Day 262, December 3, 2020

 The Brave Little Tailor

Tonight's Soundtrack: Compilation of Tony Williams at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival in various forms 1986-91

This is Franklin. He is a cutie.

It is getting cold again. Though it is hard to tell if this winter is mild, or if we are so immured by staying mostly at home that we can't quite tell if it is winter yet. Every year, I have a tradition of putting on the snow tires the weekend after Thanksgiving. But it was so mild, or rainy, or whatever it was that weekend, that I didn't even think about putting on the snow tires. But this weekend, I realized I was late with the tires, and reading about possible pending snow, I donned my Carhartt work jacket (to play the part), and in a light drizzle did the whole routine of carrying up the four snow tires, jacking up the car four times, and then carrying the smooth fair weather tires to the basement. 

All that collective activity warms the body and underneath all those layers one gets quite warm and begins to sweat. It is the hard work of winter, like chopping wood, snow blowing the driveway, and scraping ice off windshields. But there has been, thankfully, little of that, so far. I did, however, uncover a covert endeavor by some rodents to create a nest in the spare tire well. I dismantled their work and reset my traps.

It is a disappointing discovery to make that all the environmentally materials used to make components in a hybrid automobile (plant based seats and stuffing, corn based ductwork) seem to make it a more attractive environment for rodents. In the past, I had to set traps all season long otherwise mice would fall into the air vents, or expire in some other dramatic way, and their desiccated remains would foul the air for weeks until I could track down its source deep in the bowels of this tasty automobile. 

But, it is also a disappointing thing to check the traps first thing before embarking on a journey anywhere, or even worse, forgetting to check the traps and begin driving somewhere and wonder if there are freshly minted carcasses laid low somewhere on the floor mats of the rear seats. And then, one imagines arriving at a destination and having to delicately remove and dispose of such carcasses, maybe a clean fling into some bushes, or perhaps if there is a convenient sewer grate, or maybe even a concrete trash receptacle. Thankfully, I suppose, I have not had to do such maneuvers because I either forget to check the back seat when I arrive at my destination, or some aspect of my subconscious wills myself to forget thinking about such things until another time.  And of course, this being a pandemic, there can be a period of time between when one forgets to check the back seat, gets in a car, drives somewhere, forgets to check the back seat, and returns home, and forgets to check the back seat. Days might pass before the routine of forgetting repeats. 

So, this morning, as I headed out to feed the chickens, I thought to myself about the traps and how I had forgotten about them the last car ride the day before, and that forgetting about the traps on that drive was the first time I had remembered about the traps since first setting them after changing the tires the previous weekend. It is disappointing work, the checking of traps. And of course, both traps had sprung and made their mark. 

It is always a hard thing to cause death in a thing (and I did try mothballs and lavender scent packets, both a bad idea for a car that you need to drive around in), and particularly now in the pandemic as the ominous winter looms. It is not the thing I want to remember or be remembered for. I remember a childhood storybook remix of a Disney story, Mickey Meets the Giant where the tailor is recruited as a giant killer because someone mishears him talking about killing flies. I don't want to be remembered for my prowess for killing mice. And now, more than ever, I want to be remembered for the things I create and help make. It is what our world needs now.

Meeting today, with a few of my new colleagues, it was wonderful how focused and attentive they were to student needs and how much responsibility they felt to each student to get it right. It was the first time in the new job that it has felt entirely clear that yes, this is the right place. It is wonderful to be working with such dedicated and competent colleagues. I look forward to learning a lot from them.

A little earlier in the day, a former colleague stopped by today with a gift. It was great to talk for a little while with her, and before she left, she said, we are no longer colleagues, we are now friends. I think that is kind of magical to think about... that transformation that might hold true for all the people I worked with at GCC. We no longer colleagues, we are now friends, or at least have that capacity. I just took the state ethics exam and this feels like one of those cases studies where a years grace period needs to pass, but maybe not. Maybe a few weeks is just right.

In any case, to new friends, and old ones...

Take care and be well,

Leo

The Sawmill River

From Our Friends:

From Inside Higher Ed's The Key:

[New Episode] Student Wellbeing During the Fall Term

Many colleges and universities wrapped up their fall terms before Thanksgiving. We spoke with officials from two institutions — Paul Quinn College and the University of Notre Dame — about their efforts to protect the health and wellbeing of students this fall.

From RiverCulture:

Visit www.turnersfallsriverculture.org
For ten tips to support your Montague neighbors this holiday and a complete guide to over 80 local shops, restaurants, microbreweries, performance venues, non-profits, plus independent crafters, authors, musicians, specialty food vendors and health and beauty service providers.

From the Poetry Center at Smith College:

The Black Matter Is Life: Poetry for Engagement and Overcoming - In Protest Wednesday, December 9 at 5 PM  To begin this exploration of the vast diversity within the African American poetic tradition, University of New Hampshire professors Reginald Wilburn and Dennis Britton will facilitate three online conversations. Each discussion deconstructs four poems grouped by themes. Conversations will center these poems within the context of the African American literary tradition, their cultural heritage, the traditions they encompassed, and the relevance this tradition has to us today. Guest poet Patricia Smith will also be joining on this discussion of "The Creation" by James Weldon Johnson, "Litany for Survival" by Audre Lorde, "dear white america" by Danez Smith, and "Ars Poetica #1,002: Rally" by Elizabeth Alexander.  Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpceyupz8iEtHZ3d9ql_-SaG1B74_T3JAy

Emily Dickinson Birthday Celebration Thursday, December 10 at 12 PM  You are cordially invited to the Emily Dickinson Museum's virtual celebration of the poet's 190th birthday! Join us for an afternoon of fun including a team bake of Dickinson's famous Black Cake, a make-at-home craft demo, and screenings of videos from our "My Emily Dickinson" collecting project, and finally the singing of the birthday song. Don't forget to sign the virtual guest-book, and be prepared for poll questions and surprises along the way! All are welcome to this free program but space is limited. Registration link: https://amherstcollege.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Zg45waPlTjW9LklXl_uYsg?fbclid=IwAR1Geqmv_gzajjvwgUdRuvs1laogzaHuJ9fxxszZ2MN41yfpIvcVsDE2Ij0

From the Rural Assembly:

Redefining Rural America: A Panel Conversation with Justice for Migrant Women

There’s this picture that is painted about who is rural America, and often we aren’t counted in that description.” - Mónica Ramírez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women Tune in again for this fierce conversation with rural BIPOC organizers, who set the record straight about women’s leadership in rural America. Moderated by Monica Ramirez, president and founder of Justice for Migrant Women, this conversation focuses on elevating more inclusive narratives in rural America.

Rewatch the conversation

From the It Gets Better Project:

Presenting: It Gets Better Español

Tues, Dec 8 @ 9:30a PT / 12:30p ET

The It Gets Better Project’s Global Affiliate Network has found particularly fertile ground in the Spanish-speaking world in the last decade. But while Hispanic communities both within US borders and elsewhere have grown exponentially, they continue to lack visibility in both media and politics, especially LGBTQ+ voices. It Gets Better Español aims to address this challenge. Join the conversation with our Global Programming Coordinator and representatives from our affiliates in Spain, Guatemala, and Argentina.