Category Archives: community

Reflection on one year of yoga

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Just about a year ago, I attended my first yoga class.  I did not really know what to expect, but as a long time runner and cyclist, felt like I could handle whatever challenge was thrown at me.  I did … Continue reading →

Posted in community, connection, experience, growth, transformation | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

How craigslist connects us in the most unexpected ways

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

It has been almost a year since I caved into the allure of purchasing expensive in-home exercise equipment.  My aging ankles consigned me to elliptical machines at the gym, but my six-year olds seemed incompatible with an absentee mom, so … Continue reading →

Posted in children, community, connection, encounters, family, identity, Vietnam | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Taking responsibility

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

The end of the school year is hard in many ways, one of which seems to be ending well, saying goodbye, and making a transition to a new phase of schooling and growing up.  At my school, on one of … Continue reading →

Posted in community, education, lessons, race | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The accidental friends: unexpected gifts of adoption

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

One of the coincidences of being an adoptive parent is that almost automatically, you have a bond with other adoptive parents. Most of us have many stories to tell about the whys and hows of our choice to build families … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, children, community, connection, family, friendship | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Diversity day and inclusion: getting personal

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

My school hosted a “Diversity Day” a few weeks ago — with the intent of giving our students some workshop-like experiences that would allow them to explore more deeply our school’s motto: SAILL.  SAILL stands for support, affirm, include, listen … Continue reading →

Posted in community, education, experience, family, identity, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Taxes: paying my fair share?

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I started our taxes, but it will take a while for me to finish.  We’ll break even, or owe a little, which is about what happened last year. Given the current debate in the Republican Party over the amount of … Continue reading →

Posted in community, corporate greed | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Veal of deception over my eyes

Posted on January 14, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Yes, I know this post is titled “Veal” of deception, but I’m not talking about the flesh of a calf used as an anti-inflammatory over an eye injury, or about some alternative cooking method for veal. The adolescent who uttered … Continue reading →

Posted in community, dreams, education, memory | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

French Friday (and Saturday): Brioche

Posted on January 7, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Among my guilty pleasures is reading food blogs, and I’ve stumbled upon a group of bloggers who are working their way through Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table and who will also soon be working on a similar project with … Continue reading →

Posted in bread, community, food | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Union Maid

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Today was the first day back at work/school after the winter break, and really, it was a good day with my students, despite their sleepy and jet-lagged energy levels.  They jumped in and were eager to get the ball rolling … Continue reading →

Posted in class, community, education, inspiration, language, union | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Kin in the kitchen

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Thanks to Hanna for the inspiration — her A to Z holiday photo montage kicked my brain into gear. My cousin and his mom (that makes her my aunt) visited us today, and as we sat around the dinner table, … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, community, connection, family, holidays, memory, nostalgia, tradition | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments