I'm so dizzy, my head is spinning. Like a whirlpool, it never ends.

I feel like I should apologize for failing to write here, but I think I won't. Because, in the end, I'm living a lot and writing only a little. I'm planning and dreaming and scheming and baking and carousing... okay, not carousing.

But my brain really is spinning all over the place, thinking about the place of narrative in history and how to find entry points on some of the more abstruse elements of curriculum. I've been considering what I want this chapter of my life to look like, how I want to order it, where I want to place emphasis.

Some things that I've experienced lately:

1. Revere Beach Sand-sculpting contest
2. Lauren and Jim Shaw's home in Woodstock Vermont - a veritable Stars' Hollow! Lauren and I attended the self-named "World's Greatest Book Sale" at the Unitarian Church. The sale also featured a table of "ethnic foods" -- hot dogs, chili (Mexico?), quiche, and gazpacho. Also, a minstrel. Later, we went to a Shakespearean performance at the town hall/movie theater. Lauren tells me that on Thursdays they might have a zoning committee meeting, and then on Friday the entire town turns out to see a showing of Wall-E. Moreover, the entire town is blanketed with flowers. It's completely surreal. I'm so going back, particularly for the Wassail Festival in December. Here is a completely typical house and lawn:
3. AP US History conference - Though I won't be teaching AP, I'll be preparing my students for it. I learned a lot about the skills the students will need, but also what it feels like to be in a classroom listening to lecture. I must never forget this feeling. It's probably good to take one class every year, if only for this reason.
4. Taught myself to make baguettes - So easy! Only four ingredients! Time-consuming, but simple. Here's the recipe I used.
5. Walden Pond - I chaperoned a freshman field trip to Concord where we saw the actual Walden Pond, a reconstruction of Thoreau's house (tiny!) and a statue of Thoreau himself (also tiny!)
6. Welcome dinner for the MATCH Corps - The MATCH Corps are the recent graduates who will be living at the school and tutoring the students all year. There were 648 applicants for less than 60 openings. Thus, the ones who got the spots are really impressive. Their average SAT scores are in the 1400-1500 pt. range (in the old 1600-max system). Smart cookies. And speaking of cookies, we ate them. We also ate some of the best lasagna I've ever tasted. I even got to help cook the fancy-schmancy lasagna! What fun!