here for 13 hours (8 am to 9 pm).
Today, I picked At up, we got our overdue flu shots, we got supermarket sushi, we got Nu from her Girls on the Run meeting, and had dinner in my office.
At was droning on about some election geekery. Nu and I looked at each other and simultaneously started humming Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" while At rolled his eyes. So we hummed louder and with flourish and Nu grabbed a chopstick and started air-conducting. It was a small, sunshiny spot of the usual crazy in an otherwise rushed and sad time.
_
But my kids are lovely.
We now live an hour away from work/school. And Mondays are especially long. At takes a course at the college, so we're here for 13 hours (8 am to 9 pm).
Today, I picked At up, we got our overdue flu shots, we got supermarket sushi, we got Nu from her Girls on the Run meeting, and had dinner in my office.
At was droning on about some election geekery. Nu and I looked at each other and simultaneously started humming Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" while At rolled his eyes. So we hummed louder and with flourish and Nu grabbed a chopstick and started air-conducting. It was a small, sunshiny spot of the usual crazy in an otherwise rushed and sad time.
_
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Saturday, November 12, 2016
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Six for Saturday
1) Drama in the morning! Nu and Max discovered some grey, eyeless, blobby newborns by the picnic table on their morning walk. We googled to ...
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Friends and old neighbors shutting it down in honor of John Crawford. _
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I have the feeling that I’m going to succumb to the season and put out a list of resolutions soon. Just wanted to establish this heads up th...
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At had us pose for this pic up at Aunt R's place on Lake Huron so he could put it up in his dorm. "Don't tur...