2007 Spring Break: A Day in Concord MA (one of my favorite places)

I believe.

My hero.

My good friend and I are the ultimate tree huggers!

Pics from Massanutten

 

 

 

Sunday Thoughts at Massanutten

Out walking early, maybe 6:45 or so.  Behind the cool, blue mountaintops, hot fuchsia.  Crows--loud.  Chickadees.  Canada geese and three mallards.  A startled Blue Heron.  I pick up a pine cone and feel its scalloped edges.  It's one of those long ones, perfectly shaped.  A woodpecker clatters on top an early spring tree, still gray and leafless, but not foodless.  The stream runs.  It falls over some rocks and into a shallow.  There's this bamboo kind of stuff, grayish tan, somewhat brittle.  I break it in half, peel off thin strings of the outer bark, then crack the whole tube open.  Inside is spongy, then sawdust-like.  It's marshmallow colored. I wish there was a way to always know the names of things.

Why the Title, Katherine?

I launched this blog May 31, 2007 as a way to separate my "fun" writing from my more serious pieces on Tenacious Poodle (originally entitled "Luxurious Choices" to match my old website's name).  While I like the title "Bull Run Writings," mostly for the alliteration and memories garnered at Bull Run Regional Park, I find there is not much writing going on here and that it's certainly not all about Bull Run, perhaps because initially, I was merely attempting to escape my obsession with Manassas Battlefield and redirect my attention.  I soon discovered, however, that the historic and hiking experiences I had in Manassas were not those I found at Bull Run.

Bull Run Regional has a history of its own, and it's left in me indelible memories of digging in the sand playground with its unique concrete tubes, swimming and splashing in the water park and toasting marshmallows at night next to our camping cabin.  The trails, alive especially during Bluebell season, provided Shiba and I hours of easy strolling.  (In fact, someone even wrote an article about the park and interviewed me, asking questions about why Shiba and I walked there.)  Wading up to our knees in the cool creek, seeking salamanders, spotting minnows and other small fish and collecting fresh water shells have been part of our Bull Run experience.  And yet, I've not written about these adventures for a long time.

I have taken plenty of photos, however.  In fact, you will discover at least half of this blog is devoted to photos of family, friends and nature, as well as short vacations.  But again, not much writing has been posted, and for that, I feel a bit guilty about abandoning the original purpose of this blog.  I feel bad for it, like it's lonely or something.  Ridiculous, right?  However, writing is a living thing, a fluid thing, similar to things in Bull Run Regional Park.  Photos, kids' quotes and art are also alive in their own way, but the name of this blog is misleading, and I don't like to mislead people. 

I could change the name name, maybe to something like "Inspired by Bull Run Regional."  That would have the alliteration I like, as well as the accuracy I'm seeking. I'll think about it, brainstorm, as writers are wont to do.  Then I'll decide.

In fact, I think I just did.

Our Ten Year Anniversary

September 21, 2012 David and I celebrated ten years of marriage.  We went back to the resort in the  Poconos (PA) where we had our honeymoon.  Though we ended up in a different section of the resort, Cove Haven, it turned out better than expected.  There were many more activities than those offered at Paradise Stream.  Had a wonderfully romantic weekend--just now getting some pictures up here and into our scrapbooks.

Thanks to more activity on this blog, I got to review the stark difference between my two separate writing worlds.  Tenacious Poodle very much represents my more serious side, the aspect of my personality that processes life in all its complexity, confusion and often, darkness.  Bull Run Writings reminds me life is both Yin and Yang, that one cannot exist without the other, that fun, external stimuli has an amazing way of restoring the mind and heart.  This is all to say I need to get out more.

Yesterday, we took a trip to Hershey Park.  My inner child had a blast.  I really wish we had the means of going away on weekends on a regular basis, but we don't yet.  Time and money are finite, and even when I save the money, which I have been better at lately, there is a limit to our energy levels.  David faces a full work-week come Mondays, and he needs his down time, which I understand completely.  And I tend to work a little even on weekends.  Actually, when I am marketing my books and grading, I tend to work quite a bit on weekends, which leaves me little reserve for the stress that comes my way Monday through Friday.  All this leads me to thinking that I need to find a way to get some lazy fun in throughout the week, as well.

It will be a lot easier to relax more during the week when our community pool opens.  I love laying (lying?  Shit, I can't remember) in the sun, soaking up that Vitamin D, getting that tan health nuts disapprove of, wearing less makeup because I have color and fewer zits, zoning out to the sound of kids splashing, taking a dip if I feel like it, and if I don't, who cares?  My nails and hair grow in the summer.  My mood improves, not only because of the light, but because of the laziness I don't feel I have to justify.  I don't know why this is, unless it's that I have been conditioned to believe summer is for fun, the rest of the year for brain-straining work.  That's what happens when we give kids summers off from school.  Sometimes I think shorter days throughout the year would be a lot better, providing everyone consistency and more time to chill during the chilly months.

I really don't understand the myth that vacation bulimia, binging then fasting, is healthy.  We need to model Europe and other countries more.  And let's not forget a good siesta.  I am a firm believer in cots at the work place.  Nothing better than an hour power-nap to improve productivity.  Seriously, I really think I could write and grade more in the evenings if I had some recoup time off throughout the rest of the day.  Appointments, though, are just killer. Not only can I barely keep track of them, I resent them.  I have actually closed my eyes in waiting rooms if I haven't had a nap.  I don't quite fall asleep, but I at least get into the zone that makes me feel a little more rested.  I also try to get work done while I am in waiting mode.  Then I don't have to do it later, and I can take the rest of the night off to watch stupid vampire movies with hubby as I do light exercise.  If I teach during the day, I don't have to do quite so much exercise because my job requires pacing, walking, lifting and bending, and I stave off boredom and lethargy.

I can't forget my writing life, no matter what I decide to do.  My morning brain barfs are important to me.  My creative synthesis of thought is a crucial part of my intellectual and mental health.  It's therapy, it's habit, it's a part of me that I will never abandon. It's a passion, one I love sharing with others not just through my own writing, but through encouraging theirs.  When I motivate people to write, help them improve their writing and learn from their journeys and thought processes, I kind of get high.  When I tell my students I love them, I mean it.  They probably think I am a little weird, but I don't care because I AM a little weird.  At least they know I am dedicated, and most of them find me amusing enough to want to show up for class.  Being in a class with a sideshow is always appealing. I know I always appreciated it when I was in school.  There's nothing worse than a boring class.

I try to make my classes fun, not only because I have fun when I do it (I say to my students, "It's about ME, not YOU" and they laugh), but because it has been proven that enjoying learning yields more learning.  I'm a big fan of educational games. I am also a fan of boundaries, though, because you can't learn if your class is in chaos.  Fortunately, I work with adults who mostly understand this. I am not stuck with the responsibility of keeping my students from eating crayons though, given my setting in a jail, I do have to watch what they leave class with, and that can be a challenge.  Students are searched before they come to class, but it would be nice if they were searched as they are coming out, too.  This is another topic, though, because the officers are already overworked. It's trying enough for them to get  students safely from cells to classroom.

I have very little time now to get myself cleaned up for my writing group which I supposedly facilitate.  Sometimes I dread it because it's a strain to keep people on task and give everyone floor time.  We only have an hour or so. I might invest in an egg timer.    I've lead the group for almost five years now (seriously? Holy shit!) and have considered handing the leadership off to someone else. 

I've noticed I've started most of my paragraphs with "I" which is a no-no.  Screw it.  I am about to be late, and this blog entry is about ME, not you.  Ha! 

An 11-year long date!

Honey and I celebrating 11  years since our first date March 15, 2001!  

 

This place--Spring Farm Retreat--was just beautiful.  Would love to be back there right now. And yes, there was a train within hearing distance! Ha!