The News From Home

Hi everybody,

Thanks to all of you for being so informative and keeping in touch! Sounds like you are all very busy, and mostly enjoying yourselves, though stress may lurk in the shadows. Owen, I'm glad you're taking only three classes, because they all sound pretty tough, and as assistant director of Talisman, you'll be busy. Sabrina and David are both taking photography, so I hope to see some beautiful pictures soon. And Rhianon, I'm looking forward to what comes of your meeting with the psychiatrist about doing research on PTSD in Africa!

David, how are you doing at getting to class at 8 am? How's chemistry going? And what are you studying in your freshman seminar? Any badminton yet?

Damian went with his class to Alton Jones nature center last week, and really enjoyed it, even the game of flag football where he caught a pass and made a toudchdown. (He says, "Nobody was guarding me because they don't think I'm any good, so I was wide open, and after that I got a lot of passes.") They did a night nature walk one evening and a role play of slaves escaping along the Underground Railroad the next. But I think he caught something there, and he had fevers and cough all weekend. We still dragged him off with Rhianon to the African Meeting House and school in downtown Boston, where he sat on a bench feeling sick. So on Monday he missed his second day of school so far this year. As usual, once I'd made the decision to keep him home, he had no fever and drove Josephine crazy all day. He's still taking doxycycline for his Lyme disease.

I don't know if you all know that Damian has chosen to play the trombone in band. So far all they're learning to do is make sounds on their instruments, but he's already decided he doesn't like the trombone. Maybe a word of encouragement from you, Owen, would help. He's also playing piano, and learning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King. I can't say he's very diligent.

Socially his year seems to be going well. His class elected him as one of two representatives to the "Making a Difference" group that decides on the school's charitable activities. And yesterday they had their first boys' soccer game of the year against Fessenden. Damian played right midfield, enjoyed it, and felt good about his contribution. Meadowbrook won 4-0. And yesterday Damian was planning to attend an "eraser wedding" that Caroline meant to hold at recess-- apparently people were supposed to bring their fun erasers. Damian made a wedding cake out of two heart-shaped erasers of different size. Then in the morning when he had an extra ten minutes he cut eight short lengths of red pipe cleaner and two longer black ones and stuck them into the opening of a regular pencil eraser, making a very convincing squid. However, the wedding was postponed, apparently because the bride couldn't fit into her gown.

Dad is doing well. Don seems more positive after the last board meeting, and Cambria is going out to talk to venture capitalists, getting reasonably good responses. They're also anxiously awaiting outcomes of their first animal trials. Dad spends his time at home fixing things. After all the outside painting he touched up the kitchen and has been fixing stuck and drooping drawers. Terry keeps bringing people to look at the house-- 40 showings so far-- but I can't believe anyone is going to make an offer in this time of the economy melting like an ice cream cone in the Sahara. Meantime, we are planning to rent the cottage to a Costa Rican graduate student (friend of the Landys), his wife and three-year-old son.

My work has been quite busy and engaging lately. I'm enjoying working on the math frameworks, and have been meeting and talking with people about a couple of issues: Should all MA 8th graders take algebra? Should there be an alternate pathway after Algebra II that is more about quantitative literacy than about the march to calculus, and can we get the agreement of colleges that it's a worthwhile course? Meantime, the Rennie Center is moving along, and I spoke at our first event after having Paul Reville leave to become Education Secretary. And with regard to my biggest bugaboo, the Concord Consortium presidential search, I think we are circling in on a solution. So I'm cheerful.

Well, that's the news from home. The leaves are beginning to turn, we see Sabrina often, and we love and think of you all. All calls and e-mails are eagerly consumed.

Lots of love,

Mom