One Writer's Dog

Waiting for Dad to put away the silver box! 

Click on the line above to see the video. 

:)

First Ski

Bailey and I took our first ski of the season. I used a new GoPro camera to capture some video and edited it at home. To watch this video in larger format, go to my Facebook site.

Writing and learning through President's Obama's eyes

Trevor Parent, one of my former athletes and now a college coach, sent me a message today. "Do you read Time? I was reading an article about President Obama, and he spoke about the importance of writing in his life. I thought you would find that quite profound."And I did.  

The President said in this interview with Time Magazine what many of us believe about the place of writing in our learning, the way we can use writing to discover what we think. His words parallel a line I wrote in a recent article, an adaptation of several different authors' quotations (e.g., Grace Paley): "We write to discover what we don't know about what we know." 

Click on this paragraph to expand.

Bailey & the Green Sea Turtle

Our neighbors The Sullivan's gifted Bailey a green Sea Turtle. So far, the squeaker has died but the turtle has survived. Usually, the boy has stuffed toys disemboweled within a few hours.  This time, I kept an eye on him as he pranced around the house with the turtle in his mouth. Every time he'd settle in on the floor and start tearing at stuffed toy, I'd say, "Gentle." It may have been the tone of my voice, but Bailey took it easy on the little green toy.  On to Day #3!

Seasons Greetings from Slovakia

Royal Wendy the Golden and playful Whiskey the kitty send holiday greetings from Slovakia. Warmest wishes to the Cicala Family from Bailey and me!

Snow time!

I've heard that milking cows prance and dance in the pasture when they first come out of the barn after a long winter. That's Bailey when he hits the snow in the backyard. He sprints and leaps and looks as if he has been set free. Here's to winter!

Can I stay outside and play?

Happy Christmas! Bailey, Zack, and Mazy.

Our friend Bailey Means adores... revels in... Christmas! Several years back as a graduate student in teaching, Bailey came to our university class ringing bells and singing songs as she proclaimed, "I just love Christmas!"Since then, she's delivered home-crafted cards with personal notes and Christmas gifts. Most recently, as The Human Companion to Mazy the Golden Retriever, Bailey has sent clothing for Bailey Tuckerman. This year, a tie for holiday parties!

All dressed up and waiting for an invitation!

A few weeks back I happened to run across Bailey on campus. The first question, of course: "How's Mazy?"

"I never knew how much love I had to give," said Bailey, "until I got this dog."

 Our dog friends are nodding.

Happy Christmas! 
Bailey, Zack, and Mazy. 

Clancy, Paddington, and Sharon... OhMy

Two days with Clancy (German Shepard), Paddington (Golden), and Sharon (Homo sapien) tuckers out Bailey Tuckerman.

November sunset

Every so often in a dull, absent November day, we have a piece of the spectacular.