The Peace. The Pain. The Love. We are so grateful for the Love.

 

Winter Solstice Beginning of Days- Galway, Ireland

 

Dark and wet this Solstice eve,

Reconnecting with ancient tree
In bogs and birds and basket weaves
It is grand ideas that I conceive.

🍀

An ember sparks inside my heart
Feminine creation This is my art

🍀

Ancestors born of this land
Their DNA is in my hands
Wool, willow, ancient oak
Alive in me, my Celtic folk


🍀

A Spideog from the old world visits
A message she has, tell me what is it?
“The solstice sun entering in-

Will bring brightness rebirth, and new found passion

🍀

It is in darkness that one is born,
surrender, let go, then open the door

Feet in the soil, rooted in land
Let the Love runneth over
I work with your hands”


🍀

My heart pours out, this season of love-
Beginning of days
Winter I am born of-

Galway Girl- Full Moon Jig

 Full Moon, Galway jig

Holiday market, Mistletoe sprig

🍀

Wet bog hunting, For ancient oak

Spoons and knives, To be carved bespoke

🍀

Finding Castles, In the countryside

Ruby and Mom, Climbing inside
🍀

Cemeteries, Overlooking the sea

Moss grows thick, Heidi’s jubilee
🍀

My ancestors home, The Emerald Isle

Oh yes, yes yes-  I could stay here a while

Ireland, I am coming home

 

New perspectives.
Looking out my airplane window at the vast world.

I see my home, my town, nearby cities and lakes pass by-
And I realize again, I am but a drop in the sea of humanity.
My troubles are but tiny concerns in this vast world.

I take a deep breath.

Ireland, I am coming home.

Winnipeg

 Late rising sun, Blue mornings rays

Life is frozen, these short winter days
❄️
Sounds are muffled, Earth covered with snow
Celebratory fluting, Icy glow

Winnipeg, oh I have missed you!

 

8th Grade- Heidi

Dyslexia/ADHD made my school years very challenging and often quite discouraging.  Sitting at a desk all day was nearly more than my brain could handle.   I was often embarrassed and my self-esteem suffered.   However, there was one class period where I could be a success.  PE.  Not only was it my brain break, my chance to recharge, PE was the class where I could shine.  I loved leading warm ups.  I found a positive way that I could interact with my classmates.  

 I looked forward to those affirming interactions.   Until 8^th grade.

It was the first year Irving had coed PE.  Armstrong clearly told me that the boys in the class are the leaders- and that I needed to get used to that fact.   He would not allow me, a girl, to lead class warm ups.  I felt a sense of disgust coming from him for even making the request. 

 

I was a determined young woman.  I asked again the next day.  And the next.  I was repeatedly told “No”.   A boy was called on each period to lead the class in stretches and exercises, of which many of the boys had no interest or desire to do.

 

The gender stereotyping Armstrong inflicted was destructive to both the girls and the boys.  One of my classmates didn’t fit the mold of what Armstrong thought an adolescent boy should be.  The boy was awkward, he looked down almost all the time, wouldn’t make eye contact.  He did not like sports.  He was sensitive and extremely shy.  I went home crying more than once because of the way he was treated. As a student I observed Mr. Armstrong use shame, ridicule, and punitive measures as way of influencing students.   

 

Armstrong rigidly imposed his preferred stereotypes

in the new coed PE program for as long as he was able.

But, eventually I was permitted to lead the class. 

 

The number of people coming forward to share their prejudicial experiences

with Armstrong is astounding. Is this the type of leadership Pocatello wants?

 

I support leaders who care for and promote the education of ALL students, not just the fraction that “fit in” to their personal ideal.  I support leaders with humility who are willing to admit mistakes and right wrongs they have made.  I support leaders with the maturity and wisdom to look beyond themselves and make decisions that will foster a healthy community.

 I would also like to add this, we are all imperfect. We all make mistakes. We all do things at times that are unkind.  I don’t want to judge anyone. 

I don’t know what life experiences have led Clayton Armstrong to behave in ways that shame, degrade, and hurt students.  Perhaps he has been hurt as well.

I DO KNOW that I want the leaders of our schools, and communities to learn from their mistakes and do better.

I support Heather Clarke for District 25 School Board Trustee.

Live Off the Land

 When I was a kid I made up a game that I called “Live off the land”. The goal was to stay outside and only eat what I could forage. I mean, we’ve all been there..right?

Note, my dad is a master gardener, and we had fruit trees. It wasn’t a difficult challenge. I kept a salt shaker next to the tomatoes- Life was good.

A friend reminded me yesterday “Try not to be like everyone else, she said, there will come a time when the pieces that are not you will fall away easily”.

Well, I did try to be like everybody else and lost that little girl who wanted so badly to live off the land.

However, I am working my way back to find her. Because, I think she’s pretty cool, and I’ve discovered that I can do hard things.

The last week of the Farmer’s Market was a delight. Thank you Grand Forks.