go notre dame!

my dad ... sometime in the '80's

Football was big in my house growing up. My dad worked a 6-day week, so we didn't have college football going on Saturdays, but on Sunday! The NFL ruled our day. We didn't only, or rather my dad, watch the Bears; I was aware of other teams as well. Most memorable to me were the Vikings, the Steelers, and the Cowboys. I'm not even sure why those teams stick out in my memory, but they do.

The most tragic thing that ever happened in our family as far as football is concerned is that in the year that the Bears actually won the Super Bowl, 1985, my dad was being prepped for surgery and missed the game! That was a cruel joke on him ... his beloved monsters of the midway in the big show, and he was down for the count.

Now Mr. Minogue across the street, he was the Notre Dame fan. He didn't work on Saturdays. And if he wasn't at the game in South Bend, you could hear screaming at the television from across the street as he watched his beloved Fighing Irish team. Oh how he would bellow! I imagine that he is a very happy man this weekend as his team prepares to play in the National Championship team against Alabama. I imagine him laying on the couch, eating his pretzels, and drinking Diet Rite Cola ... yelling at the game.

At Christmas, I was looking through an old box of pictures and found this one of my dad wearing a Notre Dame t-shirt. It is fitting that on this eve of the big game, I share it with you. Go Irish!

another happy harry new year

Tatler November 2012

oops ... I was going to give you a little Harry for the New Year! Cheers ; )

another Great Expectations

UK Elle December 2012

I had forgotten that another version of Charles Dickens' classic tale, Great Expectations, was set to be released. The other was the BBC adaptation that was available stateside last spring. It was a wonderful 3-part telling of the story with a very spooky portrayal of Miss Havisham by Gillian Anderson. She played her very neurotically. I bought the series and have viewed it several times. The mood of the piece is very bewitching.

Aha! but this feature length version stars Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes. I can't wait to catch a glimpse of Helena ... she plays creepy so divinely. I just saw her last week in Les Miserables, and honestly, she was one of my favorites! How could she not be ... she just lets herself go. Her measure is enormous and she's always so cheekily strange. And what is to say about Ralph Fiennes? Brilliant. I just happened to catch a bit of the Goblet of Fire this week, and he was more than I could have ever imagined for 'he that shall not be named.'

This film was released in Britain in November, and from everything that I could find on it coming here, it's not. I can't really believe that, and I will have to make do with another treat that I read about in this issue of UK Elle ... a novel, Miss Havisham, written by Ronald Frame. It is an imagining of Miss Havisham's life before she was left at the altar. I put in an order for it ... and with good faith will follow up the read of it with a review. I liked the treatment of Wild Sargasso Sea as a prelude to Jane Eyre ... so I expect to be as delighted with this telling. If you haven't read Wild Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys, I would recommend it. It was good to meet Mrs. Rochester before she became the madwoman in the attic! She wasn't mad at all in Rhys' hands ... she was the product of a racist, sexist system which isn't much different now, I suspect.

happy new year 2013

UK Vogue December 2012

Happy New Year! It's been a while since I've last posted ... been a bit busy with the holidays and writing poetry. But back in the saddle again.

I saw this great end of year music list in UK Vogue and rather prefer it to the standard 'top 100' of the year that I would listen to, especially as a teen. Naturally, a lot of the list is Brit-centric ... #2 is the National Anthem as it was the Jubilee year for Queen Elizabeth and the Olympics were hosted there. Funny, I was in England during the Olympics and every time that their anthem played, I had to remind myself that they weren't playing America the Beautiful. oops.

 I find it interesting that the Clash came in at #13 ... London Calling. I didn't hear it once played on any BBC radio as I knocked around in my car hire. Perhaps they didn't want an un-punk band to land in the number 13 spot ... unlucky as it may be. But I love the Clash, so cheers! And #20 reminded me that I needed to download a little Spice Girls for my ITunes library. They made the line-up for having performed in the closing ceremonies, and Jennifer Saunders of Absolutely Fabulous-fabulousness has written a musical, Viva Forever!, using the power of the spice and their flirty, empowering girl-power themed pop anthems. I also appreciate that Pussy Riot made the list at #24 ... for Putin Lights Up The Fires. I think that we all need to write an anti-Putin song ... who is that guy?! I just watched Doctor Zhivago last night and wondered how Russia has changed at all in all of these years. Putin was all over it.

I wonder what I would put on my list of 30 for 2012? I would have to have a hard think on that. Short list, I would include anything from Jack White's Blunderbuss. That album was a constant in my ear for probably four months. Then I moved on to the Broadway cast album of Once. That didn't play as long ... but it got a work out. I've since moved on to Bruno Mars' new record ... I LOVE Locked Out of Heaven. And I like Muse's one song that I can't ever seem to name. It's been a quiet year for me musically. Oh, it's always a constant, but other than the above, I can't put my finger on what else stood out or that I played way too much!

Here's hoping that 2013 sees a lot more of repeat 'cause this is so damn good.

Barbra

The New Yorker 2012 

Hello gorgeous.

why not

As you may have realized through the writing, I am a teacher. The purpose of this blog is NOT to write about teaching or education. But this came to my attention and totally caught my attention.

I teach freshmen, 14 and 15 year olds who are new to high school. This year, so far, has been one of the best groups that I have had in a couple of years. They are interested, plugged in, and crack me up on a daily basis. Right now, they are buzzing about the Winter Dance that the senior class is sponsoring. And for the first time, they are electing a court for the dance. And also for the first time, I've got  nominated freshmen who are campaigning! I haven't seen this happen ... for a long time. When I first started at this school, students would very actively campaign for any opportunity to become a baroness or queen. It is telling that we have a group of kids who are engaged and care. It's wonderful really.

And then there's Jess. Jessica is in my 4th period class. I've already had an eye on her. She sits in a group, the lone girl and African American, with a group of 3 slightly dorky Mexican boys. The conversations that they have when not doing their work! It's fascinating. They talk about everything! Race, fears, family, favorite foods ... you name it. And it is done gently and respectfully. Every time that I look over to them, they are huddled ... totally together and totally all smitten with each other.

Well, as you can see, Jessica is running for freshman baroness. And when I got a hold of her COLOR flier, I ... appreciated her even more. Why vote for Jess? She says in her bulleted list: I'm nice, I'm cool, I'm fun .... Why not. Why not?! That is the key to this dynamic young lady ... why not? Exactly, why not???? That is absolutely brilliant. And it comes from a confident place that I haven't seen in a 14 year old in a while. She is a treasure. She also writes, 'And if I don't win, I"ll be ok, it's not like its going to be the end of the world.' 

No Jess, it is not going to be the end of the world. As a matter of fact, it is going to be just the beginning of yours. And if this is any indication of what it will look like, it will be more than ok. And that makes me so thankful. She has reminded me that it really isn't that serious ... fun can had, the job can be done whether the prize is won or not.

Why not. It's your decision so make a smart one ;)