Two Men Walk With a Glass in Hand

 

Two men walk the desert sands,

a glass of water in their right hands.

They travel long but dare not drink.

They know it’s all, or so they think.

The air is still; the sun burns bright.

One travels heavy, the other light.

One moans and sighs each step he takes.

The other hums and contemplates.

The time to rest is drawing near.

One sighs relief; one suffers fear.

They both sit still on the scorching sand,

and gaze at the glass in their right hand.

As fate would have it, they both soon sight

a piece of rock in the golden light

on the bottom of the glass,

a horrible sight, to the man who moans with fear and fright.

In quick disgust he  tosses it down on

the thirsty sand , the savage ground.

On the other hand, the humming man

places the rock in his open hand.

He lifts it to God in the blazing strife

with a prayer of thanks,

he drinks his life.

LBOliverio

The Maple's Secret

Christmas is only a skip away 
and the maples have secrets
they're sharing with friends,
and when the wind swirls the
whispers from tree to tree,

they act out of character for the season

glowing orange and red and yellow.

Are they pretending they're in Kansas,
celebrating
the birth of a savior,
or flashing portents 
of change to come?

Either way,
they're lovely thoughts, 
It seems the Florida maples and their friends
have secrets this December,

 

I wonder when they'll tell us.    

Peace. Love, Linda

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving today, tomorrow, and forever. 

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow."

Peace. Love, Linda

It's Quiet

It's quiet.

Disconnected,

not so much noise

in the ether,

the net,

the phone.

Interim.

Intermission.

Interlocking pieces

not evident to the eye.

Pastels.

not showy,

but subtle

and persistent.

A little lonely,

but never alone.

All is right with the world.

I just know it.

Peace. Love, Linda

Who says the end is the end?

There's something mystical about the moon on morning waters and the way the camera picks up the scene and bathes it in false light. I know little about apertures and things like that. I don't even know  how to spell apertures, but the spell check didn't red me, so it may be in the ball park. The sky appears brighter in the picture than it was that morning, and the moon is smaller.

That's how I feel this evening, like bright light and shrinking moons. My arbitration is finally over, and I did not win in any legal sense.

However, I won't say I lost because I know I followed a road less traveled. That will make all the difference. Small stones make ripples that reach the edge of the lake eventually.

The district lied in their brief about conversations and situations. I don't like that about them.Our brief was factual. After I read the draft of my brief, my lawyer changed anything in it that I felt could be misleading or false. I like that about me. Aside from that, this afternoon, my immediate sorrow upon hearing the news was strong, and I wept because I don't want teachers to be afraid to speak up for practices they know get positive results and defy trite curriculum, and I feel the outcome of my case will hurt that cause. I want our students to be given every opportunity to learn the value of real world writing across the curriculum and not FCAT writing, and I thought of this case as a milestone in that direction. I know now I was naive about much, and I don't know if anyone cares since silence is golden. It appears my ego is taking over this conversation, so I'll close.

Ah well, in spite of warped appearances and bruised egos, I know that "justice will shine like the sun."
Just not in a way that's visible today...hence, the moon.

Peace. All is well. Thank you for your support. Thank you,God, for the mystery of it all.
Love, Linda

Reflections on Us

 U.S.

us magnified

us glorified

us confused

us bemused

                                                                     

 

                                               

us evil

         us redeemed

   us tragic

         us esteemed

        us united...

states.

Peace. Love, Linda

 

Dear Friends: Columbus Day

Dear Friends: Columbus Day

Columbus Day

Dry land,
rough sea,
what does his name mean to me?
A scoundrel? A hero?
An explorer.
Aren't we all?

Do you think your name will close banks
and post offices
when you have exited for the next leg of your  journey?                       

                                                                                    Did he?

the first bird that sings

I am the first bird that sings at dawn.
I am the morning moon obscured in white clouds.
I am shadows dancing on the grass,
and wind swaying the trees.
I am abundant life for the senses
and warm gifts for the spirit.

All nature sings and round me rings
the beauty of early autumn.

September Light

There's a new light on things.

Sharper angles,

Softer season.

Weather may fall

into gray,

but the change is welcome.

If it's Wednesday,it's Prince Spaghetti Day

I remember black and white television. I remember what the t.v. looked like when there were no channels broadcasting because it was 10:00PM. I remember the emergency symbol on the screen and the scary noise  made when there was a test on t.v., in case of a national disaster. I remember going to the drug store with Daddy to replace a blown tube that went somewhere in the back of the big, fat television. I remember Anthony running down the street after school, not stopping for anything because he couldn't wait to get home because Wednesday was "Prince spaghetti day." I have a fresh memory, now, of sharing the "Prince spaghetti" story with Nikky and BJ on my back porch while BJ found the old advertisement on his telephone in less than a minute, in black and white, just like I remembered.

Election Day

I really should have voted for the redhead, but I've heard so many ugly remarks about the Crane family lately. It's tough knowing what to do at the polls. It's hard to know who to vote for any more, and I did much better with the chads. My chads never "hung." Some days, I wish I were an ostrich.  teehee. Linda

 

Dear Friends: Whimsical? What's That?

Dear Friends: Whimsical? What's That?

Whimsical? What's That?

If you can't wear a cheese mustache with style,

or sing out loud  in the car without closing your mouth quickly at the sight of oncoming traffic, or watch in awe at the silent, stillness of a dove in the branches of the tree in the back yard, 

maybe you're low on whimsy.

Whimsy,

   it's what's for dinner.    
     Peace. Love, Linda

There's Always Something Left

Take away the macaroni,

there's still cheese.

The burgers may be gone,

but  not the fries.

The pizza's just a smear of sauce on a box,

but there's still beer.

The peanut butter jar is empty,

but jelly's in the fridge.

Don't sweat.

There's always something left...

right?

Have fun today. There's beauty everywhere.
Peace. Love, Linda

My Artist Friend

Behind the fence

an artist lives

in the fields

and trees

and sky.

Each morning,

new light
feeds me,

His work never ceases...

to amaze me.

Thank you, my friend.

Peace. Love, Linda

Sunday's Blessing

Draw near unto God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8

Peace. Love, Linda

Sunday's Blessing

The Inescapable God

Psalms 139: 1-11

O Lord, you have searched me

and know me.

You know when I sit down and

when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from

far away.

You search out my path and my lying down,

and are aquainted with all

my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

O Lord, you know it

completely.

You hem me in, behind and

before,

and lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful 

for me;

it is so high that I cannot

attain it.

Where can I go from your spirit?

Or where can I flee from your presence?

If I ascend to heaven, you are there;

if I make my bed in Sheol, you

are there.

If I take the wings of the morning

and settle at the farthest limits 

of the sea,

even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me fast.

Peace. Love, Linda

It's Time We Grow Up

Party planners and revelers are crawling out of bed to face a work day Monday. Another monumental celebration has come and gone. Our nation's birthday cake has been eaten for another year, and the flaming candle remains are bits of wire and paper left in streets, on sidewalks and in yards. It's raining softly, and the Southeastern residents as well as conservationist across the land once again tune in to the morning news to view pictures of brown beaches and oil slicked birds as well as roller coaster stock reports and nations on the brink of bankruptcy.

It's who we are. It's what we do.

In celebration of our nations birth, we should turn over a new leaf the day after July 4, 2010. The leaf is waxy brown on the side now showing as it lay on the ground, but if we flick it over, like the shiny green of a magnolia grandiflora, it's glowing freshly on the side not seen. As a young girl, I learned in Girls' Auxiliary, "green stands for growth." It's time, as a nation, we grow up. It appears that in times of strife when faced with adversity, a majority of us spend much time and effort fighting about who's to blame or who's "not doing what" while talking incessantly about just that. I hear few creative solutions in the noise.

Think about it. We are bright, smart, wealthy people.  Still, we let corporations, in the name of the dollar, take what is holy and and smash it . Can we blame only them? Our insatiable gluttony for energy and love of huge vehicles is a corner piece of this puzzle as is their incompetency. Aren't most all of us guilty of violating the earth in some form? As a side note but related, think of this. Many Americans who curse what is happening in the gulf, sanction war, which strips our earth of its most precious resources in ugly, violent ways including the killing of mankind.

We have the creative power of God, Almighty with us. We could be flooding our thoughts, minds and airwaves with his loving solutions that are there for us- if only we would seek them.

We can renew our world. After all, we are at the top of the food chain; we should know better.

Wisdom's Feast

Wisdom has built her house,

she has hewn her seven pillars.

She has slaughtered her animals;

she has mixed her wine;

she has also set her table.

She has sent out her servant-girls,

she calls from the highest places in town,

"You that are simple, turn in here!"

To those without sense she says,

"Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

Lay aside immaturity and live and walk in the way of insight."

Proverbs 9: 1-6

Peace. Love, Linda

Sunday's Blessing

   

   Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually. Psalms 105:4

Peace. Love, Linda

Glimpses of Glory

Because the day begins with a beautiful sunrise doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be "a walk in the park," "a piece of cake," or "a yabadabado time."  To sailors long ago, a red sky in the morning was no portent of good times to come in the hours ahead, but instead it  elicited trepidation."Red sky in morning, sailors take warning." There always have been sayings for just about everything, and some seem more "on the money" than others, but they don't direct our path or carve out our days. It seems that we direct our path.


That's an awesome responsibility that can be burdensome at times. That's why in spite of all that happens in a day, finding joy in God's glimpses of glory, and recognizing His signs of peace remind us that we aren't really walking our path alone, but are co-creating our lives in the power of an almighty, loving creator; then it's easier to accept "bad eggs," and "spilled milk" with more joy than anxiety, more love than pettiness, more goodwill toward ourselves and, in turn, toward others.

           From my childhood memory verses I remember this, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy path." It's from the King James Version, but I don't remember where its found at the moment.
Find joy in this day and in, even, the smallest glimpses of glory.

Peace. Love, Linda

Sunday's Blessing

 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

These all look to you 
to give them their food
in due season;

when you give to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand, 
they are filled with good things.





Bless the Lord, O my soul,
Praise the Lord!
From Psalms 104

Peace. Love, Linda

Time: thoughts and adages

 Today, Darren and I drove through Lakeland on the way home from a road trip to a trike shop in River View. We took this picture of the apartment building Darren lived in when I first met him. It was winter and very cold when he lived there, but I remember the apartment being warm and cozy. Unbelievably, it looks exactly the same as I remember thirty years ago. It was as if time stood still.


This is where I lived in Lakeland at the corner of Lexington and Ingram. It looks very much the same, too. Although, I remember the stoop being much larger than what it actually is, and the paint is peeling more than it did in 1981. Time changes things.






I took this picture this morning before we left for Tampa. I almost got a full shot, but...










in a blink, he was gone. 
Time is fleeting.










Like the sands in the hour glass...
 (You finish this one.)


Like a wave upon the sand, time never ceases moving.

Like ephemeral wisps of clouds, time is untouchable.
Why?          

Because it doesn't exist.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,

the Beginning and the End.

Revelation 22:13                            Peace. Love, Linda

Sunday's Blessing

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits--
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life,
who crowns you with steadfast
love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed
like the eagle's. Psalms 103: 1-5

Peace. Love, Linda

Post Arbitration: What was that all about?

It seems as if life would change dramatically after something as eventful as arbitration, but it hasn't. The birds still sing in the morning; I still sweat in the heat, and the grass still needs to be cut Monday. I'm  waiting. Both sides have to write briefs. Then, they both exchange briefs and give them to the arbitrator. Finally, he renders a decision. The deadline for everyone to finish briefs is July 30th. I like Holly's comment, "Good grief!"

A few events of the day, April 16th, I deem meaningful:

The star witness we canceled the last arbitration date for could not be there, so a substitute sat in for her. I wish the "not so star witness" well, but that did not surprise me, somehow. I'm seeing a cookie walking down the street.

Michelle Vanderlay, from the union, sat in on the proceedings. The union withdrew their grievance toward the district at the last minute. Both lawyers were planning to proceed,anyway. I would love to see that union agenda. In the words of a little girl I overheard looking at a big cookie walking down the sidewalk on highway 50 many years ago, I can only say, "What is THAT all about?"

The superintendent was gracious and kind to me and said he had "an open door policy." He proceeded to focus mostly on elementary test scores that had nothing to do with my case. Whew! I'm having a cookie incident flashback.

My immediate boss, Scott Fritz, said he had to get me out of the building (hence, banishing me to the rubber room) because I made the team uncomfortable by saying things such as "they were Nazi's." He indicated that my team members went to him and  told him these things. I thought my team liked me. Sigh. I see a big cookie. I hear a questioning voice.

I knew Helsby, the district's attorney, was going to try to paint me as a subversive  "under miner".  I had practice with my meetings with Stewart Singer. I was not surprised by any of his questions. The little girl's image is fading, but I can still see that fat cookie walking down Highway 50. What WAS that all about?

I finally told my story to an objective party. He is older and was getting worn by the late afternoon, but something about him seemed square. I appreciate that in an arbitrator.

Final thought on questions:  A good question is worth its weight in gold.
Here's what happened.
Since I used "Academic Freedom" from my contract as a basis for much of my grievance, Helsby asked me if I believed it was absolute. I said, "No." He asked, "If someone were undermining the District Superintendent's goals, do you think 'Academic freedom' covers them?" I replied, "If someone were deliberately undermining the Superintendent's goals, I do not think 'Academic Freedom' would cover that." Helsby then ended his questioning, and my wise lawyer asked me three final questions I appreciate. He understands me.

1. Q."Do you believe asking questions is undermining an initiative?"
    A. "No."
    Q. "Do you think talking about problems and looking at the issues arising is undermining an initiative?"
    A. "No."
    Q. "Do you think seeing issues and troubles arise in an initiative and keeping your mouth shut because of     fear or other reasons is undermining an initiative?"
    A."Yes."

I rest my case.

This verse comes to mind, "All things work together for good for those who love God according to his purpose." Another thought, please pray for the absent "star witness". She's battling breast cancer. I wish her peace and healing.

Peace. Love, Linda

Day 2 of Arbitration: I have a voice

I have to get ready in a few minutes for arbitration "Day 2".  There is a strange irony at work. I spent seven years sharing with teachers the message, "You have a voice." I believe that public education will move forward as it should when that message is grasped. Even the best teachers I  know often lack the courage to speak up. Looking at my situation, I might say I understand why, but I long for more to come forth with their convictions about what should happen in the classroom. They know. They are there.

Yesterday, our teacher's union, which would not support me moving forward with my arbitration, filed a grievance against the district saying they have no right to be in arbitration with me. I filed the arbitration, not the district. The union declares they are the gatekeepers. The law says I can move forward on my own, so I did. I have little time, and this is not my best work, but I hope I am not the only one here who sees how wrong this is. The district shut me down and put me away for speaking up, and now the union is trying to shut down my arbitration.

What horrible message did I put out to start this battle?  I wrote these words in an email, "Students deserve "real world" writing across the curriculum."

In a phrase becoming passe but one that seems appropriate...my bad.

O  Lord my God, in you I take refuge;
save me from all my pursuers,
and deliver me.

I will give thanks to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.
Psalms 7: 1,17

Find joy in this day. I request your prayers for wisdom.
Peace.
Love, Linda

Sunday's Blessing

Trust in the Lord, and do good;

so you will live in the land,

and enjoy security.

Take delight in the Lord,

and he will give you the  desires

of your heart.

                                                                               

Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him, and he will act.

He will make your vindication

shine like the light,

and the justice of your cause

like the noonday.

Psalms 37:3-6 

Peace. Love, Linda