Moving Forward

In the Chamblee Methodist Church orchard, one lone tree has one twig that has leafed out. I marvel and wonder at the conditions that triggered this event, but it gives me heart. One leaf at a time, that's how things are done, that's how the season changes.

It has been awhile since I've come to the blog as my preferred manner of self-expression, but I'm trying to avoid the rabbit hole of social media right now, and I still read and enjoy blogs, so I thought I'd wade back into the pool.

It's Lent, now, and a sliver of the new crescent moon has emerged. Always a good omen and a good time to start, or re-engage in new ventures. I am finished, finally, with our 5-week long district English proficiency testing, and am ready to start teaching again. The school year feels like it's pitched entirely toward testing now, and while I don't support this, I am sort of stuck in it at the moment. Test prep makes things uncomplicated, especially in the realm of reading comprehension and constructed response...never mind that we ALL could be doing things that are more fun, and rewarding.

I have been suffering from a terrible bout of start-itis, in the knitting zone. I started The Love of Spiders shawl a couple of weeks ago, in some Malabrigo Arroyo, and last night began the much simpler, and IMO more rewarding Hansel half hap out of some beautiful blue-grey Shetland handspun. I'm planning on knitting this entirely out of my handspun, and am earnestly spinning up various colors of natural wool to go with it. Our spinning guild has a member who raises Shetland sheep, so I've quite a bit in my stash.

In other news, I've been trying to sustain a meditation practice, joining with some meditators in my neighborhood on alternate Sundays to sit for increasing amounts of time in a wonderful house a few blocks away. I've gotten to know some neighbors, and meditation with them is a way for the introvert to be extroverted without too much pain. Some of the same people have also started a Resistance group, to participate in calling representatives on issues, joining protests, attending town hall meetings, etc. The little leaf on the bare tree feels like a metaphor for life right now. You can't change the world all at once, especially if it's been winter, and the light is just returning. But the days are longer now...