Bring on the Graduate School Parties. Queue the Success Stories. Applaud the Growth and Changes & Wonder About the Future

Saturday was an entourage of parties to celebrate recent grad students from Fairfield, including Alana's, as well as Mateo's graduation from Loyola Marymount in California (heading to Cornell's Law School in the fall, and a CWP veteran from 3rd grade to his senior year, as well as a literacy leader of the Young Adult Literacy Labs while in college. They were just puppy dogs, weren't they?

The good thing about the parties is the food was plentiful. I only ate at the Italian-fest in Norwalk, as Eva's father opened a new bar/restaurant/club there called The Haven, where his biscuit and ribs definitely ruled the day. So good. The grandma's also made cookies and brownies, the like I've never had before (they said it's the Amalfi Coast way). Was also invited to visit there home on the Italian coast (now wouldn't that be nice). 

The evening festivity brought the Puerto Rican spirt with reunions of both Luis and Jessica's families. There is such happiness seeing multiple generations dancing to Bad Bunny and others. The spirt never left the party and the parental/graduate speeches were out of this world....couldn't help but feel the love and emotion). 

So great to celebrate my English Education students (all three of them) and to have an opportunity to hang with them outside of class. I wasn't with them in their student teaching phase, but had them in all my other classes, plus one summer of CWP-Fairfield labs and institutes. They are an incredible trifecta and were a joy to work with the past 1.5 years (and I feel blessed they came my way...Eva's parents said she chose Fairfield after she met me and I feel honored....as it was a period when I didn't think we were going to have any graduate students in English...All three appeared out of magic hat and have been nothing but wonderful.

Mateo and Alana, though. Phew. Elementary, middle, high school, college, and now graduate school. That seems absolutely incredible to me and I can't help but think they are CWP kids (which I know they are because they received several awards, especially for their writing).

Eva's mother insisted I leave with a pizza made just for me, so I'll have a tomato, onion, mushroom pie to work with when I get hungry again. She said it was the Italian mom in her, but I said I don't think I've had other Italian moms insist I leave with a whole pizza....I guess when dad owns a three-floor joint with bar, dance floors, restaurant, and a game room that there's a little more zing to the maternal instinct of hosting. 

Today...I simply hope to roll with whatever comes my way. Jury duty for Monday was canceled and I feel a tremendous level of relief. The weather is supposed to be much better today and I need to separate some perennials. The seep, creep, and leap rule of (green) thumb is true. I just don't have any more new spaced to put them, so I may be walking them over to my neighbors, especially those who have moved here from NYC and admitted, "I have no idea how to landscape a front yard. This is our first time owning a lawn."

Last day of May, 2026. Wow. I think I'm done trying to figure out time.

I Can Read a Hint & Follow Directions. Lovely to Take a Friday Evening Off (and I Didn't Have to Drive). Now Today, I Hope to Really Relax

Well, before and after several graduation parties that is...I hope to relax.

Yesterday I got a message that read, "I'm going off the deep end into a slightly dirty martini," which was a plea to do a happy hour somewhere. This ended up being at Outriggers on the water, which I've only been to once. With a bar menu 50% off, I now realize why people attend such happy hours. We were out of there by 5:30 and went to Pam's for ice cream. It was a slow Friday night, which I can't be more grateful for.

I spent most of the morning sending out letters of recognition to the 18 presenters at yesterday's conference - can't thank them enough. I also wanted to look at photos taken to get perspective from the day.

Karal was finally bathed, as well, to help shed some of the loose hair and also to work out a tick I found in one the dog's pits. Such a gross creature, especially when they've achieved their blood-sucking goal. I always love the zip-zap-pep a dog gets after a bath. They sprint, leap, shake, and feel overjoyed. I also took her for a long walk to help her dry some of it off in the sun. Of course, this also meant cleaning the bathroom and tub afterwards, too.

Temperatures have plummeted for today, and the coats will be back out for 24 hours. I need to readjust a chaotic semester to ready for a frantic summer. I'll get there. I'm not rushing anything, but simply soaking it all in. 

As for martinis? Yuck. I'll leave those to others. Like drinking bird bath water.

Writing Our Lives & Bravely Belonging Was a HUGE Success, but I'm Unwinding this Morning with the Last Image from Last Night with James & Family

Best part of the day...everything ran smooth. Worst part of the day...definitely many more kids than planned and we ran out of food, but Aramark came to rescue. It was the chicken tenders and lemonade. Big time hits - even the girls stacked 7 or 8 to their plates, with no idea of the numbers of kids needing to be fed behind them. But that was a minor bust (which wasn't a bad thing...a good thing...they loved lunch). 

I have so many photos, plus we had professional photographers there, so I'm likely to write more later on.

For now, after the event I waked Karal and then got James Bird and Adriana Mather (and son, Wolf) and we went out to eat at Vegan-ish in Bridgeport and then to ice cream at Walnut Creamery. Wolf loves his beaches so we also spent a few hours collecting shells, skipping rocks, and seeing how far we might throw rocks into the ocean. It was a beautiful night and I enjoyed every second of it. I'm glad I planned so far ahead that I actually could enjoy the company of my guests this week...which I did. 

And this morning I wake up without having any where to be immediately. In fact, I don't have any thing to accomplished in the next minute. I can unpack from the conference, process the photos, write thank you notes, and walk Karal a little longer. 

120 kids, 8 schools, 8 teachers, 18 presenters, and two author guests. Not bad for putting it together in 3 months with a special foundation grant. I would love, for once, to have funding come in that didn't need to be spent so quickly, but I can't complain! What an amazing experience all around.

Those chicken tenders, though. Phew.

I May Need a Power Suit to Get Through the Day, But It is Here: May 28 - Writing Our Lives & Bravely Belonging: There's No Place Like Home

I'm always thankful to receive foundational support for the work I do and it is an honor to brag, celebrate, dream, and put books and writing utensils into the hands of youth. 8 schools, 100s of kids, wonderful teachers, incredible authors, and a day of writing workshops in a spectacular location on campus. This, of course, requires much on the behind-the-scenes front, especially organizing the ways 8 locations do things completely differently. It's wonderful to pay teachers for the extra work they do with their kids, too.

Rose, Maddy, and I spent some time at Mellow Monkey, then Rose and I drove to Possible Futures to get copies of Hope Wins which ironically came in super late (what good is hope if UPS isn't there with the boxes). I also spent much of the morning working on campus to load up the rooms, hand the signs, prepare for the chaos, and await the buses that will be arriving any time this morning...hopefully safely and without incident. 

At this point, everything has been taken care of and we can only hope it's a spectacular time for us all. Having Rose with me has been extra special, because she gets it...I'm still trying to figure out how she runs 12,000 kids through her NTTBF each year. I can't even begin to imagine the secret work it takes to make that happen. I attended one time and was in absolute awe.

Today, I simply have to blast off and make it to the finish. I spent much of yesterday keeping my eyelids open with toothpicks as I can feel my body collapsing from it all. I just like mowing the lawn and taking walks. The crazy days aren't arriving with the same kind of energy I used to have (Rose and I laughed at this...what does it mean to aim for average, instead of excellence?). 

Not our style. And with that...need to get my butt to campus and start unpacking all the goods to be handed out.

Readying Myself for Another Youth Conference. First Guests Arrived and the Others Come Tomorrow. Excited to Get the Kids Excited About YA Texts and Writing.

I haven't seen Maddy since she was in high school and now she is working with marketing in the NYC publishing world. Sh e and Rose came in from NYC, via Texas, via Oklahoma and I'm ready for HOPE to win once again. After all, it was Susan and James Bird who inspired this particular Writing Our Lives conference. I put them up at Surfside in Lordship (Stratford) and took them out at Founders House in Milford. Gorgeous night along the Sound, and now it's time to ready for the Thursday conference. 

Today was spent in meetings and trying to get the final touches ready for the gathering of 120 youth. Buses are aligned and that is the craziest of the crazy. Phew. Gas prices. They have to come down. 

I will be heading to the meeting space to put last minute touches of the gathering together and then spending 24 hours fretting it will all come together. The world of young adult literature and K-12 literacy promotion is small, so when like minded folk show up, you embrace them with your entire heart. Rose Brock is the real deal and I'm forever grateful I was introduced to her several moons ago for StoryFest in Westport. 

We are lucking out with the weather, too. I love when it's San Diego temperatures. If we can get to the other side of this conference, with success, I will be forever grateful. The behind the scenes work is enormous, but worth all the stress and organization. In the meantime, if a few authors can find serenity for a couple of days, I'll know it was all worth it. 

And now for a frantic day of labor.

Congratulations, Miss Bell-Foot....The Klingenfus is Retiring After 27 Years. It's Like Watching a Paper Dolls of Our Youth. Time is Something.

An ol' colleague from the Brown School who went on to other schools and leadership roles in the district announced her retirement of 27 years yesterday. I was thinking about it, because she was in the cohort following my own and student taught with Gay Rapley. She also took her spot upon the retirement and we worked together for several years, including the maintenance of the Roskilde Lille Skole exchange (which I still shake my head about....different times....the world was quite different).

Carrie Klingenfus taught the 10th grade English and the humanities blocks. I remember early on going out with her and her friends, the love she always had for her dogs, the adoption of her two kids, hummingbirds at her dad's house, the passing of her mom, and the wild -n- crazy year(s) that led up to my departure. I remember, too, the night she and I realized we'd been played against each other for the empowerment of another. I left in 2007. She left a couple years after. We both LOVED the Brown. We adored the students. We gave all that we had through laughter, stress, tears, anger, frustrations, and joy.

When I did the math I realized that she and I were both in our mid-twenties when we met...not too many years out of a graduate teaching program at the University of Louisville. It also seems that we just met, but her last day of school, "It's Over," began with the first days almost 3 decades ago. So much life since then...so much change....so much teaching....so much wisdom. 

I'm so happy she put in the years and even happier that she can finally rest from teenagers for a while. The stories are just too tremendous and only a teacher would know the depth of the work that has been done. 

I keep thinking about the fact that I would likely be retired now, too, if I stayed in Kentucky. That also blows my mind, but as I noted, since those short years in Kentucky, another world was created that makes me appreciate the Brown even more.

We were kids teaching kids, Carrie. And you still look exactly the same. I'm applauding your achievements from Connecticut. 

Well. The Heat Kicked Back On. I'm Just Going to Ride With It. It Will Get Warm Again Before Long

Well, this Memorial Day Weeknd has been a wash. I'm back to a jacket when outside and I pulled the blankets back out. I need more cover to get things done. I decided to take advantage of the crappy weather to get ahead on other projects, including more preparation for this week, followed by the summer. There were to be no outdoor activities this weekend and walking the dog soaked me to the bones.

And it looks to be this way again this morning, although they say it is supposed to break sometime today. The grass, trees, and flowers are loving it. 

Pam talked me into watching The Burroughs, but I'm not sure how far I will go with it. She said the plot gets much better....Stranger Things for geriatrics. "Is that why this is moving so slow?"

If we can get some dry time today I really want to get back into the garden. The nicer days are ahead and they're nicer when everything is planted and landscaped. I also want a day of reading on the couch (which is likely not to happen). 

Either way, Karal and I are going for a longer than usual hike. Being cooped up has been for the birds. 

At least it's a holiday Monday. We have that going on for the day.