discipline-deficit disorder ?

Attention teachers! New terminology heard today on CBC Radio One: discipline-deficit disorder

Yesterday my brother and I checked out a used bookstore and I found 2 books about Haiku:

1. Haiku in English by Harold G. Henderson
2. the gathering wave by alvaro cardona-hine

Tonight, I plan to hop over to the Merchant Ale house for the Grey Borders readings by a couple of authors.

1. http://www.wier.ca/mchristakos.html
2. http://www.timconley.ca/

There might not be too many people because they've been predicting a double-whammy of winter storms. Ron is on his way from Wainfleet. My cousin was 'released' from Meaford for the funeral. I imagine the army likes the idea of a guy in uniform acting as a pall-bearer. Worked for us. He may come out as well.

My art classes tomorrow are cancelled, not due to weather, but to Valentine's day bingo for the kiddies in Grade 2. Can't say I blame them. Be a good time to start the lino cuts, if all my lesson plans are in order. In the evening the local secular humanist society is planning to celebrate Darwin's birthday at a Chinese buffet restaurant, next to a Wal-mart. My mind is reeling.

Sad news

I have just found out that my grandfather passed away this morning. My father has selected me to be a pall bearer on Monday. Other than that, I will also have to help remove my Gramps' stuff from the nursing home Friday or else they will be charging our family over $300 a day.

I may need to skip the Mad Science party. I did not know I would be needed to help my dad empty out my Gramps' room so soon.

I will be cleaning the Mansion in the morning, and then teaching at St. Michaels in NOTL from 10 a. m. until 2 pm. Please do not phone me until these classes are over. The teachers and I are prepared for lessons on 2D shapes.

I will have to miss the regularly scheduled meeting at Mad Science, but I should be able to pick up the materials necessary for the birthday party in the evening, including bubble solution, dish soap, t-shirts, PVA, Sodium Borate solution, cups, stir sticks, and whatever else. I would appreciate it if someone could pick up the dry ice for me. I will go directly from St. Michaels on Highway 55 to the Mad Science lab. I currently have a birthday kit in my living room. If I put it in the car in the morning it will be with me all day. There is nothing in the kit that would freeze.
As far as I understand, the party is in St. Catharines, and starts at 5:45 p.m. and will continue for approximately one hour.

After the party is over I will be going to meet my dad.

I will need Monday off in order to be a pall-bearer and be with my family.

Laurie Boese

Still cold - 15 degrees

Found a great old book yesterday by the kinetic sculpture maker, Alexander Calder. I knew about his sculpture work from school, and from the Albright Knox, but had no idea he drew. His drawings remind me of oriental brush painting, the way they carry the life of the animals into the vigor of the brush stroke.

Lesley Finds has an opening tonight! Great stuff!

The kids at school started their chess pieces today. The principal looked thrilled. She even suggested some great stuff (which we all know I've been raving about already for years), that the kids could apply this lesson to language as well as math, and more! I can't wait to add some pictures. The kids brough in really colourful salt doughs. One kid was a class hero for his kool-aid coloured clay. Usually I dedicate 5 full days to this project, and it's heart breaking to squeeze it into 3 one hour visits.

On a side note, I am probably MUCH better at Free Cell than I need to be..

C-C-Cold!

I'm sorting and packaging the Mad Science paintings today.

Leftovers freezing,
Clean dishes dried and away.
Whole moon in puddle!

The day off

I have a sketch-pad reserved now for adding pictures to some selected haiku. So far I have a picture sketched of a cat peering over a window sill for a poem by Shiki:

A bird sang,
knocking down
a red berry

You can see I am not planning to illustrate the poems, but respond to them.

I am restringing my mala beads with ribbon. Speaker wire wasn't cutting it.

I've also mixed up a couple of batches of seitan: Cajun flavor and Greek sausage. The Cajun has pepper seeds from the front yard, a touch of liquid smoke, and store bought cajun seasoning. The Greek is more natural, with olive paste, garlic, crushed black peppercorns, yeast extract, and fennel seeds. After mixing these with water and boiling the dumplings, I rolled the lumps in wax paper and froze them in long sausage shapes. When I need sausage, I'll remove a length from the freezer bag, defrost it a bit, slice it up and fry it like a sausage. Mwah hah hah! (Seitan-ic laugh)

Now back to work. I have about 15 garbage bags to throw out at the Mansion. And I need to do it before the Superbowl party gets going. Ooof.

Haiku

curmudgeon alert:
price tags on clothes and cups
left on as badges.

roller coaster thrill in my throat

Lesley has installed her work at the Strega and it looks amazing. I am going to get one for myself. Her premise is brilliant as well: Combining text from a dating website and Victorian Valentine's cards. They are so well thought through and elegantly composed. The contrasts in style between the text from so long ago mingled with the grunts and sparkles from what I still consider "the future" and very engaging.
Jeffrey picked up a bit o' cash from Ron, who loves the idea of hanging a photograph of an abandoned decrepit "Sony" billboard in his recording studio.
Kim's framed photographs are on the wall of the Fine Grind. Rob's GF brought flowers in for tomorrow.
Classes today were overwhelmingly pleasant. I got the roller coaster thrill in my throat twice today: once while the kids were working so hard on their chess boards, and again while Lesley was installling her art.