Life-Learning Interview

Life Learning Magazine arrived this week, and there's a transcript of most of an interview I did for a radio and download site. Actually for a homeschooling family involved in radio shows for homeschoolers to hear first-run or to listen to on the website.

So...
In the recorded one it was edited to fit in half an hour, so it seemed I talked even faster than I really do! That's linked here: SandraDodd.com/radio.

The magazine version has photos the kids and I took of each other. That was a fun day. As I read it I saw some things I liked, some things I wish I had said better, and mostly realized I like writing better than I like to read a transcript of what I said!

Some years back, there was an interview in Home Education Magazine, but that one was done by e-mail, and edited back and forth and discussed on the side, so it was writing, though writing within someone else's template, as it were. Writing with a director. That was fun. And I did the final edit myself, because what the interviewer liked was too long and the magazine editor needed it to be shorter. So somewhere on my computer, I have "the director's cut" and should put that on my website. I hope I have it still. The shorter "official" one that was in the magazine is here, though:

http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/HEM151.98/151.98_art_sd.html

LATER NOTE: SandraDodd.com/interview
There it is, the full long version, with the three photos that might've gone with it in the first place, IN COLOR! Ta-daaa! My sister took those photos in her yard. Marty and Holly made it in HEM's version; Kirby didn't. Now they're all three restored to their spots, much afterwards, but still... —Sandra, February 2006

Joy and Frustration

Frustration, thy name is new computer. Glad to have it, but there are those other files and folders to move, and the files that won't open on the new computer, and the wishing that Mac had just stayed Macish, and PCs had not copied Mac's windows, so that Mac wouldn't have been so happy to copy PCs' organizational scheme so that I didn't have to learn so much on such a hot day.

The cool thing, though, was that Keith brought a little THING from work, a USB memory-transfer stick, and that is a HECK of a lot easier than CD-copying. I could've just hooked them together directly and downloaded the whole other thing, only the old one is OS 9.2 so it wasn't old enough. Had to be TEN (X) and have the name of a large jungle cat, or the new one cannot have intercourse with it (social, verbal or cabloid).

I'll probably dream about not finding something that's layers and layers down and trying to get a folder/door to open before a Tiger gets me or something. (Maybe thinking it before I sleep will keep me from dreaming it.) Maybe I'll dream of flying, because I have wireless DSL access now rather than being the last dial-up consumer in the house. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll sleep like a dreamless rock.

"Love" Blog

Love blog, love blog, never quite as good...

Oh wait. Different kind of love. Still about song lyrics, though! If you think of songs with lyrics that describe the total obsession and distraction of being full-on IN LOVE, please go there and name or quote or link your nominees.

I think I'm getting old

I couldn't figure out what was different about my yard this year. Something's different. But I think it's that I'm different, in relationship to my yard.

I find myself being REALLY HAPPY with the smallest things. Or I have a big warm feeling inside because hollyhocks I put in from seed are taller than I am. Day lilies Keith and I moved outside of Marty's window are going to bloom this year, instead of having a recovery year (which would've been fine and understandable).

At the same time I'm more understanding when a tree dies, I'm happy in a new way when baby trees come up. We've moved a couple of trees from their natural birthplaces to elsewhere in the yard. One was a foot and a half high; one was four feet; both maybe four years old or so. That might not be a big deal for people who live where trees are plentiful, but in New Mexico they're pretty precious and shade is a valuable luxury. Even the free mulch of falling leaves in a luxury, where only weeds, cactus and stickers would be growing otherwise.

Different attitude, different perspective. I like it.

Early June

I was asked how I felt about Holly being in England, and thought maybe the answer was worth repeating here.

At first I really missed her. I'm still restless and I walk into her room and look around, feed her rats, look out her window, wonder what she's doing.

A couple of times I've been jealous, but I'm having a good time here, getting tons of cool stuff done in the yard, hanging out with Marty and Kirby more than I would if Holly were here, and having a good time with Keith.

I'm super happy for her to be having this experience, though. It will give a big boost to her thinking in all kinds of areas--language, geography, history, interpersonals, art, architecture, parenting, the difference between herself at home and herself out and about (if any, and in what ways she might have perceived differences). She'll never forget and these things will be part of her view of herself and the world as long as she lives. Very, very cool.

Kirby and Marty are involved in a role playing game in the next room. They're laughing as hard as I've ever heard them laugh, and having a really great time. Seven guys, I think, ages 16 to 24 or so, cracking up on a Thursday night. They're not drinking, they're not listening to objectionable music, they're not cruising or drag racing, they're not watching TV (my husband's watching wrestling, and this group used to)... Full range of possibilities and a driveway full of cars (ours and visitors') and they're sitting around spinning character stories and interactions for each other and laughing with deep and sincere joy.