Duly Noted

I was going to write :"our little nugget's due date came and went," but she isn't a nugget anymore!  Not even close!  She is feeling like a real baby in there!  All knees and elbows.  Regardless, her due date came and went on Wednesday.  This wasn't a surprise for anyone, including me, although I was hoping that maybe she would make an unexpected appearance in the days leading up to May 25th.  The good news is that Mike is done teaching for the year and I decided to make Tuesday my last day, so we have been enjoying some time together with Misha at daycare.  These past couple of days have been rather peaceful as we have finished some projects (our basement guest room is ready!), started some new ones (Mike is replacing all outlets- he is on a total home repair kick), whipped up some desserts (strawberry shortcakes with ricotta filling, one of my favorites), and organized stuff (like an electronics drawer- found an undeveloped one-use camera from 201...

This is not exactly a Misha Man update.  This is more of a Molly update.  I know; you worried "Duly Noted" suddenly became a full fledged baby blog.  Don't fret.  I am still here.  But, I am experiencing momification. As I move from stroller to rocking chair to cozy leather chair, I get my first tastes of motherhood. What's motherhood made of?  Milk and music, blankets and books, tea, baths, and meandering walks. The day is broken into fragments.  Go for a walk (or run!)...go home.  Go to the market...go home.  Sit at the coffee shop...go home.  It is much too risky to pair two outings together- however brief- if the faintest possibility of hunger (mine or Misha's) lingers. With Mike working, I surround myself with music, blankets, and books.  Blankets hang over armchairs and books pile on end tables.  With Misha curled in my arms, I wrap a blanket around the two of us and pick up whichever book I left there.  Pr...

My friend sent these words from Mary Oliver to acknowledge the mystery of birth and humanity. I like that the spirit "would rather plumb rough matter" than float. I picture Misha as a feisty little spirit. Fierce and entering the world "like a stitch of lightening." All poignant imagery to keep in mind during labor. Poem (the spirit likes to dress up) The spirit  likes to dress up like this:   ten fingers,   ten toes, shoulders, and all the rest  at night   in the black branches,     in the morning in the blue branches  of the world.   It could float, of course,     but would rather plumb rough matter.  Airy and shapeless thing,   it needs     the metaphor of the body, lime and appetite,  the oceanic fluids;   it needs the body's world,     instinct and imagi...

Last year, my colleague organized a monthly book club.  The parameters: 1)We will read The New York Times ten best books of the year, 2)members can participate freely depending on their taste and calendar, 3)the facilitator role will rotate, and 4)meetings are held in a public venue so nobody has to clean their house.  The group chose to hold meetings at Global Market, a colorful hub in the center of Minneapolis with dozens of food options and diverse company. Since my book conversations are primarily with eleventh graders, I decided it would be in my best interest to join the club this year and recalibrate my literary speak amongst a more intellectual crowd.  Our first book was Katherine Boo's Behind The Beautiful Forevers.   Heading to Thursday's meeting, I wasn't sure what (or who) to expect.  I found myself getting nervous; I rarely talk shop with adults!  I knew my colleague ran with a pretty bright circle as he is a former professor of a nearby libe...

Reunions with longtime running buddies Homemade Pizza and Bezzerwizzer Getting my fill of  talk radio Run To Unite  A new book Meeting little Leo! Preparing for Summit For Courageous Conversations Double feature:  Argo  (100% recommendation) and  Looper  (I disagree with this review...it's forgettable) A pretty make-up line Dreaming about making my own shadow box of keepsakes

Over the next year or so, I will randomly publish a post that focuses on an aspect of my growing library and reading list. My Library, Volume I: Female Memoirs and Biographies I've always loved to read.  Many a summer afternoon has been spent reading a book from beginning to end, always in a sunny spot with a soft breeze coming through.  My taste in books hasn't changed much since childhood.  The criteria has remained steadfast; my favorite books have at least one strong central female character who overcomes challenges using her intellect and innate sense of creativity. Even as a young reader, many of these books were non-fiction.  By age 10, I had read every Jackie O. biography in the Wauwatosa Library. I was also obsessed with Caddie Woodlawn, a real Midwestern heroine ala Laura Ingalls.   So naturally, many of my current favorite books are true accounts of female life. Most of the books below I have read more than once and sometimes  successivel...

About a month ago, our capable media specialist weeded our high school library.  Basically, the weeding process entailed tearing through the shelves and removing copies of books that were deemed outdated or unusable. Now, for a high school student and for your average curious and occasionally up-to-no-good English teacher, this stack of "weeds" is not seen a pile of unwanted dandelions.  No sir!  This pile represents a treasure trove of real joy. The plot thickened on this particular weeding occasion because the weeding process aligned perfectly with Poetry Outloud, a student recitation poetry competition co-produced by yours truly.  As I have been known to do, I harnessed help from a dear and extremely witty Macalester friend.  To my pleasure, her reaction to the pile of "weeds" was precisely as I had hoped. Pulling out our smartphones, we selected two books in particular that we felt needed to be documented for prosperity. The whole month is encapsul...