Day 16, April 1, 2020
Day 16, April 1, 2020
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| Sky Over Montague in the Morning |
And I have begun rationing cabbage for the chickens. I used to put out a full head of cabbage. I would hammer a thin pipe through the core to make a hole, and then thread a nylon rope through it and hang it from a tree branch. The chickens, in their marvelous focus, could decimate a head of cabbage in a day or two. After day one, it looked like a ravaged Death Star hanging from the tree, and by the end of day two, only a limp core would remain.
Ironically, cabbage seems to be one of the few items on sale consistently at the grocery stores. There may be no potatoes, milk, or toilet paper, but there are mounds of cabbage at deep discount prices. However, at the rate the hens would go through them, I would have to return to the grocery store every few days (my cabbage storage space in the house is limited, at least the way we are currently configured). So, sadly, for the chickens, the hanging head of cabbage days are over. I portion out a slice of cabbage and cut it up so that it scatters easily across the chicken yard. There is a joy in industriousness, and as if to demonstrate that, yesterday when I went out to feed the girls, one jumped up and tapped the bottom of the yogurt container I use to sprinkle the mix of cabbage and scratch. Apparently, I was talking to them too much before spreading the breakfast.
I didn’t finish this post last night, because another thing I’ve started, and I hope this continues, is interviewing my parents via video conference. I recorded the video so we can look back at it some time, and maybe get it transcribed. My brother joined me, and we talked to my parents about their childhood, what they remembered about the Korean War and fleeing Seoul for Pusan, and then returning afterwards. They named all their siblings, and started talking about coming to America when the connection cut out.
The audio was a little scratchy, but it was wonderful to hear old stories, fill in some gaps, and check my memories with theirs. I’m hoping we can do this once a week.
So, one morning late, here’s yesterday’s post. Hopefully, I’ll catch up tonight with another.
Take care and be well,
Leo
Ironically, cabbage seems to be one of the few items on sale consistently at the grocery stores. There may be no potatoes, milk, or toilet paper, but there are mounds of cabbage at deep discount prices. However, at the rate the hens would go through them, I would have to return to the grocery store every few days (my cabbage storage space in the house is limited, at least the way we are currently configured). So, sadly, for the chickens, the hanging head of cabbage days are over. I portion out a slice of cabbage and cut it up so that it scatters easily across the chicken yard. There is a joy in industriousness, and as if to demonstrate that, yesterday when I went out to feed the girls, one jumped up and tapped the bottom of the yogurt container I use to sprinkle the mix of cabbage and scratch. Apparently, I was talking to them too much before spreading the breakfast.
I didn’t finish this post last night, because another thing I’ve started, and I hope this continues, is interviewing my parents via video conference. I recorded the video so we can look back at it some time, and maybe get it transcribed. My brother joined me, and we talked to my parents about their childhood, what they remembered about the Korean War and fleeing Seoul for Pusan, and then returning afterwards. They named all their siblings, and started talking about coming to America when the connection cut out.The audio was a little scratchy, but it was wonderful to hear old stories, fill in some gaps, and check my memories with theirs. I’m hoping we can do this once a week.
So, one morning late, here’s yesterday’s post. Hopefully, I’ll catch up tonight with another.
Take care and be well,
Leo
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| Franklin Tearing Up Knotweed |
From Our Friends:
From Lillian Ruiz via David Ram and Jeff Galbraith
A NYT editorial, "What Shakespeare Teaches us About Pandemics." I particularly love, "Shakespeare’s tragedies share this intimacy. Their response to plague is not to deny mortality but rather to emphasize people’s unique and inerasable difference. […]No one in Shakespeare’s plays dies quickly and obscurely, thrown into a communal grave. Rather, last words are given full hearing, epitaphs are soberly delivered, bodies taken offstage respectfully.”
From Paul Lindale and the GCC Art Department
The Art faculty at Greenfield Community College have invited/challenged our students to develop their own response to the pandemic through their coursework for the remainder of the spring semester. You can watch what emerges on this blog.
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| I thought this rock, on the bank of the Sawmill River looked like a fossilized cow heart. |
Today's Online Teaching Tips
From Academic Impressions
A free webinar, Strategies to Effectively Engage Students in Online Learning: a discussion of best practices.
How to Protect Agains Zoom Disruptions
From Inside Higher Ed "'Zoombombing' Attacks Disrupt Classes"
From Victoria Maillo:
An article from the Chronicle of Higher Education, "10 Tips to Support Students in a Stressful Shift to Online Learning." I particularly like the sentiment, "In times of disruption[...] relationships matter more than ever."
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