tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59290122011-10-12T22:27:17.711-04:00To live daily and passionately, heads thrown back to the wind and laughter in our voices.Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.comBlogger2671100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-70642930872602342752011-06-17T13:56:00.002-04:002011-06-17T14:05:43.944-04:00

Don't get too Excited...this is just a congrats, not a return...Well, hey there internets...I'd just like to send a shout out to my dear friend Ann (her blog's over there in the sidebar.)This morning she put the final punctuation mark on 5 years of teaching in the Baltimore City Public School System. She's switched schools, she's switched grades - almost every year (this means that she's had to

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-81836851426261943042009-12-31T13:07:00.003-05:002009-12-31T13:43:38.777-05:00

Auld Lang SyneThe end of a year. The end of a decade. Every media outlet, personal blog, facebook status update seems intent on trying to sum it all up. I think it's part of the urge we have to make sense of things, to categorize and tie up in neat bows the various parts of our lives.Wrapping up the year in reflection has occured on this blog at the close of 2003, in 2004, 2005, and 2007/2008 .

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-12712807338516048992009-12-24T17:24:00.002-05:002009-12-24T17:50:53.353-05:00

Advent 25Between prodigious napping and cookbook perusing, I've watched it snow outside. Outside my parent's house. My parent's house in Dallas, Texas. Where earlier in the week it was 70 degrees.It started out as tiny, miniscule flakes. So tiny that it was hard to tell if it was rain or snow, and it started off too warm to stick. The day's gotten a bit colder, the snow flakes more confident, and

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-25409705937395503382009-12-23T17:26:00.002-05:002009-12-23T18:18:57.603-05:00

Advent Day 24,In a few hours, I'll board a plane back to Dallas to spend the Christmas holiday with my parents. Tomorrow, I'll attend a church service somewhere. Mostly, I'll be with family.I've been thinking about the Christmas Truce for the past several days. If you read about it in fiction, you'd think it was the most maudlin, farcical story ever made up - except that it's not fictional. It's

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-20868325734997424812009-12-22T21:42:00.002-05:002009-12-22T22:02:19.740-05:00

Advent Day 23,The season flees quickly, nearly gone now, and then will come the long walk through Lent, and the great Easter Morning.23 days of actively waiting in Advent. And I'm no better at it then I was at the start. I remain impatient for the waiting to be completed. For Jesus to arrive. For the dark night to give way to dawn.Bread knows how to wait. It sits on the counter, and waits for the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-10296735611087602912009-12-20T22:05:00.002-05:002009-12-20T23:29:33.829-05:00

Advent, Day 21:Tonight, my Aunt and I joined an old friend at her church's carol service.We belted out the classics, we watched the kids perform the Christmas play. We sat holding our candles as the sanctuary darkened and the little flame made it's way around the church. And once all were lit, we struck up with Silent Night.More years than not, I've sat in my childhood church in Texas and done

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-30035505167851019242009-12-18T23:10:00.002-05:002009-12-18T23:48:28.794-05:00

Advent, Day 19:Several months ago, someone said to me, "It's not like you can hit the reset button."Which is one of those platitudes that sounds somewhat profound, and inarguable, but once you scratch the surface shows up to be about as sensible as saying, "It's not like you can bottle the ocean," or "It's not like you can unring a bell."All patently obvious statements. I'm curious as to when the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-47751355818904081342009-12-17T21:20:00.002-05:002009-12-17T21:47:42.860-05:00

Advent, Day 18:Visiting the mall, or really, any store at Christmas is like an engraved invitation to visit your own personal heart of darkness.Opportunities to be impatient, annoyed, self-important, self-absorbed, harried, hurried, irritated abound. This is part of advent too, not only the eager expectation and reception of the Savior, but also the knowledge that we stand in deep, deep need of

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-19015909867620820792009-12-15T23:10:00.001-05:002009-12-15T23:10:45.049-05:00

Advent, Day 16:I was in a Barnes and Noble tonight in Ladue, when the unmistakable sounds of beginning musicians fell upon my ear. A trumpet and a flute, warming up dutifully with a scale – one that shuffled up the steps on unsteady legs, each note planted in a watery sort of way, but with a dear earnestness.When I heard those notes tonight, I ambled over to give audience to the musicians. I’d

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-80570217622992677922009-12-14T20:15:00.002-05:002009-12-14T20:47:36.538-05:00

Advent Return: Day something or other:When I last left you, I hit "Publish post," coughed the little cough I had mentioned, and went to bed. I woke up to the illness that came from nowhere and knocked me on my backside. There were aches, there was congestion and stuffiness, there was upset tummy, there was fever and chills. So I armed myself with Tylenol Cold, and because medicine that can cause

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-76067564894314730232009-12-08T22:59:00.002-05:002009-12-08T23:12:42.304-05:00

Advent 10:I tell you what, somedays, I just have no idea what to write.I'm knackered, and I have a little cough - just a little one.It drizzled all day here, the water beaded on the office windows in tiny, relentless dashes. It was gray, and nearly dark at 3:50. I drove around after work, and poked about a few little shops on the Delmar Loop, tried on some slippers, looked at some jewelry,

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-8305106163986666122009-12-07T22:00:00.002-05:002009-12-07T22:08:41.289-05:00

Advent 9:On an airplane this morning, flying west over what must have been Kentucky or Tennessee, I watched a series of hills pass underneath us. The eastern sides were lit with light, their earth made plain, the western sides were yet shielded by the rising sun, and their earth was dark, hidden and cold looking.Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain shall be made low; the rough ground

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-63524775476830637632009-12-06T16:44:00.002-05:002009-12-06T16:46:07.514-05:00

Advent 8:Oh friends, I’m feeling pretty knackered today, and my brain feels fuzzy around the edgy – too fuzzy to write a neatly thought out advent reflection today.So I gratefully sing the love of Christ which calls me to rest,“I heard the voice of Jesus say, come unto me and rest,Lay down O weary one, your head upon my breast,I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, weak and sad,I found in Him my

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-53728359221973700412009-12-05T23:43:00.000-05:002009-12-05T23:44:09.209-05:00

Advent 7:Just yesterday, friend Andrew, the lovely Ann and I were talking faith, and Andrew said,“We’re spiritual beings having a physical experience not physical beings having a spiritual experience.”He was making the point that a lot of times all the noise of the world around us can distract us from the spiritual matter at hand, which can be true.But it sure got me thinking about this season

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-6813181073360050242009-12-04T23:39:00.001-05:002009-12-04T23:39:56.578-05:00

Advent 6:I was reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe today, and I came to the part where Mr. Beaver says of Edmund, “Treacherous.”In my mind I could hear the voice of my fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Smith who read the book aloud to us in her class. She did different voices, and the beavers were a trembly, creaky voice, and subsequently that is how I hear them whenever I read the story now.God

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-22687838950000600422009-12-03T23:40:00.002-05:002009-12-04T00:01:40.721-05:00

Advent Day 5:When I worked at the non-profit, I had the real privilege of leading the staff in worship every other Monday.My guitar skills are minimal, I can play chords in some semblance of song. My singing voice is fair, but not great - no one is ever going to call me Maria Callas. But the folks who asked me over looked that, and let me know that what I had to offer was fine.And so advent came

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-9011988762395463232009-12-02T21:52:00.003-05:002009-12-02T22:30:18.091-05:00

Advent Day 4 - And the glory of the Lord:And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and the flesh shall see it together for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.A couple of years ago, I got to take a trip out to Utah with a group of friends. I got the chance to go canyoneering because I had happened to fall in with a group of people who had a lot of know-how and gear. Two of them led outdoor

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-16181226421371490162009-12-01T20:32:00.003-05:002009-12-01T21:04:37.950-05:00

Advent Day 3 - Extraordinary kindness:As I was sitting with my Mother the other evening, a memory crossed my mind."Do you remember when the chimney sweep came to our house in Houston to clean the chimney, and he gave me a piece of red felt that he said had been caught in the chimney, and that it must have been from Santa Claus?""Yes," she said. "That was kind wasn't it? You were so excited to

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-18073173228379331572009-11-30T20:16:00.002-05:002009-11-30T20:53:24.028-05:00

Day 2 of Advent - The Holy Family:Are we all cozy now? Tucked well in for the night, windows shut against the cold, bellies warmed with some sturdy winter fare. Perhaps a pint of ale, or draught of wine nearby. Perhaps some handwork in your lap, or a puzzle before, and best of all to pass a winter eve - a story, a familiar one, one that we know by heart.Bring a torch, Jeannette IsabellaBring a

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-59619459718128035442009-11-29T23:13:00.000-05:002009-11-29T23:14:25.731-05:00

The first Sunday of Advent:There is a line in Bob Dylan’s “Song to Woody,” that always reminds me vividly of advent - that captures so poignantly the longing and the waiting that we enter into this season:…I wrote you a song‘Bout a funny ol’ world that’s a-comin’ along.Seems sick an’ it’s hungry, it’s tired an’ it’s torn,It looks like it’s dying an’ it’s hardly been born.Somehow, I can imagine

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-91657965755423137032009-11-23T17:22:00.001-05:002009-11-23T17:24:15.365-05:00

New York Tavern, and Lady GagaMy least favorite story as a kid, though I recall reading it often, and always with the same sense of disappointment, was “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”There were no talking animals. Not even elves. Just people, wicked, mean, and stupid people – how could the emperor and all his court be so taken in by those original dirty rotten scoundrels. Reading it was like

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-76189736823610434972009-11-23T01:15:00.000-05:002009-11-23T01:16:17.859-05:00

Keeping the FeastI’m thinking about what it means to keep the feast.It’s a funny little line in the liturgy.Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:Christ has died.Christ is risen.Christ will come again.Therefore, let us keep the feast.Let’s just chase a small rabbit for one moment: 23 words that contain an entire world history – faith, unseen and hoped for, thus a mystery, the known elements of

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-91903354725948100612009-11-14T23:04:00.013-05:002009-11-15T11:31:22.600-05:00

The District of Columbia is, like any city, a living-breathing organism. A great deal more than intersecting streets, public transportation and interesting bits of history. It is a city driven by largely by image, prestige, intellect and ambition.It's fit, young, has few smokers, is well educated. It's chockablock full of type-A folks who are out to change the world and who think they have a

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-58035634551575460632009-11-10T18:19:00.002-05:002009-11-10T18:36:41.031-05:00

Remembrance DayI was waiting to catch a flight out of St. Louis last Friday evening.There were a handful of servicemen and women - all Army, destined for Fort Sam Houston, waiting for the same flight. I noticed an older lady with frosted hair and lovely jewelry talking to them, engaging them, asking about themselves. I knew she must have been from Texas when I heard her say, "Well, bless your

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-80677062365343002712009-11-03T17:16:00.000-05:002009-11-03T17:17:10.664-05:00

In defense of VirtueThere was a heartbreaking story in the Wall Street Journal today, about a trend of the spouses of Alzheimer sufferers who begin to date even as their spouse sinks deeper into the depths of mental oblivion.The reporter says that, “Caregivers often face a stark choice: Either start an extramarital relationship and risk estrangement from friends and family – not to mention their

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-72322602413555485422009-10-31T17:30:00.013-04:002009-10-31T18:39:56.263-04:00

St. Louis Adventure 1:Well, when you move to a new place, you have to start somewhere in getting to know it. So today, I treated myself to a trip to the Bellefontaine Cemetery - final home of many of St. Louis' most prominent citizens:LindellBarnesAnheuserBuschDavid R. Francis - former governor.And the Prufrock family plot. The Prufrock's owned a furniture store in St. Louis, and the name lodged

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-79907625030063931342009-10-14T21:48:00.002-04:002009-10-14T22:00:33.581-04:00

I've been thinking about the gospel lately...I've been thinking about the subject of a sermon I heard around Easter, as I recall - the basic theme being that the "resurrection" changes everything.In my brain lately, I've been thinking about how the gospel of Christ changes everything - how it must change all of one's life or change nothing at all. Done halfway, and the changes seem only as good

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-5884005831223768852009-10-13T21:15:00.004-04:002009-10-13T22:12:03.190-04:00

Feathers and FluffI used to be a devoted fan of Monty Python as were most of my friends, we memorized sketches and recited them constantly...Which is to say that the sophmoric sketch about the Spanish Inquisition has been stuck in my head for a while.In the sketches there is a banal set up, a mild chat, a courtroom, whereupon three blokes dressed in red costumes burst in to shout, "No one expects

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-61411007391828938612009-09-22T15:18:00.002-04:002009-09-22T15:24:28.230-04:00

The Lord be with you,And also with you.Lift up your hearts.We lift them in pieces to the Lord, trusting that He will restore wholeness to them.It is meet, right and our bounden duty to lift our hearts at all times and in all places to the God who is near to us. Who desires not just to help us, but to heal us. Not merely to comfort us, but to transform us into the image of His perfect son, our

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-63098737725788536922009-09-11T11:11:00.002-04:002009-09-11T11:45:48.292-04:00

I had an 8 am class that day - piano lab in Tate Hall.It would be easy to write that when I got back to the dorm that day, the world had changed - and it had, but I didn't know it when I got back at 9 a.m.In fact, no one did.The classes had not been cancelled yet. I went to Music Theory in the Fine Arts Building, and still we did not know, we went on studying chords, and listening to their

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-6278617492295559362009-09-03T14:34:00.002-04:002009-09-03T15:10:56.446-04:00

A couple of nights this past week, I've woken up at 3 a.m. on the nose - once after an incredibly bizarre nightmare in which I was in a Civil War battle with minnie balls flying all about my ears, thanks sub-conscious.But I digress. Each time to my mind has flown from the reaches of my memory the snatches of a prayer from the Book of Common Prayer:"Be with those who watch and wait this night..."

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-25591157931461692122009-08-29T16:37:00.002-04:002009-08-29T16:39:37.801-04:00

I've been reading the book of Hosea, and been so struck by God's passion for His people, and His great desire to redeem them.How deeply humbling to know more deeply God's love.May He turn this Valley of Trouble into a Door of Hope, and may His name be glorious.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-54939596997566203282009-08-26T08:43:00.004-04:002009-08-26T08:48:32.056-04:00

My pastor in college spoke often of building holy habits: studying scripture, worshiping, being in community with the body of Christ.So I find myself in church on Tuesdays, down at the local Anglican fellowship.There's the most beautiful little garden outside the chapel. The back of the chapel is a wall of floor to ceiling windows through which you can see the cross in its usual place behind the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-56651073478428950392009-08-23T13:50:00.002-04:002009-08-23T14:03:51.638-04:00

My God, how the storm thrashes. How it threatens to overturn my little bark.My God, how fearsome is the storm.Church again today. Thank God, Sunday comes every single week, talk about miracles.The last thing I read when I went to bed last night were Brother Job's words, "The Lord gave and the Lord takes away, may the name of the Lord be praised."And that was the prayer on my lips as I closed my

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-78225940940271801772009-08-22T15:33:00.002-04:002009-08-22T15:39:41.229-04:00

For the purposes of our writing today, let’s rename grief as soul trauma, and let’s say that it occurs when that proverbial rug is yanked out from under your feet, it occurs when things of great sadness happen, and it seems the more I live I’m learning that great sadness is not confined to specific situations, like death. Great sadness, soul trauma, as it were, can occur when all that one hoped

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-12189911904342582052009-08-21T01:00:00.002-04:002009-08-21T01:48:21.115-04:00

The late night writing shift just came on board.Punched in at the time clock, threw their stuff in the locker. Sat down to start pounding away at the image the day shift left on deck.When knees were skinned as a kid, my Grandmother's treatment was a thick, goupy salve. I think it was called Black salve, though it was creamy white and thicker than vaseline.It had a distinctive smell that is

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-67273715202335297022009-08-20T15:00:00.002-04:002009-08-20T15:26:44.708-04:00

The old gray dog is crunched up in his chair, his head pillowed by a little red stuffed toy. His nose is twitching like he's smelling a delicate dream smell, his ears moving to delicate dream sounds.Somehow this is comforting to me in ways that I can't explain. God gave us good companions when He gave us dogs.As I walked out the door this morning to head to the library, I saw a brilliant blue jay

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-8940483484612975522009-08-15T22:06:00.002-04:002009-08-15T22:20:14.925-04:00

Chapel Choir and OrchestraWhen I was a junior in high-school, I joined the Chapel Choir and Orchestra at the First Baptist Church of Dallas.At the time it was a great to do something I liked - play my saxophone in a band, hang out with my friends and go on Choir tours to Alaska and to Atlanta.What I didn't know was how influential an experience that would be in my life. In all the rehearsals, in

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-79396742085485832052009-08-12T18:22:00.002-04:002009-08-12T18:51:29.354-04:00

Hail.Of the advice I have received in recent weeks, there is some, a particular vein, that rings not true within me, and puzzles me as I both know that it is a widely accepted train of thought in our culture, as I don't know that it has been ever before in places where honor and virtue were valued.And that is the advice to have a nice long wallow, to feel the extent of this pain to its utmost, to

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-20119900585988082692009-08-09T14:26:00.003-04:002009-08-09T14:40:32.460-04:00

Sabbath RestI attended church today at ChristChurch, Plano, Tx.The sermon reminded of God's commitment to us, of what He endured to rescue us, of how Christ came to rescue us because it was the Father's will that we might be reconciled.But what really got to me was a couple of things:One, one of the ushers who collected the offering was a young man with Down's syndrome. It was he, who brought the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-64934731534645067482009-08-07T00:16:00.002-04:002009-08-07T00:18:30.111-04:00

There were the most beautiful clouds surrounding the moon tonight.Round moon.It looked like if you could find where the clouds touched the earth, that you'd be able to walk right up them, up to the moon, and then follow them past to where e'er they led in the deep satiny heavens.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-67338269197244164932009-08-05T23:52:00.001-04:002009-08-05T23:53:33.420-04:00

My mom and I watched a satellite flash across the sky to night, so far up in the heavens that it seemed like a dream."We used to lie in front yard and watch the Sputnik," she said. "It was so exciting."

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-66327009964722106342009-08-04T22:13:00.003-04:002009-08-04T22:17:45.498-04:00

Church again today. No mockingbird to wonder at the cross the week, but the truth remains the same.And the gospel passage from Mark, where Jesus heals the blind man at Bethsaida.Jesus touches him twice.The first time, the man can only see fuzzy things, the people, he says, look like trees.The second time, his sight is restored.And then a few verses later, Peter confesses that Jesus is the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-11548478916774208362009-08-03T20:11:00.002-04:002009-08-03T20:18:13.083-04:00

Another long walk today.And the thought that kept coming to me was, "Can you be still and wait?""Yes, Lord, I can be still and wait with your help."And that truly is all one can do sometimes.The other thought I had was that Jesus can heal today. He can heal today. And He can redeem our sorrows.So I wait expectantly on Him. I have great hope, and I'm sure my hope will not be disappointed.There are

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-19995143724172383942009-08-02T13:31:00.002-04:002009-08-02T13:37:52.700-04:00

I heard the most beautiful adaptation of the 23 Psalm this morning at church by Francis Patrick O'Brien.My shepherd is the Lord, for nothing shall I want; green are the pastures where I'm led to repose. Near waters still and deep God will refresh my soul, I am led onwward in ways true to the Name.Guide me, O Shephered of my heart; lead me homeward through the dark into everlasting day. Show me

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-86147452881486567772009-07-31T20:23:00.002-04:002009-07-31T20:41:04.980-04:00

Last night I read that familiar passage in Romans 8.The one that tells us that all things work together for good. The one that says that nothing not present, nor future can separate us from the love of Christ.And it got me thinking about why we humans have this capacity for regret, is it linked to remorse? Is it because we have enough perspective of time to realize that our past is there behind

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-84287868023875813102009-07-29T19:52:00.002-04:002009-07-29T19:58:04.620-04:00

I'm not sure how it's possible to experience moments of joy, and gratitude, in confusion and sadness, and so I am sure it has to be a kindness of God.Today, on my run, a beautiful butterfly pratically flew in my face. That made me laugh. Then I nearly ran over, on foot, a baby bunny who just happened to be crossing the sidewalk in front of me. That made me smile too.I'm trying to understand what

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-61294570112897472992009-07-28T14:07:00.003-04:002009-07-28T14:12:20.492-04:00

MockingbirdMy Mom and I went to a church service down at the local Anglican church today. It included the 121 Psalm - I lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my help...And the priest preached about waiting upon the Lord's purpose and plan.Both of those things are very good to reflect upon, but my favorite part was when a mockingbird lighted on the cross outside the window behind the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-25958295760969816362009-07-27T23:57:00.002-04:002009-07-28T00:00:20.694-04:00

I'm in the middle of a great sadness.But I am profoundly grateful for the love and support of my family and friends. They are truly being the body of Christ to me. What a tremendous kindness of God, to give relationships to us, to comfort us through other people.Lord, thank you for your kindness. For food, and for sleep. For legs to run with and eyes to cry with, and hands to play piano with.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-14239759203233549012009-07-18T11:01:00.002-04:002009-07-18T11:16:49.479-04:00

Heard this story on NPR this morningThe lede of it seemed like it was going to be about a daughter who lovingly restored the 1956 Thunderbird that her parents drove on their honeymoon as a gift for the 50th anniversary.But when the reporter talked with the couple who driving the Thunderbird on their second honeymoon, it quickly appeared that the story was really this delightful couple who were

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-60432528112534894622009-07-08T15:04:00.000-04:002009-07-08T15:04:45.023-04:00

Crystal City, Missouri

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-41493915249767346672009-06-21T15:09:00.003-04:002009-06-21T15:12:36.518-04:00

Sometimes you just have to pick up where you are now, instead of picking up where you left off - that's always the desire though when time's passed. January was a long time and several cross country trips ago, but here I sit in a capital Capitol in the middle of a glorious Sabbath, and it calls me once more to itself, to sit, to rest, to be and wonder.So off I go.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-18602173775212259702009-01-15T07:22:00.002-05:002009-01-15T08:10:03.268-05:00

Hey Momma,Are you ready to get back on the speech train?Cause we're back with Elizabeth Glaser's address to the 1992 Democratic convention in New York.I'm not usually the one to look up the back story on the speakers, but I did here and found the Elizabeth Glaser contracted HIV from a blood transfusion she got while giving birth to her daughter in 1981, she passed the virus to her daughter

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-22925436713881906072008-11-05T00:30:00.003-05:002008-11-05T00:35:16.696-05:00

DC is going off - horns and firecrackers - like I haven't heard since we lived in Buenos Aires and the soccer team won the world cup.There's too much to say in this moment...But one thing I love most is this:I took my Baltimore kids to the aquarium once, and caught the eyes of some of the other patrons as they took in my "city" kids, and looked disdainfully at them.I've heard the kids I taught

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-85407559252419927312008-11-04T13:02:00.002-05:002008-11-04T13:03:11.411-05:00

Looking to follow the fun at home - Color in your very own Electoral College Map hereCheers

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-72702006347343972302008-11-04T09:14:00.002-05:002008-11-04T09:28:27.310-05:00

The Star Spangled Banner's going back on display this year. It's been restored and patched up and loved on by gentle hands. It's a fragile fabric, and deserves tender care.This morning, I stood quietly in line with my neighbors and cast my vote to peacefully change our government. That the particular event of Election Day has occured regularly and peacefully in our country really is a

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-47400706784630585592008-11-01T23:41:00.004-04:002008-11-02T00:53:14.385-04:00

Debs for PresidentNow the story goes that when women finally got the vote, there was a dust up between my great grand-parents Lily and John. John was for Debs, Lily for the other guy. Lily asked John to drive her into town to cast her vote, and John said he wouldn't if she wasn't voting for Debs - disenfranchisement even then. Lily said that she'd just drive herself to town - good for her, I

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-78222529574266789042008-10-14T23:13:00.002-04:002008-10-14T23:33:40.320-04:00

That little guy is my brother - he is sometimes very serious. He's sitting with my Uncle Jess on a gracious porch in Barnhart, Missouri. That coffee cup that Jess is drinking from is now in my parent's cabinet, my brother and I both like to drink from it when we're home. What you can't see in the picture is that my brother's curls are red.My big brother's birthday is 10/15! So I thought I'd take

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-33258665097132224642008-10-13T09:41:00.002-04:002008-10-13T09:58:03.370-04:00

And well, here's Sanger:Choosing to believe the best of people, I don't think Sanger means to be patently offensive in her speech. It seems that she instead passionately believes that children should not come into this world, but that the world be properly prepared to care for them.I mean, how many people, including myself, have said, "You ought to have a license to be a parent."?But her

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-69126321612101932352008-10-11T14:39:00.004-04:002008-10-11T14:47:13.848-04:00

Weekly Wrap:Well friends and loyal readers lets just recap the week, shall we:Monday: In office till 11 p.m. finishing learning plans for students prior to Tuesday launch of reading program.Tuesday: Uhh - sleepy, office work, reading program - convincing children that reading is both important and fun.Wednesday: Attend my first ever Yom Kippur at Temple Sinai. Packed house. Beautiful

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-9212946685199257912008-10-08T08:35:00.002-04:002008-10-08T08:37:46.297-04:00

Okay, you know what? Margret Sanger is crazy, and I can't even deal with her speech. So I'm probably skipping it. Look for new speeches soon - if I don't start the project again, I've been told I'll lose my loyal readership.In other business, on the right hand side under web links, you'll find a link to Little Lights Urban Ministries where I work. It's our brand new website and it has a blog!

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-36852583738186791102008-09-23T23:21:00.001-04:002008-09-23T23:25:15.082-04:00

In the Meantime...You know, when work and the achievement gap get you down, a little Tyra-Tyra and Next Top Model can pick you right back up.Love it.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-45457421895008641032008-08-27T18:09:00.001-04:002008-08-27T18:11:45.408-04:00

I'm totally baffled by today's speech.There are some nice turns of phrase, but the themes seem confused and muddled. Right when they are about to take off and argue for a better world, she kills them. We're left with the frightening idea that the darkness is all we have.I guess you can't win 'em all.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-70913478832814240542008-08-26T07:33:00.003-04:002008-08-26T08:25:10.950-04:00

Well that's just wildly interesting. I had no idea I'd get a suffregette speech this morning. Nor that I'd learn how to make a woman a "nearly human thing".I was amazed by how many of the platforms remain the same: Economic independence, reproductive choice, equal pay. And was amazed also about how far back the stereotype of men helpless in the house goes back. But I wonder how true it really was

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-33714375277026740182008-08-25T07:34:00.002-04:002008-08-25T07:58:19.176-04:00

Southern GothicI declare it. I declare this to be my favorite speech. Not because I like Huey P. Long though he embodies one of the last courthouse step politicians, nor because I agree with his economic policy which could be described as three sheets to the wind among other things, but because this speech is so deliciously Southern.It's Faulkner and Flannery and Penn Warren all at once, it is

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-51368700335013550342008-08-24T13:30:00.001-04:002008-08-24T13:30:19.629-04:00

It’s been a blogging dry spell, travel plus visitors plus new roommates with a CAT! And work, have made blogging a little tough, but I’m back with thoughts re: Gerald Ford’s remarks on taking the oath of office.We’ve heard Mr. Ford before, and here again I was surprised by his calmness and humble certitude.It’s typically a joyous occasion – there are parades and glad waving, there a ball gowns

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-9192373771023320402008-08-15T17:42:00.002-04:002008-08-15T18:01:31.102-04:00

Not going lie, I was not prepared for this speech, rather I wasn't prepared to be a little humbled by this speech.There I was yesterday, knowing it was by Cesar Chavez, and thinking "Not another organizing speech."And so knowing I needed to listen yesterday, I got through my day, and then as though careening through the closing auditorium door, sat down to read the speech, ready to hurry through

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-73882746126036352702008-08-13T20:24:00.002-04:002008-08-13T21:32:01.293-04:00

Good gracious, we've got a lot of ground to cover.My goodness The Rebel Girl's speech was long, I found myself in the middle of it ready to acquit simply from fatigue of detail.But here's the kicker - don't we all imagine, or maybe just the nerdy ones who think about things like "What was the Red Scare like?" that communists are people with sharp teeth and Nosferatu like features who are sliking

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-3067838338573545272008-08-07T08:21:00.002-04:002008-08-07T08:41:00.887-04:00

MalaiseThis speech gives it to me. No wonder Reagan won in a landslide - his optimisim must have knocked all this doom and gloom to pieces.I found this speech irrelavent, given the fact that we're now in another "energy crisis" and canidates are still talking about dependence on foreign oils.Now, I can imagine this speech being given on a Sunday night service by a guest preacher in late, dusty

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-71852680988452834542008-08-06T20:32:00.002-04:002008-08-06T20:39:48.463-04:00

"The evil men do lives after them. The good that men do is oft interred with their bones."I don't know very much about Malcolm X, though I just read the wikipedia entry on him.I looked for some analysis of this speech, to see why on earth it might have been included, but came up empty.It is a speech filled with beliefs contrary to my own. It is a speech that promotes divisiveness and hate. It is

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-58441258933349230282008-08-05T17:33:00.000-04:002008-08-05T17:34:51.975-04:00

BTW - Above is Bobby McGee.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-50912835097853842932008-08-05T09:24:00.004-04:002008-08-05T09:34:58.780-04:00

I cheated. Just a little bit. After I listened to this speech, I listened to Reagan's speech after the Challenger - I wanted to know what differed, why the speeches were ranked in such different places.A couple of things stood out, and I tried to remember the national tragedies that have fallen during my life time and what the response has been.I remember the Challenger.I remember much more

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-29557756057726652012008-08-04T07:28:00.003-04:002008-08-04T07:35:29.482-04:00

Rousing could not apply to today's speech.I was nonplussed by it. I'll allow the benefit of the doubt to say I would have been more moved by hearing it.Though I haven't researched it, I think that many of the things in the ammendment have come to pass. I noted with interest that she calls for equality in no longer permitting schools to segregate by sex, when now there is a movement in the public

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-22694839145727440712008-08-03T10:08:00.002-04:002008-08-03T10:59:37.325-04:00

1987 - I was four, and I knew Ronald Reagan was President.It's a shame that people my age weren't made to study great speeches in school, or made to study more the important events that happened in our own lives.I do remember the Berlin Wall coming down, and young as I was, it was impossible not to see the fervor and passion of that moment.And then suddenly there was no more U.S.S.R. No more

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-64353251801601395182008-08-02T10:28:00.002-04:002008-08-02T10:45:33.490-04:00

Today's speech was different - the voice not of a leader, but of a witness to the unimaginable suffering of the concentration camp.What his speech called to mind to me were the words of a minister I met in London who worked with the homeless at the Hinde Street Mission. He said that the homeless were stripped of their humanity - passersby did not look at them, or speak to them, or acknowledge in

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-79327315232479190872008-08-01T06:57:00.002-04:002008-08-01T07:57:49.947-04:00

The lawyer makes his caseAlthough I was not there and can't imagine the time, I do recall that when I read "All the Presidents' Men" I was shocked and apalled. I kept asking my parents what it was like, if it really happened that way, was everyone outraged.My most lasting impression of Ford is the image of him falling down the steps of Air Force One. I know he was a lawyer, from Michigan, and

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-83189895628163545512008-07-31T06:57:00.003-04:002008-07-31T07:29:23.467-04:00

No audio of the speech today, so the merits must be weighed on the sense of the words and sentiments.In my earliest knowledge of Wilson, I remember feeling badly that the man had worked so diligently on the League only to be thwarted by his homeland in its failure to ratify the document, later this feeling of sympathy gave way to a sense that Wilson must have been out of touch with the country -

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-70613797993454910362008-07-30T17:35:00.002-04:002008-07-30T18:10:02.464-04:00

Lady Bird wore black:His mouth is drawn tight, the chamber subdued and in dark clothing, it is 5 days past Kennedy's assination, and what on earth can anyone say?This speech is both a mourning and call. It is perhaps impossible to listen to in the same trust of government that accompanied that time before Vietnam, and Watergate and all the rest of it. It is difficult to hear Johnson speak of

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-37015386769078844012008-07-29T07:29:00.002-04:002008-07-29T08:01:40.593-04:00

"Have you no sense of deceny"Who, I asked, was Joseph N. Welch? No doubt, my mother knew, as now do I.As chief counsel for the Army during the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954, Welch went toe to toe with Joe McCarthy in a manner that censured the Senator for his reckless cruelty, yet sacrificed none of Welch's own dignity.The hearings were televised over about 188 hours, and it was seeing McCarthy

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-61070746684122039612008-07-28T07:00:00.002-04:002008-07-28T07:19:19.680-04:00

Best Laid Plans:My mother sent me this link to the "100 Great Speeches" - there are some absences, notably Bryan's "Cross of Gold," as well as one of Teddy Roosevelt's whose title escapes me.At a time when much is being said of inspiration in speeches, and in a time where it would seem great futures are being decided, I have chosen to add to my morning routine a speech a day from 100 to 1.Today

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-68723685333006707242008-07-27T14:11:00.000-04:002008-07-27T14:12:02.534-04:00

Dear Mama and Daddy,It’s high summer and I’ve been reminded by a good man that it’s been ages since I blogged.I bought a bicycle. And have been biking to work. She’s a blue beauty with more than one speed. And this shows up one of the fundamental differences between the old roommate, who also has been biking to work, and me.Everyday the roommate bikes the 2 miles to her work thinking “I’m saving

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-42542002729931002092008-04-29T18:36:00.001-04:002008-04-29T18:36:57.317-04:00

Gentle readers,I don’t usually shoot blogs from the hip, which is probably why I’ve amassed the small number of 191 posts since 2003. I like to think, write and not ramble, want to offer tidy sentences that always wrap up like bright ribbons at the endBut on this the 29th day of the fourth month of 2008, I offer you a ramble. I’m a quarter of a century, folks, I’ve earned a good ramble haven’t I?

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-56196515008437080142008-03-26T08:14:00.000-04:002008-03-26T08:15:39.231-04:00

I have never been camping.I have only been skiing once.What am I doing this week? Thanks for asking. I’m skiing! And camping!Going to REI to pick up warm socks and a violently purple pair of long underwear, was like embarking on an anthropological experiment. Who were these people in quick-dry shorts, hiking shoes and vests? Who were these children trying on hiking shoes? Why is that man running

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-25873232230807635602008-03-10T23:23:00.001-04:002008-03-10T23:24:46.049-04:00

Here's March, roaring in like a lion..Spring's on the way, and everything's right with the world.

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-75072276980824373262008-02-21T20:05:00.011-05:002008-02-21T20:27:46.724-05:00

I can see the Baltimore Harbor out my window. And I never thought about the word harbor much before I spent several Saturday mornings with a cup of coffee contemplating the view outside. Harbor, a place of safety from the sea's vicissitudes. My Dad frequently asks me if my ship has coming in yet. To which a year ago I said, "It's not coming for another year," or "The only ship I'm interested in

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-45757860385082272502008-02-11T22:03:00.000-05:002008-02-11T22:36:46.467-05:00

I've heard it said that I haven't blogged in a while.There are a thousand and 1 excuses - I will now list all of them:1. It is winter and my fingers are too numb to type.2. Spending vast amounts of time with 10 year olds has rendered me incapable of adult thought.3. The hamster that runs on the wheel that generates power for my computer died.4. My double life of teacher/super hero leaves no time

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-34628085554351250982008-01-10T19:28:00.000-05:002008-01-10T20:53:27.540-05:00

Well, Happy New Year to all. The year slipped in on nascent wings, as it always does, and to the clatter of pie pans from the front stoop and the barking of an old gray dog. And here we are in winter, but lo, my heart is happy for spring is on the way.Here is typically the paragraph where I relate my concluding thoughts on 2007, and impart to you my hopes and dreams for 2008. But I'm passing on

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-53463828969299137072007-12-20T22:18:00.001-05:002007-12-20T22:33:29.979-05:00

Dear Mama and Daddy,I talked with the birthday girl earlier this evening - what a pretty picture of her and Daddy and Jimmy and Nancy out to dinner with candles in their desert bowls. She reported that she thinks she'll only feel older when she sees a change in the mirror, and that she feels a lot wiser than she did on her ninth birthday, citing the fact that she knew the names and capitols of 36

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-82132918550814591562007-12-17T08:55:00.000-05:002007-12-17T09:01:30.217-05:00

A Developing story:It's the morning here, clear and crisp and full of hope."A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." ~ Arthur Miller, Death of a SalesmanAll territories require dreams of some sort, and today starts the finding out of what does happen to a dream deferred. I've got my own suspicions friends, but we'll not delineate them now.For now it is enough to know that I

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-81552469354018865162007-12-07T06:33:00.000-05:002007-12-07T06:43:50.168-05:00

From the mouths of real, live fourth graders:"Can we through Juan out the window?"While working on a capitalization worksheet:Student: I don't know if it should be capitalized or not...Ms. Alsup: Well, what do you think?Student: I'm just so torn, it could be.Student, very excited: Ms. Alsup, I'm having an abolitionist day.Ms. Alsup: Do you mean abyssmal?Student: Oh yeah, abyssmal."Ms. Alsup, why

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-90771401377335136312007-12-04T16:52:00.000-05:002007-12-04T17:27:25.140-05:00

Dear Mama and Daddy,Supposed to snow tomorrow. Much as I hate the cold, there's still enough Texas kid in me to get excited for it.The first time I saw snow was in Houston, it was the lightest dusting but still enough to cover the old Weber charcoal grill. I think we had an old black charcoal grill. Did I just make this memory up? It doesn't seem like it.Then I wanted to play in it, and in a

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-69104371864013467242007-12-03T17:38:00.000-05:002007-12-03T18:01:43.343-05:00

Well friends, it's another week in Baltimore with the Light Brigade (see Crimean War, see Tennyson.) However, the balance of time has tipped and I'm looking toward the light at the end of the tunnel. And that feels awfully damn good.A couple educational thoughts:If we want to change schools for the better we've got to ensure that school principals are qualified and effective administrators and

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-78323405020317967642007-11-29T19:18:00.000-05:002007-11-29T19:32:43.668-05:00

Today, I watched a kid walk away from a fight. He might fight tomorrow, or the day after, but today he walked away. That counts.There's street and school, I say. What works out there won't work in here. So show me the people you want to be. You can leave the fourth grade ignorant or you can leave smart. Your choice. It works, the kids sit up straight. Even my little boys who fancy themselves

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-1816716546026345212007-11-28T21:05:00.000-05:002007-11-28T21:08:40.555-05:00

Poking my eyes out with the 2nd Ammendment:I'm just watching a little bit of the Republican Youtube debate - it would be great if they debated, but it's like a competition where the winner is the man who can stay on message and mention multiple platforms - i.e. I believe in guns and having a mom and dad, while maintaing a fiscally responsibility government. Moms, dads and guns keep our borders

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-38949257780837695722007-11-13T20:15:00.000-05:002007-11-13T20:16:09.486-05:00

An Open Letter Home:Dear Mama and Daddy,“The North wind doth blow, and we shall have snow,” soon enough. The winter is bearing down, and as the city hunches its shoulders against the chill the recesses of my soul turn to a house opened to summer, ice tea on the table and that Alsup laughter which buoys up so much. How I wish to be telling stories with you all.I went to church this week, and had

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-28583402521776902222007-11-08T15:58:00.001-05:002007-11-08T16:26:07.913-05:00

I'm going to go on the record and say that today was a less than radiant day in the fourth grade.I lost my voice in the middle of the day, a hoarse whisper was all I could do. Not surprisingly, it was difficult to control the 10 year-olds with the power of my mind.But as a comrade of mine would say, "Ain't nobody die."There's also a very annoying child in one of my classes. He's often absent, for

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-43831957653919222312007-10-30T19:11:00.000-04:002007-10-30T19:27:17.296-04:00

Board of Dreams:Nine students today, and my co-worker. We are a team. We are commanders of armies on a field of 64 squares, from the oldest to our second grader, who moved the toughest, roughest middle school boy to laughter today.We groan when it is time to go. We are learning to play strong chess, to castle early, to think before we move, to keep the hands back from the board, to control the

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-36227067676673852302007-10-24T20:09:00.000-04:002007-10-24T20:19:34.685-04:00

Still hereThere were eight students at Chess club this week, and more are on the way. Five middle school boys.Two fourth grade girls.One co-worker, one grandmother of a middle schooler.And one round and eager gentleman from the second grade.They groaned when it was time to go home. And for a second we felt like a team, united in a purpose - to play a game of war on a board of 64 checkered squares

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-68057939097690135112007-10-09T20:37:00.001-04:002007-10-09T20:50:59.854-04:00

It's raining here in Baltimore. I was on my way to bed and I got caught up in the lightning. Watching it crack against the sky over Baltimore, where the air has been full for days of storms waiting to burst.Some jazz crackling through the stereo, and storms rolling in. And maybe things will:cool off.slow down.mellow out.Maybe I'llworry less.rest more.My days at school are mostly good. Hectic, yes

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929012.post-78045899618358591322007-10-08T05:34:00.001-04:002007-10-08T05:53:05.874-04:00

No matter how hard I try to remind myself that I will not have to teach forever, or how much I try to remember all I have to be thankful for, somedays just feel like Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade."Half a league, half a leagueHalf a league onwardAll in the Valley of Death Rode the six hundred...'Forward the Light Brigade!Was there a man dismayed?Not tho' the soldier knewSomeone had

Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16197338581621641314noreply@blogger.com1