Sunday Salon, March 6th

Image from my front window taken this morning. Signs of spring abound.

Weather: gray and overcast, likely rain with sun intermittently.

A view from my window: Spring is here! The early rhododendrons, daffodils, flowering plum trees, and hyacinths are all blooming. It smells heavenly outside. Yesterday I stood outside and was overwhelmed by the cacophony of songbirds singing their love songs to each other.

A melancholy mood has descended on me: I am hoping a curative round of poetry and Jane Austen movies will cure me. Please check out my blog post Melancholy and Springtime.

Brass Ensemble: The GKHS Brass ensemble won the district music contest a week ago and now are proceeding to the state competition. They played a piece by Giovanni Gabrieli. I am not sure which piece they played but I wanted to give you an idea what this 16th century composer's music sounds like.

Books completed this week:

• Enormous Smallness: a Story of E.E. Cummings by Matthew Burgess---a children's book about the famous poet which includes several of his poems. I love him more now than ever.
• The Voice that Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman---a biography of the famous black singer who helped desegregate the arts. Very inspiring.
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Won't Stop Talking by Susan Cain---an audiobook and upcoming book club selection. We will have lots to talk about. Very informative.

Currently reading:

• Teaching with Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach edited by Intrator and Scribner---if you read my blog post about melancholy and springtime you will see that I am not only reading this book to help my professional life but also to bolster my moods.
• The Sound of Gravel by Ruthie Wariner--- a memoir written by a gal who was the 39th child of a polygamous man and the fourth child to her mother involved in a fundamentalist Mormon sect. The details are horrifying. Audiobook. Progress: 50%.

Thriving: the theme at church today was how we can thrive, not just survive. I am going to focus on this message this week.

Pi and Prejudice: Next week (3/14) is Pi Day. Last year my daughters and I participated in Pi and Prejudice, which is essentially a drinking/eating game, and had so much fun. The only problem this year 3/14 is a Monday and we all work, So we will pretend we live in Australia and celebrate early (on Sunday for us.) Here are the rules. Host your own Pi and Prejudice party. Last year we only ate sweet pies---Banoffee pie (don't ask, it was awful) and a berry pie. We all felt a bit sick by the end of the movie. This year we are going to eat Shepherd's pie, pizza pie, a pot pie, or a quiche pie in addition to a fruit pie. And sparkling apple juice should work in lieu of champagne. If you live in the Puyallup area and want to join us, give me a call. We'll scoot over and make room for you.

I am looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks for reading this.