We escaped to the beach this weekend, courtesy of Mary's friend. Weaving through DC, maneuvering around police barriers, it seemed that we would never get out of the maze. At last, New York Ave funneled us out of the city and carried us towards Ocean City and the Atlantic Ocean. Barrelling down Route 50, farmhouses, bridges, and small communities flashed by.
After a delicious afternoon meal at BJ's on the Bay and getting settled into the condo, we ventured to the grocery to find the ingredients for our dinner. I love grocery stores in different places. The freezer section in Ocean City had different kinds of ice cream, the fruit and vege section was pretty interesting, but shockingly, the seafood section was weak. We ended up with scallops and shrimp, strawberries and ice cream, and Tracey, fortunately for us, volunteered to create.
After some writing, walks on the beach, and photo shoots, we hunkered down to the serious business of preparing for dinner. Leah, Mary and I had the unique opportunity of watching Tracey cook - scallops and shrimp, thawed, were gently sauteed in the pan, rice steamed away, and etoufee sauce simmered. We surreptitiously wiped our drool while munching on Mary's vege dip and sipping a delicious Australian red.
After such a tantalizing prep show, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal and then pulled out our writing pieces. Comfortably ensconced on the L-shaped couch, we shared parts of our novels and research papers and celebrated each other's progress.
What joy.
Evening at the Beach Menu
Appetizer: Pretzel Thins, cucumber slices and Knorr Vegetable Dip
Wine:
Main Meal: Shrimp and Scallop Etoufee, Jasmine Rice
Salad: halved grape tomatoes, cucumbers, butter lettuce drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
I have to admit - I was exhausted by the time I arrived home on Sunday and not really able to verbalize why. In retrospect, I think that our discussions regarding teaching and writing were intense. It is hard work to talk about what we believe about student learning and the cultures that exist in our schools and in our worlds. I felt depressed once I got home because in so many ways we are powerless, able only to make a difference within the confines of our own classrooms.
This morning I awoke frustrated and tired, but in awe of the time that we have spent together over the last few years working on our writing and grappling with our pedagogy. The last almost three years have been incredible learning experiences - whether I finish my novel or not, I will have learned so much from "This writing thing we do." Thanks!
Please feel free to edit this post to fill in any missing gaps (ie wine, spelling...).
4 comments:
It takes a lot of energy to save the world.
In Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf, one of the characters imagines invisible threads, like spider webs, that connect her to her friends when they spend time together. And when they part, the threads stretch thinner and thinner as each one goes about their lives, until at last the connection breaks.
I felt the threads long after our bags were unloaded from Mary's car and our good-byes were said. Thanks for a fun weekend, you guys.
I was goung to leave a comment about your post - and marvel at the warmth and camaraderie you were able to capture...until I read your comment about Mrs. Dalloway and VW ... I love that book, that passage that writer! I had to linger over your comment and let you know that it really resonated. So few of us really allow ourselves to create and enjoy those threads - our connectivity to a communal experience. Thank you...
I just looked at the date on your blog and thought wow. I hope you are still writing somewhere. I enjoyed your blogs and feel a spider web spreading my way. Thank you for a pleasurable break in my homework.
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