So very, very grateful

[lunabee34]

1. The car died yesterday. So why am I grateful? I am grateful that it died in our garage instead of in the ass end of Alabama in the freezing dark while I was alone driving to a funeral. I am grateful that we bought that damn extended warranty that I didn't want to buy because I am cheap and so we got an after hours tow to the dealership who called me at 7:31 this morning (one minute after opening!) to tell me they are working on my car. Am I kinda stressed out? Yes. But does the gratitude outweight that? Yes.

2. It snowed in Atlanta, and Emma was delighted. She and her friends made snow frogs and snowmen, and she called me to say, "Mom! Snow is wet!" with surprise.

3. I cannot stop saying that I have to go tinkle or telling Fiona that it is time to potty even though she has begged me, "Say go to the bathroom. Say urinate. Please, mom. You can say defecate. Just stop telling me to go potty." It's like a verbal tic at this point. Fortunately I don't appear to be saying this in professional settings (I don't think? Would I even know?), but my efforts to scrub this language from my private life are so far proving fruitless. Help!

4.

Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom by bell hooks

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I'm ashamed to say I made it this far into my academic career without reading any bell hooks. Wow, what a wonderful book to begin with. Her writing style is incredibly accessible and powerful, and the subject matter--pedagogy--is something that deeply interests me.

What fascinates me is how many of the aspects of teaching that I take for granted were hotly contested in 1994 when hooks published this book; it also fascinates me how much of what she's advocating for here has not become universal practice (though much of it is now considered best practice--like connecting classroom material to students' lives and real world examples).

I devoured this book in a single day. Highly recommend to any teacher, especially any teacher who is in the process of pedagogical transformation as I am.



View all my reviews

Comments

[gloss]

Oh, wow, the car situation could be so much worse! Echoing your gratitude on that.

hooks just ruled, she really did <33333

[lunabee34]

And it's fixed!

I am definitely going to read more of her work.

[zulu]

I'm glad you and the car are safe!

Here it's -30 with windchill so the snow that fell overnight is very dry... I remember getting lessons from my grandpa on which ski wax to use depending on how wet the snow was. I love Emma's delight/surprise. :D

[lunabee34]

Me too! And the car is now fixed.

Emma's only seen snow a couple of times and those were when she was small; she barely remembers it happening.

I can imagine there is such variation in snow and how to handle it when you live in snow country. What a great memory of your grandpa.

[starandrea]

I'm so glad the car did not fail in a more dangerous or inconvenient way!! ♥ Also yay snow surprise! :)

[lunabee34]

So happy it all happened in the best way. And it's now fixed!

It snows every winter in Atlanta, so I knew she would probably see at least a little. She has only seen it once or twice in her life when she was much smaller, so it's a Big Deal. :)

[nyctanthes]

Added Teaching to Transgress to my reading list. I don't work in education any more, but oh what strong feelings I continue to have about it!

[lunabee34]

It's very, very good. And it's equally parts encouraging to see how far we've come and how much of hooks's message has been embraced by the academy and depressing to see how much work there is still to do.

[goss]

Man, having your car die on you in the middle of nowhere is the WORST. It happening while you were safely at home really was the best outcome. Thank goodness you got that extended warranty!

[lunabee34]

INORITE? I am so cheap. Josh has had to train me slowly over the last two decades that sometimes the cheapest option is not the best option. LOL

Car is fixed now, and I am very pleased.

[minoanmiss]

This is such an awesome attitude to take to a misfortune. I am cheering you and the car on!

[lunabee34]

I feel like I have grown as a person. (Kinda seriously mean that LOL.)

Car is fixed now, and I will be safe on my travels.

<3

[sheafrotherdon]

I love Teaching to Transgress so much!

So glad your car broke down where it did, and that the dealer is working on it!

[lunabee34]

Car is fixed now! <3

It's very, very good. And it's equally parts encouraging to see how far we've come and how much of hooks's message has been embraced by the academy and depressing to see how much work there is still to do.

[boxofdelights]

Thank you for informing me of the existence of Teaching to Transgress!

[lunabee34]

It's really good. It's so interesting to me now that I'm a professor to read about the pedagogical theories that were informing the way my professors were teaching me in undergrad. Because none of that was transparent or obvious to me as a student.

[teaotter]

I'm so glad your car picked a safe place to break down. Yay for the warranty!

[lunabee34]

It's fixed now! I'm so pleased and glad to be safe.

[amejisuto]

I'm so glad your car died where it did. I'm sorry you're having to deal with that on top of everything else though, that sucks.

Tell Fiona it could be worse, you could be saying tinkie or wee-wee or something even more embarrassing. You'll get out of the rut, someday.

[lunabee34]

Me too! Honestly, it was a little stressful, but I'm just so grateful not to be shivering in a car on the side on the road in the middle of nowhere, that I can't be anything but happy that it happened the way it did.

There are apocryphal tales that I say I have to tink on a daily basis but such legends cannot be trusted.

[amejisuto]

HEE! <3

[independence1776]

I am so glad your car died where it did.

[lunabee34]

Me too! And now it's fixed. :)

[china_shop]

So very glad the car died at home! *hugs*

<3 <3 <3

[lunabee34]

Me too! And now it's fixed. :)

[china_shop]

Yayay! \o/

[corvidology]

I totally get what you mean. I had my car break down in our driveway once and I was so glad to still be at home. I hope it gets fixed fast! ♥

I usually say 'loo' and 'pee' at home. I don't think I've ever felt the need to tell anyone I needed to do anything beyond that. :D

[lunabee34]

And now it's fixed! So grateful it all happened this way.

Well, sometimes with kiddos one must specify the action. LOL

<3

[umadoshi]

Thank goodness for the timing on the car!

she called me to say, "Mom! Snow is wet!" with surprise.

Hee! *^^*

[lunabee34]

So glad it happened the way it did. And now it's fixed.

She was so cute with the snow. When you don't ever see it, it's so fascinating and fun. I imagine it becomes old hat very quickly when you live in snow country.

[umadoshi]

When you don't ever see it, it's so fascinating and fun. I imagine it becomes old hat very quickly when you live in snow country.

Some people still love it, but I find them very confusing. *shivers* I'd like maybe a couple weeks of snow a year. All at once, and then DONE.

[torachan]

Oof, yeah, car dying at home is definitely the better option! Hope it gets fixed soon.

[lunabee34]

It's already fixed. Hurray!

[lyr]

Being trapped in the ass-end of Alabama under any circumstances is definitely something to be grateful to avoid. I'm glad you weren't!

[lunabee34]

Ha! Indeed. It's already fixed, and I am very grateful.

[spikedluv]

I am grateful, too!

Snow is wet, lol! We got that storm, too! About 10" I think. I didn't bother to measure.

I still use 'potty' when talking about myself. o_O

[lunabee34]

It didn't even stick in Atlanta which is good. A little snow is fine for GA but too much and everything grinds to a halt and people are stuck on the interstate overnight. LOL

[timespirt]

The car will be fixed and all will be well.

Potty, tinkle...haven't heard that since I was very small. Have you heard the term, pippies...LOL I have to go pippies. Throw that one at her.

"HUGS"

[lunabee34]

And it was! So glad to have that all fixed and behind me.

I have not heard that. I'll have to try it on her. LOL

[timespirt]

Oh, do tell when you do...LOL

[kat_lair]

Euphemisms about going to the toilet are kind of fascinating and hilarious and both like geographical/culturally bound but also (I have discovered in England) very class-bound. I don't remember there being any cutesy kids version of that when growing up, just 'going to the potty' became 'going to the toilet' when one grew out of literally using a potty. So it was quite literal description of that, or with kids at the age who are learning and need detail, it was straightforwardly the equivalent of 'have to pee' or 'have to poo', except the word for both is very neutral and not cutesy kids version but I can't think of there being one like that in English? It's either poo or shit and nothing in between (excrement isn't exactly used in everyday language), or pee/wee or piss (same with urine).

Anyway, now I talked to you about bodily functions a lot :D

[lunabee34]

Ahahahahahhahah. Yes, it is very regionally and culturally and class bound, isn't it?

We don't generally say urinate or defecate even though those would be the most neutral descriptors to use.

[timespirt]

How about I have to take a crap...LOL

[lunabee34]

That would work. Lol