Back to the Woods
We walk to clear our minds, to let ideas bubble up and overflow into needed conversation, and to settle down into the quiet of nature. Snow falls. Pine trees rise up overhead and capture armfuls of fresh snow that remind me of whipped cream. We walk and walk until our cheeks sting with cold. We […]
Holiday Tip: Things Take Longer Than They Do
After all these years, I’ve finally stopped overbooking the day. I remember the wise saying, “Things take longer than they do.” It’s such a clever little saying! What do you think it means? I thought about it all day as I devoted the afternoon to just one task instead of three and realized how peaceful […]
Alone With Your Thoughts
Twice this week, friends explain that they listen to podcasts constantly because–among other benefits like learning new things–they also don’t want to be alone with their thoughts. I’m fascinated! A few nights ago, I interrogated someone about the all the ways I can learn new things all day long through my podcast app. Anything I […]
Summing Up
Today I sum up my courses at Penn State for our final day of class. We’ll never be together like this, in the same way, again. I remind them about the verb and the semicolon, the colon and the comma. We talk about dashes and parentheses. We recall what it meant to write with authority, […]
Otherwise Unobserved
My oldest daughter’s bottom braces have come off, and she walks around the house as she enjoys the slick feeling of freed teeth and the new sparkly retainer. It’s just another day, really, but for a small moment there at the kitchen window, I consider how she’s growing up too fast for me. Today it’s […]
Waking Up With Anticipation
We learn of snow in the forecast, perhaps even starting around 2:00 PM. We live in a special kind of anticipation: We pull out the sleds; we find the snow clothes; we ready the hot chocolate. We prepare for early school dismissal. We remember our evening lantern walk, and we consider the coming beauty of a […]
A Little Update: The More You Manage
Don’t be surprised if, sometime soon, you stop seeing regular posts on Live with Flair for several days. I’m still blogging, though! Don’t you worry! It’s because I might have to migrate my site to another server and work on maintenance to avoid some problems with my site sending out spam. All day, I’ve been wondering […]
Cheering My Team
I laughed in the kitchen today as I made buffalo chicken dip, artichoke dip, and a fruity dessert for folks watching the big Penn State game. I laughed because sometimes I remember the old Virginia me who read lots of poetry and, if she did go to any sporting event, pearls and dresses were involved. […]
Things You Learn When You Observe Other Teachers
Today I observe another college instructor to provide feedback, encouragement, and gain insight for future recommendations. I sit there with a pad of paper for notes, and I hide somewhere in the back of the room to watch what’s happening. As I observe other teachers–especially the quiet, peaceful personalities–I learn that some teachers aren’t afraid of silence. […]
The First Treat of Christmas
My daughter requests a treat for a class event tomorrow, and since it’s December 1st, we have no trouble embarking on the first of the Christmas Treats: Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons. The first treat of Christmas! It’s here! We use this recipe but dip the tops in melted chocolate. So easy and delicious if you […]