Orso is our new dog. He is a Saint Bernard. Long story short, he was a rescue from a woman with whom Amanda works. She has bad arthritis and allergies and needed to find homes for her animals. So we took Orso. The kids are in love. Orso means "bear" in Italian...although I jokingly say that he is named this because he weights 140 pounds....or so..(get it?)

Lots to come about Orso in the posts to come I am sure. He seems to really love me--when I get home from school we wont leave my side...and he follows me around for the first 30 minutes or so that I am home. We are getting into different routines as we enter life with a dog. One routine that I love is picking Maira up from daycare...driving home...dropping off our bags in the breezeway...and immediately taking Orso out for a walk and to go pee and stuff. I like having these little traditions with Maira, as we dont get to spend a lot of time together....

Below, on our walk today. Maira and Callum take the leash sometimes and wrap it around their bikes or little go-cart...orso pulls them along with absolute ease...he is one big and powerful dog. He wags and wags and loves pulling kids around. They think Orso is like their own personal reindeer! They also love holding the leash while we walk (although I always keep my hand on it too...he is one powerful dog...but he is very gentle and docile...

This is what he does 89% of the day. He is a 140 pound couch...

Anyway, I hope you all get to meet Orso. He would love to meet you too!!

In other news, Maira got a new bike, which was her birthday present from this past December. She loves he yellow bike with the little case on the front to hold all her Paw Patrol figures. And she has an adorable little bell that she rings. She loves to race Orso and she loves to go on 'rescues' on her bike (she pretends she is a paw patrol pup)

Amanda, Maira, and the duog going for a walk...and Callum struggling to get his gloves on so he can join them on his scooter. Yes--fleece jackets, gloves, hats, etc. This weather sucks. If snow and winter is over, at least get warm already. Each day is an exact carbon copy. Rain. Some sun. Low 50s. Hurricane force winds. Nothing is growing or getting green. No buds or anything. It is like we are month behind...this is how things usually look in March....not the end of April....

So, after careful consideration (mostly thought about while on long runs by myself) I have narrowed down my list of the three best rock and roll guitarists. Now, keep in mind, not only am I only 36 years old, but I am also a total freakin idiot, who, in many ways is sheltered from the world of music. But I do my best. And I should also note that these are not my favorite 'bands,' necessarily...but, rather, they are guitarists who, in my opinion, to the best job of what I feel truly qualifies as a real rock and roll guitarist.

Honorable mention on the list were Eddie VanHalen, Joe Perry, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and Jerry Cantrell (of Alice in Chains)

But here are the three I have chosen:

#3 John Frusciante-Red Hot Chili Peppers: I havent seen anyone have more FUN playing the guitar, and I feel like rock and roll just entails having FUN. John is a humble guitarist, in my opinion, meaning that he has no problem realllllly dialing it back to let bassist Flea, etc have their moments and their resonance and their volume. But it is like he knows exactly WHEN to come in, and WHEN to get loud and when to really do the right thing. In my opinion, John Frusciante has incredible awareness and timing. Plus, his guitarmanship is really beautiful. It might sound just as at home on a jazz album as it does on a RHCP album. Very versatile.

#2 Mike Mccready- Pearl Jam. It was hard not to put him at number one. Sure, he is not a household name (neither is Frusciante) but I love his humility and confidence and, much like Frusciante, I love his timing and awareness. I have always thought of Mccready as a 'minimalist' when it comes to musicianship...and I say that with as much compliment as possible. His solos blow me to shreds--sure they aren't these galactic examples of speed and dexterity like Mark Knopfler or Eddie VanHalen...I get that--but, in such a simple and confined space, he does some amazing and beautiful things. I like to think of his work as all fitting on a traditional white painting canvas (whereas Eddie Van Halen's might need to fit in a whole MUSEUM)...and, what I love about Mccready is how he uses that ENTIRE canvas; he stretches his sound and his resonance to the edges. Go listen to the solo for WISHLIST or the ones in STATE OF LOVE AND TRUST. Beautifully simple. Yet not. You have to see...

#1 Slash. Yup. There it is. Dont get me wrong--I love GnR, but they are by no means my 'favorite band.' But the guy, in my opinion, is the most versatile rock and roll guitarist out there, and for that reason he makes number one on this list that no one in their right mind is even reading :/ I really dont know what else to say except that I feel like he truly can do it all--he can go hard or soft. He is a leader. He runs the stage/studio, which is ironic cuz he just stands in one place wearing a silly hat. Has anyone ever seen his eyes? I love Slash for the way in which he is a 'glam rocker' but you can hear in his music influences of so many other great artists. When I listen to Slash, I hear shades of Clapton, Hendrix, and Neil Young: What an eclectic mix. He is equally as authoritative on the acoustic as he is on the electric. I feel like he is an influence to so many other guitarists.

...Hanging out over Pete Hallen's with Andy and all the girls...playing some football....before Andy put Hannah on the DL for the season :/

My sister used to make all these collages of old pictures...down at my mom's last weekend, I got to looking at them. Here is a clip-pic of me very early on in my chemotherapy treatment. It must have been one of my first ones, since I still had all my hair....

And in that same collage, me getting on the bus on my first day of school.....

If you ever told me on one of those snowy days at New England Medical Ctr in 1996--or at a bus going to Center School in 1985--that I would have ever have such beautiful children like this, I would have thought you were crazy.....

So, today I was thinking about tables

I am reading this book right now (a really awful novel b Ken Follet...awful story...awful dialogue...awful writing...yada yada...). It sucks. But one part that made me slow down a bit was a scene where a dad was having all his grown children back for Christmas--the wife/mom had recently died, and it was the first Christmas as a family without the mom there. There was a pretty nice, but short, description about the table in the kitchen and how it was made of 'scrubbed pine' and everyone gathered around it even though it wasnt big enough. People drank wine and tea and read. And then, just like that, the scene was over and it was back to really awful writing (For example: a husband finds out his wife has slept with her brother in law and his reaction was "oh my goodness, I didnt think you would do that." Pretty unnatural stuff).

So I got to thinking about tables and, in particular, our table. I get annoyed at our table and the level of nicks and scratches it has on the top, legs, and sides. The cats have scratched it. The kids have crashed their chairs into the legs. Things happen, ya know? But then it hit me today at how much I love our table, despite all these things. For, these things all exist because of the people we have had around our table. In many ways, our table is the heart of our home--right off the kitchen, next to the wood stove, eAmanda has baked some amazing desserts that have been eaten around the table. I have smoked a ton of hams and chickens and friends and families have gathered around it. When had our first meal in our home, GreatMeeMee (amanda's grandma) said Grace around the table and then burst into tears--it was emotional. I gave Callum his first bath on this table, on the night he came home from the hospital. Maira hides under the table when she wants to be bad. It is just a beautiful, beautiful table and I dont even care anymore what cosmetic things happen to it.....

7:08 this morning. This kid was hard at work on his Lego Arctic Station. At the table. I drank Wicked Joe Big House coffee out of my 'vacation mug' and it was amazing. (also, what is that brown blur to the left of CS?? Aliens?? Ghosts??/)

.....and then the girls joined us.....Maira had one of her 16 pieces of toast today.....

Other tables are great too....like the one at Cancun Restaurant...when we are with great friends...last night the Huesers came over for a bit and then we made our way out to dinner. (Note to self: blog sometime about "Tom and Callum's Crazy Bathroom Dance Party." Or, don't). HAHA

And I just love this picture because there are so few of them in existence. Most of you know of what I speak. I wish there were more, and I know that sometime there will be. (This table, by the way, brought to you courtesy of The Flatlanda Diner in Fairfield...best breakfast around).

I am even writing this blog from our table....

Had a great visit with my parents last weekend to kick off my April vacation. I am sorry in advance that Nannie and Upbob dont appear in these...I think Amanda took all those with her camera, and I only uploaded the ones from mine :/

We made our way down on Saturday morning and went back Sunday afternoon. We got to my mom's at around lunch time and had hot dogs--Maira's favorite. We hung around and Maira put on a "show" outside since it was a nice day--a circus and a clown show, and then a dog show. So yeah. Then Callum got sick. In fact, both kids eventually were sick, and Maira hasnt FULLY recovered yet---almost a week later. So Callum slept on the couch while Mom, Amanda, and Maira went out to shop at Kohl's or someplace like that

On Sunday Callum was feeling terrible, but we got up and went over to Papa's and he seemed to warm up a little bit. We got in a nice visit with Papa and Grammie, and it was nice enough that Maira wanted to use some of the new bubbles and chalk Papa got her!

Callum was commissioned, as he often is, to draw the PIGEON from MO WILLEMS' story "Dont Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus." Maira tried to draw it as well. Papa was happy to look on and enjoy his little artists....

And of course the hilight of any Mass trip (for me anyway) is Honey Dew!! Papa and Grammie had TWO DOZEN donuts waiting (I just had half of one, and I have to say: a five day old Honey Dew donut is WAYYYY better than a fresh one at DunkinDonuts!). Plus, their coffee is my favorite. Amazing stuff...

We made our way out to Texas Road House for lunch. Oh, this was after Callum asked Papa, point blank, if we could buy him something at the toy store near Hilliards in Easton. The kid has no shame. Callum picked out a digger of some type, and Maira picked out a stuffed "lellow yab" (yellow lab).
Callum was still not feelin great though...he ate NOTHING at lunch...not even a mighty burger!

Trying to reevaluate what this blog should BE. I dont want to stop the blog, as I want to look back at stuff. I want to keep in to spite Facebook. Should this be a daily roundup (so to speak) of what we do? But that isnt that inspiring to write...hmm...Or should each entry be "themed" or something, and have a definite purpose? Or does it even matter? I will think about these things, alone, now, in my basement, while I watch women's beach volleyball, in the dark, with the lights turned down.

any suggestions? (about the blog, not how I shoudl watch volleyball...haha)

You know how some folks call them the "dog days" of summer? Well, in the world of teaching, I call these the "lobster body" days--I use this term to refer to those days at the end of March and beginning of April where spring hasnt sprung, kids haven't had a break in a while, graduation is looming like a greasy porkchop being hung over a pack of hungry wolves, and drama, laziness, and apathy run rampant. In turn, like eating a lobster body, you have to search as hard as hell for a good quality morsel of meat...but, when you do find one, as every lobster aficionado knows, the body meat is the sweetest and most flavorful. Such is the way with teaching; this time of year, you have to search hard for those glorious moments--they are few and far between--but they are glorious when you do find them. I have had three in the past couple of weeks

1. I nominated one of my girls for student of the month-- I had to write up a page nomination extolling her virtues, etc, and submit it along with the other student of the month nominations. Then the faculty vote on all the nominations. This morning, Brooke, my student, won. She is a tremendous individual who might not be the 'smartest' and have the highest grade, but she does everything with enthusiasm. She loves to learn. Even as I type this, I am smiling. A delightful young lady who, also this morning, was named to the all NATIONAL team for high school field hockey. She will attend St Anselm's next year--where my sister went--and she will play field hockey for them. She is a humble, unassuming, genuinely compassionate and beautiful person. Well deserving. 

2. I had a student in my freshmen class stay after the other day linger around my desk for a minute or so. I asked her what was up, and she told me she just wanted to thank me for two things. First off, she wanted to thank me that I have the class write papers, because she hasn't had many English teachers assign writing (writing is tough to correct and a lot of teachers opt out of this, unfortunately). Second, she wanted to thank me for writing comments on her papers and giving her feedback. She said that I am one of the only teachers she has ever had who gives her feedback on her papers--whether they are good or bad. She said most teachers just arbitrarily slap a grade on the paper without telling her why. I loved what she told me. I love when students give US feedback. I appreciate her more than she knows

3. A student I had who graduated probably four or five years ago named Taylor has been capturing my interest lately. In high school, I had a great relationship with her--she did well for me, and we got along. But, I daresay I was one of the only ones who felt this way about her. She was a...how can I put this....'rebellious' young lady who was in and out of trouble. She didnt take school very seriously. You know the type. Anyway, since graduating, she has gone on to school, found her passion for nursing (particularly in nursing homes with old people), she has quit cigarettes, and just generally gotten her crap together! I wrote her a nice FB message the other day telling her how proud I am of her, and how I love seeing how she has developed since leaving Winslow. That kind of growth is awesome to see! Some current students told me she was so happy at what I wrote that she posted my comment on Instagram (whatever the heck THAT is) and they loved it. Also, here is the response she wrote me. This time of year, one has to hang on to stuff like this!! 

:

Thanks G, I think I'm doing quite well it took me a little longer than most I think to grow up and find my passion I'm going back to school for nursing now is my hopes as long as I can pass the tests upon entry but really loving my job at Mercy hospital what a wonderful place to work! And I've taken to photography lately mostly of my wildcats lol I really appreciate it though it's nice hearing things like that especially from a teacher I was very fond of I wasn't always the best student I'm glad you were able to see beyond that not everyone saw me as having much potential



Maira and Callum dye some Easter eggs last Saturday before 
Easter.....

Hanging out at Maineley Brews for Andy's birthday last weekend....Andy is in the middle and Derek is next to him. Pete and Jon had not yet arrived, and I had to leave shortly after to go to Good Friday service...

Amanda and her girlfriends at Maineleys that night...Alicia, Lisa, Heather, and Beth...

Both Callum and Maira have been absolutely LOVING their swimming lessons--they dont want to do anything else but swim. This, in turn, makes Amanda and i very excited and happy. We hope they both stick with it. Callumz lessons are on Monday nights, and Sally and I alternate taking him every other week. Maira's are Tuesday morning, and Amanda takes her, since I am at school. Callum has Elizabeth and Emily  (two girls who go to our church) as his teachers. Elizabeth also babysits the kids sometimes. I managed to snap a few pics the other night--Callum has come a long way, as now he is jumping into the deep end all on his own, and swimming back to the shallow end pretty much by himself. He enjoys swimming in the deep end, but when he swims in the shallow end, he is more likely to keep putting his feet down and 'standing' and alternately swimming too...

And here he is about to jump in with Simon, another boy in his class. He loves jumping in and swimming back. Elizabeth, pictured in the middle, has been doing this thing that looks like Navy SEAL drownproofing...haha...she pushes the kids WAYYY underwater to get them used to being down there. 

Conferencing with Elizabeth and Emily....

Sorry...not much to say on this blog I guess...I have been feeling very sick lately, and I am pretty uninspired to do much of anything. Amanda and I did, however, get away (just the two of us) overnight last weekend--I will write more about this tomorrow...but here is Amanda at JackRussel's pub in Bar Harbor. We walked there from our hotel (SeaWall motel was closed! Boo!) as it was across the street. We went there for Happy Hour aaaaaand for dinner. I just think Amanda is the prettiest lady in all the land and I am so lucky to have her. What a hottie.