The Vincent Van Gogh Atlas

 

The Vincent Van Gogh Atlas by Nienke Denekamp and René van Blerk is for people who like history, geography or biographies. Although the word atlas is in the title, this book is a biography of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. It is organized by the places Van Gogh lived during his brief, turbulent life. The ample illustrations and graphics in the book make it a short read despite the 150 pages it contains. With an intended audience for older children, the book includes explanations of things that were common in that time period like travel and mail delivery to put things into perspective. Both students and adults interested in Van Gogh’s life would find it engaging. Art teachers could use it as a resource when students are learning about the painter’s life.

summer highlights

Teachers started school last Monday where I work, and the students begin tomorrow. A few things that I will remember about this summer...

• Scrabble. I played over thirty games with my dad, and I win more than I used to.  Dad is a strategic player so watching what he did helped me improve my own game.
• Family. This year was the 19^th Camp Clair. There are less campers than there used to be because people keep getting older. I helped celebrate a high school graduation and my great niece’s baptism. August included a trip to the Richmond, Virginia area to see my nephew and his wife. My niece was there part of the time, too.
• Gardening. Sometimes it was my garden, other times I did things at the farm garden.
• Travel. I ended up going to some state parks that I do not get to very often. I also went to Bogotá, Colombia with the youth from church on a mission trip.

Two weeks ago, I visited Richmond for the weekend.  Five things I recommend are the state capitol,

the Maggie Walker House, 

the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Maymont, and the fast-food chain Cookout.

• Reading. This summer I read three novels, seven non-fiction books, the Psalms and countless picture books.  The novel I liked best was The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat. Not sure how to choose a favorite from the non-fiction books. Six of them are worth reading a second time.

garden

The zinnias in my garden have been blooming for a while already. So have the sunflowers and nasturtiums. I noticed the cosmos finally joined them. In the morning and afternoon I often spot butterflies and bees enjoying them.

 

It is also zucchini season. I have been eating it in a variety of ways. Today I made a spice cake and zucchini bread. One plant is enough and I usually check it every day, but I still had a few monster ones that ended up in the compost pile.

A couple of weeks ago, I made two one-gallon jars of refrigerated dill pickles. 

And most days there is a bowl of fresh tomatoes to eat and share. I want to make and can some salsa-I think with as many tomato plants that are in my garden, it should be possible.

I have also been using basil, kale, onions, and peppers, too. One row of green beans has been pulled out already, the string beans should be ready soon.  I am grateful that I do not have to grow and preserve all my own food, but it sure is nice to have fresh garden produce.

red, white and blue quilt

My latest big project. This quilt was my nephew's high school graduation gift. 

new places

This spring a friend told me about a part of Lindbergh State Park that was not adjacent to the rest.  A few weeks ago I went there and plan to keep it in mind for times I want to walk somewhere different. This summer I am on the lookout for more new places to see that don't require a long drive or plane trip.

learning

Grad school is done! Now I have a Master’s degree in Multilingual, Multicultural Education. The content was good, but I learned so much more. Here is what I want to remember.

1. Words of encouragement are life giving. The more specific the words, the more meaningful they were. Sometimes those words came from professors. Others were from coworkers, friends or siblings.

2. Sleep is not as important as I thought. The last week of semesters I spent a lot of late nights…occasionally staying up past midnight trying to get an assignment just perfect before submitting it. The weeks before the end of this past term I spent consecutive nights past eleven working on homework and slept a lot less on weekends too.

3. Reading through state standards is something to do regularly. Content standards get updated, and reading the current standards for a project I did was enlightening.

4. My inner critic for the work assigned was higher than others’ expectations. I turned in assignments that I was unsatisfied with at times because of deadlines, but it was enough.

5. I enjoy being a student. I enjoyed the research, the learning, and the writing. Often something that I was reading about sparked interest for future learning.

6. Full time work with grad school on the side sure was a lot. I am adjusting to a days and weekends with margin. There is time to do things that I want to do (or need to do) without feeling that every moment needs to be productive. I did not realize how consuming my classes were until I finished.

 

This learning was unlike studying Spanish in Guatemala, but another effective way to ensure I do not become a stagnant teacher.

Mighty

                                               

Mighty: The Story of an Oak Tree Ecosystem by Henry Cole shows how different parts of the natural world are connected. Besides great word choice (germinates, nourishing, sapling, and decade are a few examples), the compelling story of an oak tree’s life and impact is engaging. Some might consider this a book for young elementary students, but it is also appropriate for any class that talks about ecosystems and the impact trees, animals, and humans have on one another. Cole’s detailed black and white illustrations provide readers with strong visual support. With appearances by Native Americans and John Muir, the book holds appeal for adult audiences as well.

The Teacher of Nomad Land

The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story by Daniel Nayeri is a novel I would highly recommend. Set in Iran during World War II, it is about Babak and his little sister who want to stay together after the death of their parents. I enjoyed this story because of the author's skill in telling a story, but also because it is a perspective of World War II that I never read about. Though it is considered a juvenile novel, most adults would appreciate the story as well.