After An Educator's Journey

Out of the classroom & into the universe

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about

Once upon a time, I taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders. Now I’m retired and working on new ventures.
I taught second, third and fourth graders. Teaching was my passion and joy for 30 years. And it didn’t hurt that they called me “mom” sometimes.

Category: Braindroppings

  • The Memory Of Christmas Past

    I’ve been dragging my feet about putting up our Christmas tree. Usually I’m on top of holiday decorating starting with the second Sunday of Advent which has been our traditional tree trimming day. This year? I put it off and then off some more. Finally, today, a week until Christmas, I pulled out the ornaments…

  • If you plan to get old, read this

    NYT’s columnist Michelle Cottle’s Op-Ed from today (24 November) should be required reading for the adults in the room. I’ve gifted it at the end of this post. As the Trump Administration targets those workers who are willing to work in elder care, options and the care itself become limited. It will not matter whether…

  • A Tiny Thought After No Kings

    After attending rallies like yesterday’s No Kings (October 2025 version), the take-away is that there are a lot of like-minded people who are unhappy with the way things have been going. Here in Lowell, Massachusetts, a respectful crowd listened to speakers, music, and cheered and chanted. Afterwards the group wended their way from Boarding House…

  • Finding Joy in the Past

    Fun fact: In my youth and for much of my early adulthood, I was a musician. That was my identity: accompanist, pianist, music teacher. I don’t often speak of it because while I have an undergraduate degree in music, I wasn’t much driven to practicing or the discipline required to be a successful performer. However,…

  • Lessons From My Mentor

    Some times, the serendipitous nature of the universe awards you with an invaluable gift of a lifetime. For me, that gift was being partnered with a Ellen Lisi, a mentor long before mentors were “invented”, and a treasured friend.  In 1987, my first year as an elementary teacher, Ellen became my partner teacher in second…

  • The Last of July – Lowell’s Folk Festival

    It’s the last weekend in July, and for us, that means it’s time for Lowell’s celebration of diversity in music, food, and culture, Lowell Folk Festival. Adrien and I have been coming to Folk Festivals for decades. Even when we lived nearby, we’d come for a Saturday or Sunday of music and food. More recently,…

  • July 4 Thoughts

    You’ve heard this one, right?

  • Taormina

    The climb to Taormina seemed endless. At the beginning, the coach passed easily through coastal towns where we could catch glimpses of the sea, but then we began to climb. And climb. And climb until the bus was prevented from going further. A caravan of mini vans took our group of 28 travelers the rest…

  • Agrigento and the Valley of the Temples

    Even in March, before the heat of the summer comes to Sicily, the weather in Agrigento is hot and dry. Already the soil is dry and the sun is unrelenting. But we have come to this UNESCO site on this day to tour the Valle Dei Templi, the Valley of the Temples, and to visit the…

  • When Politics and Travel Intersect: Trapani

    Trapani is a beautiful seaside municipality on Sicily’s western coast. It borders the Tyrrhenian Sea, where the waters are an incredibly beautiful turquoise. On this leg of our tour as we were based in Trapani, we explored the wind-swept island of Mozia and the salt pans of Sicily, and we enjoyed a wonderful cooking demo…