blk » Personal http://blk1.edublogs.org Just Reflections and Reviews Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:44:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 en hourly 1 Last Night The Giants Won and I Had a Strange Dream http://blk1.edublogs.org/2008/01/21/last-night-the-giants-won-and-i-had-a-strange-dream/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2008/01/21/last-night-the-giants-won-and-i-had-a-strange-dream/#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2008 14:10:20 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2008/01/21/last-night-the-giants-won-and-i-had-a-strange-dream/ Honestly, I don’t ever remember watching the Super Bowl, oh maybe the halftime show when the Stones were featured, but the game itself, no, honestly. Well maybe I did watch when Joe Namath was playing and the Jets were something. But things have changed. THE GIANTS WON LAST NIGHT and no, I wasn’t watching the game. I exercised to 60 Minutes and home renovation shows and I forgot the game was still on until I at 11:00, I remembered, thought it was it was probably over and it was important to my brother, Jeff. We met him in Brooklyn last night for dinner, on the early side, so that he would be back in their weekend apartment to watch it. So I was aware of it.

At 11 the headline was GIANTS WIN, ON TO THE SUPERBOWL and how exciting a win. What a game to have watched! Too bad I forgot about it.

But I promise I will watch this year’s Superbowl. We will be back from Tucson for it.

Go Giants!

17785.jpg

Now to my dream…

I don’t think there’s any connection with the Giants here, but as I was getting ready to wake up this morning I was making a dream realization. I was back working in a high school, Tenafly High School, I think. After all, I was just there playing guitar in a music practice room with Sue and Jon. My dream centered around being new and excited about it. Meeting teachers, talking about theater with the drama teachers, finding my name card at a luncheon, getting familiar and being treated with lots of warmth. As I was waking up I thought about the high stakes tests that I hadn’t asked about, probably not much of an issue at Tenafly. Then the complaining parents and finally the papers and lessons I would have to plan for each day. And finally what about Tuvia? How would he feel about me back in the work force full time. Now how do I explain to the new staff that I would have to bow out before I began. I know, JUST WAKE UP!

DONE!

Off to Tucson instead!

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2008/01/21/last-night-the-giants-won-and-i-had-a-strange-dream/feed/ 2 Podcasting Today http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/12/17/podcasting-today/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/12/17/podcasting-today/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:13:51 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/12/17/podcasting-today/ Just for fun, I found a cool way to podcast.  I took the first story I wrote as an adult.  This story celebrates the start of my identity as a writer.  The version of this piece, Teacher of the Year, hasn’t changed much from its first draft.  It’s a personal story from the my childhood, a traumatic story that was probably influential in my turning to teaching as a life career.     When I first wrote it, there was only one handwritten copy and I was so nervous about the grammar, that I would not let anyone read it.  I had to do the reading.  What a perfect story to move to a podcast. I have been telling it for years before I became a writer.So here’s the link:http://blkdrama.podcastpeople.com  I have no photos for this piece so a podcast is perfect.  Let me know what you think.  You can leave a comment right there or here. 

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/12/17/podcasting-today/feed/ 2 Itchy to Return to an Familiar Look to my Blog http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/10/17/itchy-to-return-to-an-familiar-look-to-my-blog/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/10/17/itchy-to-return-to-an-familiar-look-to-my-blog/#comments Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:20:15 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/10/17/itchy-to-return-to-an-familiar-look-to-my-blog/  It’s might seem like a small thing, but I am so happy to be back to this blog presentation.  Why did I ever change?  It felt right!  James offered us lots of new looks and I played around a bit, but something sent me back to Andreas 9 and I am so happy!  How about you out there?  Do you notice the change?

Anyway, what I want to talk about is reconnecting with the past.  Yesterday was a day for that and in the midst of fantasic fall weather.  It was hard to drive on the Thurway.  I had my camera on the back seat but there was not time to stop and freeze nature. But I do have photos of the people I met with yesterday.

The morning session at Newburgh brought together our DS team: Nelson, Martha, Carmen and JudyRR as we met to prepare our session for the NWP.  It was cool to hear that they had completed a successful DS project in the summer with their elementary schools and with Judy sitting next to me, I brought up her interest in working with Camille in the middle school.  Camille will be happy and Newburgh will hit all levels.  I wonder how in the future, we can build this into our inservice work.

And then Chris in the afternoon.  From Nyack, to Newburgh, to Nyack, to NYC and then to Paramus.  How easy it is to travel.

Christopher Carley, drama boy.  From 8th-HS Graduation and beyond…way beyond.  He’s almost 30! and we have been connected all those years.  What a joy!  (more here)

Back in the car and off to Tuvia to finish a perfect day!  A perfect day!

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/10/17/itchy-to-return-to-an-familiar-look-to-my-blog/feed/ 0 Reading and Dreaming http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/08/06/reading-and-dreaming/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/08/06/reading-and-dreaming/#comments Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:45:58 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/08/06/reading-and-dreaming/  I haven’t done this in quite awhile, but as  kid and beyond, I would have a book with me, in bed, on the couch and I would read a bit a fall asleep with it.  My dreams would continue my visions of the book.  I’m back into a book.  It’s been a long time and why Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?  I have Kerri and Steve to thank for that.  Both of them gave this last one thumbs up and I loved the first 4.  Then I don’t know what happened.  I dragged Tuvia with me to a late night openning of the 5th, I stood on line to buy it, paying full price and began it back home and I don’t know, I didn’t get into it and left it for something else.

Then I was out of the loop, but for some reason, maybe because it’s the last and I just watched an interview with JK Rowling and Meredith Verro, I don’t know, but I’m in this one and it’s fun to be back in a book, and dreaming with it.

Just a lazy Monday morning… ahhh

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/08/06/reading-and-dreaming/feed/ 0 The Day After http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/04/23/the-day-after/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/04/23/the-day-after/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2007 13:28:07 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/04/23/the-day-after/ And life moves on…How wonderful!  You have that great moment that you’ve planned and worked for and it happens, it feels good and then what?  Then it’s the next day and up early you wonder, what’s next?  Life moves you on.  The sunshine blazes in the livingroom, the computer is filled with emails to answer, pieces of word that need attention, the Today Show plays, the coffee perks, exercise, time for exercise and the guitar calls…get back here.  Let’s move beyond together.

I’m ready for the next challenge!  What’s out there?

B K

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/04/23/the-day-after/feed/ 2 Shabbat Afternoon http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/02/03/shabbat-afternoon/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/02/03/shabbat-afternoon/#comments Sat, 03 Feb 2007 10:44:56 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/02/03/shabbat-afternoon/ It’s hard to watch Tuvia ill. I am very spoiled. I am used to having him defy aging with his amazing spirit and recklessness. He generally doesn’t wear much of a winter jacket. When we were out walking the other day, I grabbed for my winter jacket. Maybe I wouldn’t need it, but just in case. He had on his sports jacket and wouldn’t even consider a outside coat and he is sure that it was that walk in the wind, as it turned out, that put him out of commission. It’s blowing him away that it’s taking more than a day to come back to full health. It’s these dramatic reminders that are forcing him to take the just in case attitude more often.
After last winter’s fall early one morning that caused a dislocated shoulder, he has become more respectful of the weather. Just a few weeks before that, when an enormous snowfall on a Saturday night into Sunday caused all traffic to stop on the roads and highways, it was Tuvia who after breakfast, got dressed and left to take care of his driveway for a MOnday appointment. I couldn’t stop him, the lack of others on the roads couldn’t, even when he had to stop, and pull over to clean off his window. And not only did he make it home, but a few hours later he was back with me. That didn’t teach him any lesson, because he cheated the elements. Not so with a patch of black ice that caused his fall, and not the wind that has knocked out his sails. It takes these out-of-commission moments that have power over him and I say BRAVO.
Actually, I say thank God it wasn’t worse, either time. He’s here to share more life with me and I’m grateful.
BK

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/02/03/shabbat-afternoon/feed/ 0 Another place to find me… http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/31/another-place-to-find-me/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/31/another-place-to-find-me/#comments Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:57:14 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/31/another-place-to-find-me/ I have been loving word count journal and keeping 3 daily accounts of life from different perspectives. http://wordcountjournal.com/users/151/journals/165Me, I found a friend

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/31/another-place-to-find-me/feed/ 0 A Memory of Stan, the Man and his sax http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-memory-on-my-sax-and-stan-the-man/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-memory-on-my-sax-and-stan-the-man/#comments Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:14:14 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-memory-on-my-sax-and-stan-the-man/ Stan GetzThis morning, just as I was about to make a left turn into my friend, Frede’s neighborhood, an old familiar tune came from WFUV. I was immediately transported to my past. My absolute favorite song in the world, “The Girl From Ipanema”, Stan Getz on sax and Astrud and Gil Giberto singing. And I missed Frede’s turn.

Section by section I could see the music, the voices, the piano and finally the tenor sax of Stan Getz and then the best section…the sax and the voice working together. I did get back on the right road but I couldn’t shut off the car until the song was finished and the dj shared some interesting information about the song’s history in the world of Brazilian bossa nova.

What an important song in my life. I fell in love with the sax and Stan Getz and the foundation for my musical passion began.

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-memory-on-my-sax-and-stan-the-man/feed/ 2 A Guitar Recital, My Choice http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-guitar-recital-my-choice/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-guitar-recital-my-choice/#comments Thu, 11 Jan 2007 12:54:47 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-guitar-recital-my-choice/ Yes, it’s my choice. My teacher is thrilled and willing to dive in with me. I need this challenge, I need an audience larger than Tuvia and my teacher, Jonathan. I prepared for my first recital two years ago when I stupidly thought it would be great therapy to distract myself from the trauma of retiring. Instead of dreading the last days of school, I focused on preparing my guitar for a retirement party Tuvia and I would host. 100+ of my family and friends would serve as my larger audience. Sure, I tested the waters before the big day. I even tortured myself playing on the auditorium stage for an odd audience sitting in the darkness, watching me sweat and shake as I played through a few pieces. Imagine, even after that experience I was still willing to continue to prepare for the “big day”. I don’t want this to sound too negative. It was a perfect time to be in this zone. My playing took an enormous leap, even if I couldn’t show all that I was capable of. I did have some small victories before the party. I played for the head of my conservatory during performance week there and that was great! But still a small audience.
In all fairness to Jonathan, he was with me 100%, preparing a duet to play with me, but he thought I was crazy for creating this pressure for myself for an event that I should be able to enjoy. And I played and my hands shook and becuase I have the gift of gab, my setup for each piece was the highlight. I think it was cool that I got through it, the audience got through it and I knew that my playing was kicked up a few notches.
And three years later, in April I will be performing once again. But this time the audience will be small and select, easier to deal with and there will be interesting food to share with them after they behave and listen. Once again, my playing is moving up a notch or two. Now this could have happened at our last party event in September to yet another group of 100+ captives, but fate, Jon couldn’t make it.
And this doable event is the rain check.
More to come…
I have my pieces to share and what a history I’ve had with them. I may not have composed them but we are very connected.

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/11/a-guitar-recital-my-choice/feed/ 0 My Tag http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/07/my-tag/ http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/07/my-tag/#comments Sun, 07 Jan 2007 15:23:16 +0000 blk1 http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/07/my-tag/ 1. My musical life began with the piano when I was in the 3rd grade. We had a piano and a teacher, but even though he was very nice, I didn’t take to it, unfortunately and soon the money for lessons was just a waste. I was handed a clarinet by the new music teacher in our school in the 4th grade. I loved the sound Benny Goodman could make with his licorice stick but it was clear that I would need a lot of work and a much better instrument to come close to him. I did love the sound of the sax. I had lots of Stan Getz albums and with some arm pulling I got my music teacher to let me move the tenor sax. It was heaven and I played at home all the time. After a horrible teacher, my mom moved me to a gentle, sweet one who talked me into trading in the tenor for a smaller alto sax. It looked more feminine but it lacked the passion of the tenor. But I kept at it and my parents soon agreed to get me my own. I owned a Selmar sax. What a sound! I played it throughout high school. More for myself than anyone else. But I knew I wasn’t going to make a career out of music, so I left it behind and frustrated, I irrationally pushed my parents to sell it. And they did and I still regret that to this day. But at 50, watching David Broza play guitar with amazing passion, I promised myself that I would get a guitar and nourish my musical voice again. By that summer I had a practice guitar and a great teacher and I was slowly, patiently on my way. Four months later I had a classical guitar and I returned to my Segovia records and found that the Spanish passion of the guitar was what I could love and work for.  Little did I know how challenging it would be, but I’ve been working hard, much harder than I ever did as a kid.  I could never arrive at a lesson unprepared.  My ego just couldn’t take a “look” on on the face of my teacher.  Anyway, after 7 years, I am still with my guitar passion and preparing with my new guitar, a great one, a serious one, for a small recital.  I still don’t just pull it out in public.   But maybe that will come in the future.  For now, I continue to love it.

2.  Israel without Hebrew.  I’ve been spending time in Israel for the last 10 years with Tuvia, who lived there for many years with his family after the Holocaust.  I had visited there many years before Tuvia, even lived there for a year, but I was not planning to return as a regular, but things happen and life has brought me back there, to love the smell of the land and of the sea and of the people and my own Jewish connection there.  In fact, we will be there again for two weeks at the end of this month.

3.  I love creating digital stories for myself, for the HVWP and now for people I work for in the world.  I love the process of creating the story and folding in the elements of photos, video and music and now that I’ve moved to the outside world of clients, I have been kicking up my own expertees to fit with the image and confidence that people need to have in me.  It’s so cool!

4.  I love movies.  Of course I watch movies on my TV set at home, but really there’s nothing that comes close to a dark theater, with some popcorn, an audience, a large screen and great sound to make these creations come alive.  I can’t help but see as I compose this list that there’s a strong tie here from my music passion, to the digital stories and to movies…wow.  How about that?

5. Last one for now…I am out of the full-time high school career and now working more with our writing project and TC’s and with student teachers and soon, grad students and there are moments, dreams filled with memories and visions of my classrooms, my plays with kids, but after three years out of the day to day stress of that work, I have more energy to learn and share.  My tech team accuses me of  email obsession and it’s true. I have the time and opportunity.  I just have to remember that they don’t and can’t always get back to me so fast.

I love this!  This is actually how our tech team began with everyone listing 10 things about themselves that their students didn’t know… but it’s always a dynamic exercise  without end. Thanks for tagging me Kevin… How does the game continue?

]]> http://blk1.edublogs.org/2007/01/07/my-tag/feed/ 3