Professor Sharon

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Firsts…

August 27th, 2012 · Children, College students, Education, family, Grandparents, Musings, Quote of the Week, Teaching & Learning, Work

We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. ~ T.S. Eliot

“Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” – Will Durant

“Here’s to many more firsts and many more great memories.”
? Christine Feehan, Water Bound

 

Tomorrow is another “first day of school” for me.  By my reckoning, I’ve done this for around 50 years!  I still love it.  It stills makes me nervous.  I still wish I could remember each and every one of them.  Here’s to all the people, little and big, who will take a risk tomorrow and this week — jump in with both feet, and sing out loud!  Learning is the best!

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Today in Nana’s Garden – July

July 23rd, 2012 · family, Garden, Grandparents, Musings

Today, in Nana’s Garden, a small bit of Dad/Grampa/Great-grampa Jules’ ashes joined a small bit of his wife’s (Constance) ashes (placed there in 2001).

In the rising of the sun and in its going down, we remember them.

In the glowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, we remember them.

In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring, we remember them.

In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer, we remember them.

In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn, we remember them.

In the beginning of the year and when it ends, we remember them.

When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them.

When we are lost and sick at heart, we remember them.

When we have joys we yearn to share, we remember them.

So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us, as we remember them.     (a Jewish prayer)

 

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Today in Nana’s Garden – May

May 10th, 2012 · family, Garden, Musings, Nana

May has finally brought some well needed rain; and the flowers are looking refreshed.  Many are smaller than usual; I think the early March heat, and the April frosting confused them.  They don’t stand quite as lush and tall, and some seem a little behind in growth even with their way too early start!  But, it’s looking lovely.  This weekend, the dahlia bulbs will go in, and maybe some marigolds.

We’ve been thinking a lot about Nana’s husband this week, Great-grampa Jules.  We heard some music he loved, watched a movie he would have enjoyed, and told a story or two to his great-grandchild.  In the telling, I missed him – he was a marvelous story teller (although his jokes and puns were a little too original at times!)….

I’m still hoping to obtain a small amount of your cremains to put in the back of the garden so that you might join your wife — at least in our thoughts.  And, sorry to say I will plant a few tomatoes in there in your honor too!

Nana's Garden - May

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Today in Nana’s Garden – April

April 17th, 2012 · family, Nana

Nana’s Garden is a little plot next to my large Victorian on a city lot.  It is a little bit of garden between side entrances, and the house and the driveway.   In it, over the 10 or so years I’ve treasured this old house, I’ve tried various plantings in it.  Mind you, I’m not a very experienced gardener.  I love things that allow me to torture them unexpectedly – like hostas.  It’s amazing what I’ve done to hostas and somehow and for some reason they like me anyways.  I tried hostas in here too.

In Nana’s Garden, this April, with the early and very warm spring we are having in Massachusetts, I’ve gotten a jump start — actually the garden got the early start.  I just managed to find time to clean it up early.  It spends the winter covered in leaves and mulch of various sorts.

Today in Nana’s Garden the daffodils have seen their spring and left us already.  The bleeding heart is blooming; and the other is thinking about it.  The miniature irises – that a friend gave me – are working hard.  The lavender is sprouting and sending off its lovely smell, and there’s even a few volunteer surprises blooming.

Nana herself – or at least a third of her ashes reside in the area below the basement window.  Nana was my husband’s mother. I think she would approve of our garden in her honor – although I know for a fact she’d have a few things to say about it!  In summer, her favorite flower, the dahlia, will bloom in the empty places in her honor.   She was an educated woman for her day, and a very intelligent woman.  Like all women, she wanted what she thought best for her first born, and only son.  I wasn’t necessarily it.  She and I tolerated each other’s presence – it helped that I came up with two gorgeous grandchildren for her (at least I think so!).   In the end, like the flowers, we tried our best to bloom around each other because we both loved the same man.

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Teatrekkers come to Salon

January 29th, 2012 · eating, Food, Important People, Musings, photo of the week, Teaching & Learning

Teatrekkers could be seen last night at the first of our 2012 Winter Salon evenings.     With a dozen friends we learned from Mary Lou and Robert Heiss (the authors of four really excellent books) just a tiny bit about Chinese teas: its origins, how and where what we were tasting was grown, how to brew it correctly, and many interesting things about it.   We tasted three teas from the Yunnan area: a green, a black and a pu-erh.  Fascinatingly similar and different: some descriptions were mushroom, umami, flower, fish, earth, floral.

I think most shocking to many of us were the mistruths we’re fed from the commercial tea industry about what is caffinated and what isn’t.  I highly recommend you visit their blog and online store, and their brick and mortar store in Northampton MA if you’re in the area.

 

 

 

 

A great evening of interesting people having fascinating conversations!

 

 

 

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