Pre-poetry micro-challenge: Day 2 -- figure vs ground

Today's imagery seems to focus on perspective. Seeing a large thumbnail of this image, I couldn't tell if it was a gnarly tree or a river delta seen from a height, a photo or painting or mixed media, nature or vision made real, organic or inorganic. I did know that I found it beautiful.

Tree or delta? end of the world, or source of life? fall and summer colours, beaten gold and copper, algae and deep, still river water, like metal leaf on canvas or wood, this should be a piece over the mantel, or a miniature on a pendant, a little shrine to nature, what's behind the tree, I wonder? The sun, and a clearing, or perhaps a picnic or a cottage, figure or ground, receding or advancing, these are the questions the eye asks. Sun-dappled shadows, playful, sinister. Molten minerals.

Pre-poetry micro-challenge: Day 1 of 21

Baby steps, right? So I like words, I like poetry, I like pretty stuff, I like art, and I know that somewhere deep down, I like creating. But I find it hard to get started, and hard to feel "into it" once I do. When everything's like pulling teeth, it's hard to find making stuff enjoyable. Today I decided to try an experiment in step-by-step goal-setting. A finite, habit- and mindset-building micro-goal if you will.

Each day for the next 21 days, I will do something that I already know I can do and that is uncomplicated enough that I can already do it and feel successful at it: I will find an image, and write out the words and ideas I think of as I look at it.

How do you wash dishes sustainably -- and compactly?

Our kitchen counter (fridge on the right, stove on the left)

Suggestion time! What would you do? Or even better, what do you do?

For as long as I can remember, my home has had a medium-sized, single-bowl sink, and no (usable) dishwasher. In our current apartment, we also have very limited counter space.

Now, I've always washed dishes by running hot water while I individually scraped, soaped and rinsed each item. I generally balk at the filling the sink method because of the ickiness of the water after a while. But I know my method uses a ridiculous amount of water. There's got to be a more reasonable way.

PCIMOS: Week 2, Day 5 & 6 journal

I've had a significant work-related triumph this weekend. Finally solved a problem that's been bothering me about my math program!

Week 2: Project CIMOS and The Reason

Well, I haven't been able to really write anything down since figuring out the plan for recording thoughts! However, there are a few things I've noted down, to put up when I got the chance.

First, where my motivation to teach is concerned -- through talking it out with several helpful people, I realize that maybe my motivation has felt low because I've been contradicting it with another, more external. I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends and have fun with the kids they work with? But you have to get the academic and official stuff done too, and sometimes it seems like too much fun might "get in the way" of that. I think I was working on the assumption that until I had fulfilled all the curriculum/reporting requirements, I had to shelve the idea of doing the fun, simple things. With a serendipitous change in perspective brought to me by the very kids themselves (my true motivators, of course!), I realize that this doesn't have to be the case.