Boon Companion

The long-time owners of Claremont's toy store, Boon Companion, recently retired. The new owners took over March 1, and until yesterday, the windows have been covered with brown paper. On Thursday I took the first two photos, and yesterday I strolled by and took a peek inside. It looked as though they were still working, so this must be what is called a soft opening. I am not in the market for toys these days, but someday I might be....

Behind the glare of the window, see a prominently displayed vacuum...

Getting a Jump On Spring Break

Spring break at the colleges starts at the end of the day today, but a student is getting started early, here in front of Bridges Auditorium just before noon today.

Here's a link to a similar photo from several years ago at HMC.

Kangaroos activity

This week in first and second grade music, we had a fun activity relating to the Kangaroo music from Saint Saens' Carnival of the Animals. We made our first two fingers into kangaroo ears and hopped them up and down our other arm to the music. Then we looked at a visualization of the music on the board which consisted of dots and wavy lines. We made our own sounds as we traced the patterns in the air. We "painted" in the air with our fingers. Then we opened up each piece of felt (one per student) and saw the dot stickers and piece of yarn. Each student created their own music. We practiced following the dots and lines while we made our own corresponding sounds. Some students chose to share theirs with the class. It was awesome, and every kid (every kid! was engaged).

I must credit Sandy Stauffer, who taught us that at a recent workshop.

As you can see from the photo in the lower right side, the music rug is still going strong! Every day I am so happy to have that rug in the music room.

Inka Trails

Many years ago we ate at Inka Trails, but we didn't really understand the food. After all, we had never had french fries and rice together in a main dish. Then we went to Peru and had lomo saltado (a  stir-fry with sirloin strips, onions, tomatoes and potatoes / french fries over rice). Upon returning home from Peru, we thought we ought to give the restaurant another try.

I ordered the lomo saltado and H had the quinoa con queso. He's been looking for the kind of creamy quinoa he had at the buffet at Machu Picchu, and this one was pretty good, but not exactly the same.  I thought the food pretty good, even if a little salty. Now, if Inka Trials would serve pisco sours, we would return more often.

Training People, Part 2

In getting ready for sabbatical, we have now posted information about our house rental with the colleges. In two days I've already gotten responses, but none are making me excited about renting to them. (I had other problems when we last rented out our cottage….)

1. "I'm calling about your house you have listed for rent. Is it available?" "It will be available in mid-August." "Oh, not now?" 

Tip #1 - When calling about an advertisement, make sure you read it through before bothering someone.

2. This email ended with a very strong religious message. 

Tip #2 - Don't advertise your religion. Do I really have to say this?

3. This email told me why our house is perfect for them. 

Tip #3 - I'm glad we might be able to help you, but the real question is, why should we rent out our home to you? I need a compelling reason to know you will take excellent care of our home.

4. This email used no signature. Just thank you (no punctuation). The follow-up email asked how much "would the rent come out to be". (This is an email from a college student.) Again, no signature. 

Tip #4 - Please use common courtesy in your emails. Then refer to Tip #1.

I will be very happy when we find the right people to live in and love our home while we are gone.

Mindsight

My Alexander Technique teacher suggested that I read this book, Mindsight, by Daniel Siegel. For some reason I thought it would be about how to meditate. In some ways, it has something to do with mindfulness, but it's not so much a how-to manual as it is how understanding how our brains are wired and how to use mindful techniques, called mindsight by Siegel, to not only enrich our lives, but our relationships.

I have started becoming very interested in this type of thing since I notice that many of my students come into the music room not at all ready to listen, and not at all ready to learn. I have started trying to get their minds to relax for a few minutes at the beginning of class, and, if nothing else, it gives the room a sense of calm, at least for a few moments. I feel as though I can explain what we are about to do (because I try to make my classes about doing rather than just listening to me drone on) without trying to compete for their minds' attention. Since we can only do this as a group once a week, and I haven't done it long, I cannot comment on any noticeable changes in my students, except for at the start of class.

I have now put a few books on my reading list about mindfulness in schools. Stay tuned.

J Brown, Violinmaker

I just ran across this little 5-minute documentary featuring Claremont's own violin maker, Jim Brown. If you don't know exactly where his shop is located, I describe it in two ways. The first is to say that it is sort of in the alleyway behind Video Paradiso. If you stand in that parking lot and look down the alley, you'll see it right there. Second, if you are driving up Indian Hill, turn into the driveway for the cleaners that has the big white columns just south of Bonita on the east side, and it's the building past the cleaners.

I send all my students to the Brown's for rentals, supplies and a chance to pet the dog and cat. Or are there two cats? 

Dodgers and Cable

As of today, I am okay with what's going on with the Dodgers on tv. We have lucked out, for now, with having Time Warner Cable since they are the only ones carrying the brand-new Dodger channel. If you have read my blog on this subject before, you know that the Dodgers are one of two reasons we finally caved in and got cable tv. (The other was the Oregon Ducks football team.) 

I have no idea what will happen in the future with the Comcast/Time Warner merger. I am not optimistic. But, for now, I enjoy tuning in to spring training games (and remember fondly our trip to watch some of those spring training games a few years ago).

Significant Rain

Some reports declared that Claremont had 1.28 inches of rain. I do not know if that was just Friday's storm, or the whole few days of rain. At the library on Friday, you could see some of the mess that the rain made, but I am not complaining. We need it. 

You can see some other photos of rain damage on my friend's blog here.

The 10-day forecast shows no rain for Claremont, but I am hoping for another few storms, or more, this winter.

A Month of Letters

Used to be, times past, that I was a great letter-writer. I'm not sure if the content of my letters was always so great, but I sent mail in the post often. In college I wrote home about once a week. When I was apart from H, we corresponded several times a week. In my files I still have many letters from my friends - college and grad school, mostly.

Then came email and Facebook and Instagram, and… well, that slowed down my written correspondence to a snail's pace. Of course, I get many fewer personal letters in the mailbox, too.

I have blogged about my solution to the budget woes of the USPS here. I started out several years ago writing a thank-you note once a week. That lasted for a few months, I think, before I petered out. I still like to send thank you notes, but it doesn't happen on a regular basis.

Then, at the beginning of February, I noticed on Instagram that a friend of mine was participating in A Month of Letters. Interest piqued, I looked it up here. The challenge: mail one thing each day the post office is in business (23 days - minus Sundays and one Monday holiday). It could be a letter, a postcard, a swatch of fabric, or anything.

That, of course, is right up my alley, so I started. Even though I didn't get on board until Feb. 2, I decided that the 6 thank yous I had sent the week before would count.

It was an interesting month. Some days I knew exactly what to send. Some days I floundered around, looking for an excuse. Here are the numbers:

4 actual letters (3 to people who used to be regular correspondents, 1 to someone I have not contacted in about 20 years who is now a Facebook friend)

3 Thank Yous

3 Photos (one with an actual letter)

3 Valentines

3 Birthday Cards

2 Condolence Notes

1 Newspaper article

1 Poem (I wrote)

1 Short Note

1 Postcard

1 Retirement Card

In return, I received one note from my friend who inspired me on this challenge.

If you did not receive a letter or something from me, and you would like me to write you, let me know! Or, send me a letter, and I will be sure to answer it.

This is the card I sent to my friend, seen after she received it

This is the card that came to me. I saw it here on Instagram first….

This is that same card after it arrived in my mailbox