That Darn Cloister!

Mother.
Woman.

I think back on the night I chose that name sometimes. I was a very troubled working mom then. And, well, I still am.

I was coming from a meeting the other day, running crazy from one spot to another and thinking about how soft I am, a little afraid of my boss, worried that my performance would be sub-par again. Ah, ruminations on my careerly flibberty-gibbetness. I am a sexist twit. (or is that an 'a'?) I have always really felt that when it comes to work I don't know the concept of doing a woman's job. I instead to do a skirt-sporting, derivative version of a man's performance. I won't hide my measure of shame for that.

You know I come from a pretty soft space, terrified of(or otherwise distanced from) being one of the womyn. Being a mother has troubled that. I found in being a mother a fierceness and a duty so all-consuming it should be a highway to productivity and success. And, yet it suggests some other way, filled with an inexhaustible supply of authority, control, strength and intelligence, but only in that space apart.

What a rip.

The mystery of the inhibition

People say kids are uninhibited. I don't know about that. They are into the naked. That much is true. Maybe uninhibited is a euphemism for naturalists?

I was at a high school today. There are uninhibited kids there. Taking up a world of space after a fashion and in attitude. Kids and teenagers are different.

Convention

I was at a library conference last week.

In my extended absence I told my kids where I would be. I would be with other librarians talking about libraries and maybe what we could be doing that would be new or different.

I asked them what they thought libraries should do differently. Here are the 3 strategic directions for libraries by our Girl Friday and the Nuthatch.

1. Decorate!
2. Get a new sign. Bookshop AND library.
3. Give away toy dinosaurs

Oh Rob!

A few weeks back MetroDad posted On racists, and such. I wanted to write something back about coming from a family of racists but instead I expressed my curiosity about the production value of the new MetroDad TV show!! Read all about it!! What it's gonna be like Little Mosque on the Prairie or Corner Gas? I wonder about things like this.

I appreciate what MD repeats from the gospel of Denis Leary, racism is taught. But how is it taught? That's what I want to know. This morning we crossed Oak street and a clutch of fellas were striding through the intersection in long coats and yarmulkas. I pointed them out to Miss Fancy pretty absentmindedly. I also said they were going to church. A Jewish kind of church called synagogue. I am ignorant as shit, eh? Why didn't I just say synagogue in the first place??? Part of me thinks being so totally self-centred about culture or religion is a way to teach racism. Idiot.

So 1.) What about you? Do you know how to not teach racism? and 2.) What do you think would be the best production value for MetroDad TV?

The Un-Anti-Not Very Epic of Considerable Renown

I had great plans for this post - a cross between a traditional trickster tale and Homer's Odyssey, written in iambic pentameter, decorated with runic emblems drawn by real live faerie folk!



Instead, this: the homunculi recently re-scribed the three little pigs for us. I would like to think the difference in the telling cannot merely be ascribed to gender differences.

The miss included an impromptu passage wherein the wolf attempted to gain entry to the brick pig house by means of trickery: I have a pepperoni pizza for Mr. Pig! Didn't work. Boiled wolf. The end.

Then the boy, who apparently also enjoys tales of clever wolves and fiendish pigs, had a go. The pigs would not permit the wolf entry. The wolf had a key, he unlocked the lock, he opened the door! The pigs killed him with screwdrivers - one to the forehead, one to the eye. Goodbye, wolf!

The end.

A Cool Change

1. Well pretty slight here for posts, must say its the quality time people. The weather has been warm, the garden needs putting in and my desk calendar is full, full, full. These seems to spell... Go out for dinner! PICNIC!!! Friends for supper! Friends for breakfast!

Friends. Yummier with maple syrup!

I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop but til then, know I wish I was here < more > but I'm up to my elbows in homemade playdough. Fakin' it til I make it.

2. I do have a fun little activity wherein I learn podcasting and you guys speak to me. Does anyone have experience podcasting? I am happy using Audacity for recording but I'm looking for the best way to 'host' an audio file. There seems to be two ways. Make it a movie and post or host it on media.org or something. Any advice would be most appreciated.

3. I have had a tough blogging week listening to one of my first dear blogger friends set to hang up the shingle.

Finale


And you know this really defines my time in the Navy too,
Syzygy60.