I began annual spring-time house washing in Eunice almost certainly over forty years ago. Louisiana’s 
mildew-laden climate necessitated the annual bleach cleansing. In those days, the pre and post result was really astonishing, because the mildew melting away rendered a dramatic result.
The Huntsville climatology is much less mildew-prone, so the house isn’t as dirty and mildew is almost non-existent; however, the tons of pollen belched from the surrounding forest throughout March and April deposit a faint but nasty yellowish film on many surfaces, so the cleaning still makes a difference.
So today was the day! And of course, I’m grateful that in spite of advancing years, I’m still able to manage the tank sprayer and garden hose with masterful aplomb!
As a result, now our house and garage building sparkle and glisten in the April sun!
Patio cleaning is a long-standing tradition going back to Louisiana after we first covered our outdoor living space. Little has changed in our routine over the years except this year, we feel like we may have gained a year in seniority!
We found this little decoration at Hobby Lobby yesterday and hanged it out on the patio as soon as we got home.
After watching my students doing independent research in the library yesterday, assiduously poring over laptop screens and books while scribbling notes on index cards, I composed a comment in a Facebook post about self-directed inquiry as the highest form of learning. As a practitioner of the profession of teaching and learning, my ultimate goal, after all, is to motivate, direct, and inspire my students to such independent achievement.
I’ve written about the prairie flatness many times over the years, both in prose and poetry. That flat Louisiana Cajun prairie spreading away toward the seeming ends of earth has always struck within me a poetic impulse .
Our Ides of March trip to New Zion for Mama’s memorial party yesterday was just about as tiring as it was rich and memorable. We are gratefully blessed to have the health and vitality to make the trip, and also to travel with grown kids who “chauffeur” us about more and more these days.
oday is the eve of my 2024 spring break. Spring break held little meaning in all my years in higher ed. administration, from L.C. in the 1970s to LSUE forty years later. All those years, I watched the students and faculty go free, but we long-suffering administrators just had to tow the administrative line and report for duty 8:00-4:30 from day to day. Our “spring break” amounted to no more than a nod on Good Friday.
Inventio! 