Monday, April 30, 2018

April Book Report: The Sympathizer


Last month’s book report was a novel I read with a group of teachers considering a collection of books for an English course on identity in the United States.  I read this month’s book report novel for the same potential course and, like last month’s book, it was a simply splendid read.


The Sympathizer, written by Viet Thanh Nguyen, opens in Vietnam in April 1975, as Saigon is about to fall to the Viet Minh.  Our nameless narrator lives in Saigon, serving as the aid to a Viet Cong general.  He is arranging flights for the general and his allies on American transport out of Saigon in advance of the fall to the communists.  But things aren’t quite what they seem and our nameless narrator is a double agent, reporting to Viet Minh intelligence even as he works with the Viet Cong.

The narrator successfully escapes Saigon and finds himself in southern California, part of a refugee diaspora who’ve lost not only their home country but also their identity.  As the group transitions from the lives of prosperous senior leaders in once-sovereign south Vietnam to the lives of poor Vietnamese refugees in America, the narrator’s observations are cogent and critical, but also amusing.  The narrator speaks English well, having studied at an American college in the 1960s.  Mixed race himself (the son of French priest and a Vietnamese mother) he is somewhat comfortable as an American, though still an outsider.   But that is an identity with which he is familiar, having grown up in a Vietnamese society uncomfortable with his mixed-race status.

Large portions of the book feel like something of a jaunt through 1970s southern California, as our narrator lives an existence without making a life for himself.  Still in communication with his Viet Minh commander, he seeks a greater meaning for himself even as he becomes increasingly angry with the American understanding of the Vietnam War and the Vietnamese people.  Holding on to the comforting notion that communist rule in his home country must be good for people, the novel races to a conclusion that will challenge that assumption.

Like Adichie’s Americanah, The Sympathizer provides the reader with critical observations of American life that are at-once amusing, pointed, and often quite uncomfortable.  Both narrators understand the United States and have a certain fondness for it, but neither has an unvarnished view.  Whereas both Adichie and the protagonist of her novel can travel back and forth between Nigeria and the United States, Nguyen does not enjoy that luxury.  A refugee who came to the United States at age 4, the author no longer has a home in his birth country.  He is American, for better or worse, and writes of that as an experience of feeling somewhat adrift from a home.  

As a writer, Nguyen seems to have talent to spare and the novel has his faculty with words and descriptions on full display.  The pages flow one into another and despite the difficult topics being explored, it reads easy.  The book is brilliant and as I read it, I found myself looking up essays, interview, and editorials with Nguyen.  He’s an author I’ll recommend to others and read again and again.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Tulips


In Spring, tulips follow daffodils.  To my mind, daffodils are hearty, cheerful, and outgoing.  Tulips are a more serious flower, slightly aloof in their beauty.  Grouped together, they stand tall as they begin to open, the flowers held tight in the cold, patiently awaiting a warmer day.  In my backyard, I have some pink tulips of a variety called “emperor.”  It always seems like a fitting name for these shy and seemingly reserved flowers.  


All over town, the tulips have emerged as we march ourselves toward warmer days.  I am ready!





Saturday, April 28, 2018

Fairy Garden


Last weekend, I began the process of setting up my fairy garden for the season.  I started by weeding the patch and then spreading mulch and tidying the area.




This project brings me happiness and pleasure well in excess of what I expected, as I construct the tiny world that will live along the fence for the summer.  There are tulips still to bloom.  As the season unfolds, the clematis vine and peach tree will provide shade.  


I’ve been gifted an assortment of fairy cottages and accessories, including a chicken coup, a rabbit warren, a garden shed, and a mill.  My fairies have a picnic table and a barbecue.  Life is good in the fairy universe.






Every day this week, I’ve taken the time to step outside and admire this enchanting world .  It’s an on-going treat that makes me smile.  


That’s happy!

Friday, April 27, 2018

Compromise Plan


If I can’t have flip flop weather for every day of this slow-moving Spring, I can at least have strawberry pie.  My recipe is an old fashioned favorite and it smells and tastes like summer.


That’s happy!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Dogwood Days: April 24


We’re on our way to dogwood flowers and green leaves.


Each morning as the sun rises, I talk time to admire the dogwood.


We’ve had a nice patch of warm, mild days and have reached the point in Spring when an explosion of blooms and greenery is just around the corner.  That’s happy and lovely!

Monday, April 23, 2018

Sunbathing


Yesterday morning, one of the backyard squirrels was stretched out on the handrail of the back deck, sunning himself.


I made this picture from inside so as not to disturb him.  Private squirrel sunbathing is a thing.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

In Search of Spring


On Saturday, after we finished our weekly grocery shopping chore, T and I went to Colonial Park to look for Spring.   We’d had one of those weeks, the sort that sends a reminder to stop and smell the roses.  It’s far too early for roses, but there were tulips.


There was a faint smell of Spring.  And there were tulip trees, which are a Spring treat I never grow weary of seeing.



Down the canal path, as twilight settled in, we could hear peepers and bullfrogs in the wetlands.


We’re still waiting for Spring’s abundance; the signs of its arrival are everywhere.  We’re ready.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Time Management


In the early hours of Thursday morning, we lost electricity for a couple of hours.  JT and I slept through it.  I woke on my own that morning, turning off my alarm clock before it rang.  I often wake just before the alarm goes off, so I thought nothing of it, and got in the shower, assuming at was 5:30 am.

When I came downstairs, I was surprised to see that my coffee pot hadn’t started it’s automatic brew.  But again I thought nothing of it, pressed start on the machine, and began the morning stretches that keep my back and neck from being too tense.  I pondered the sunlight; I hadn’t realized the sun was already up so early (this from a woman who uses an app to obsessively check the sunrise and sunset times).  Only when I poured my first cup of coffee did I realize that the clocks in the kitchen were flashing.  I turned on NPR, sat down to grade a few quizzes, and poured myself a second cup of coffee.  As I contemplated getting something for breakfast, I looked at my phone to check the time and reset the clocks.  Only then did I realize that it wasn’t 6:15, as I expected, but it was instead  7:15.  I was going to be late for work.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, as I rushed around to finish getting ready and get out of the house.  I woke JT before I left, in case his alarm didn’t go off.  And I reset my own alarm clock, which has dials on the back to set the time and the alarm.  While rushing to do that, I accidentally turned the alarm dial.  I knew that I had done it but thought nothing off it.  Thursday night, I turned on my alarm, and went to sleep with nary a concern.

On Friday morning, the clock woke me up with a flashing light.  I turned off the alarm before it converted to buzzing, got up, and got in the shower.  In the shower I felt a little fuzzier than usual for a Friday, but reassured myself that it was Friday and I could have a nap in the afternoon after school.  I thought nothing of the inky darkness outside, finished my shower, and started to get dressed.  I did all this in a faint light and without my glasses.   Only when I grabbed my glasses to go downstairs did I glance at my clock.

It was 3:30 in the morning.

In a flash, I reset the alarm for my usual 5:30 am, changed back into my pajamas, and went back to bed.  I ruefully willed myself back to sleep, reflecting on the fact that it’s still only April and the most challenging month of the school year, May, has not yet begun.  

I’m already tired.


Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Spring is Coming


Every year, no matter how much I long for it, Spring comes on slowly.  As the morning chill starts to feel thin, there is expectancy in the air.  It’s a signal that reminds me to pay attention to the changes that have begun to emerge.  They are subtle, but still there, patiently waiting for me to notice.  Well before it brings warm breezes or blooms, the crocuses and daffodils peak through the soil, often to shake off a late round of snow, but growing nonetheless.  After cold months of stark forests and dull gardens, color begins to emerge.  These subtle changes can be found everywhere and I look for them eagerly, with my nose turned toward the sunlight as the days lengthen.  Then, something splendid emerges and I enjoy the surprise of the blooms.  Such is the case with these daffodils that are cheering up my shaded front yard.


Right next door, my peony has also begun to emerge.


There is much more to come of course, and that is the true joy of Spring, which starts slow but predictably results in a riot of abundant color and blooms.  I love the way the season builds anticipation and rewards my patience.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Dogwood Days: April 17


A few days ago, we had unusual warmth and sunshine.  It was followed by a cold rainstorm yesterday.  When an afternoon cleaning emerged, I made pictures of the dogwood.  Overhead, things look quiet.



Close up, there are signs that leaves and dogwood flowers will soon emerge.  Spring is an expectant season and each day bring the prospect of more blooms to enjoy.



That’s happy!

Saturday, April 14, 2018

April Front Porch


April’s chilly start didn’t have me fooled, though it was so cloudy and cold at the start that I set out my April porch decorations but could not find a sunny day to snap some pictures.  Finally, we’ve got some sunlight and warmth.  Yesterday and today, I’ve even had time to sit in my rocking chair and read.  It’s been lovely and even if the forecast promises an abrupt return to a chilly April, I am holding on to the hope of warmth and the firm belief that April showers will bring May flowers.  There is a posey wreath on the door to provide incentive.


As we wait for abundant, lush green, the table welcomes me with greenery, my silly tin lamb, birds, and a bunny, as an April porch should do.


The bunny flag remains because I love that bunny flag.


The forecast for the next few days is that the chill will return.  But the porch will remain optimistic that warm days are coming.


That’s happy!

Friday, April 13, 2018

Daffodils


The start of the week was damp and cold.  I bought a bouquet of $2 daffodils to cheer things up.


Today and tomorrow, temps are expected to be in the 70s.  The daffodils and I are celebrating!



Thursday, April 12, 2018

Running Toward Adulthood


From the moment we visited Springfield College in western Massachusetts, JT was intrigued.  The academic programs, many of which center on the world of sports, intrigued him.  The campus is charming and the size (just over 2,000 undergrads) appealed to him.  But the biggest allure was the cross country coach, who recruited him to run for the school’s team.  Like JT, she is a graduate of Rutger Prep. Like him, she did all of her schooling there, from kindergarten straight through 12th grade.  Running there feels like a continuation of running for his current coach.  That is downright thrilling for JT.

In November, he told me the school was his first choice.  In February, when the coach called to tell him that he’d been admitted, he was over-the-moon thrilled.  So am I; it’s a great choice for him.  We visited the school this past weekend, giving him a chance to learn more about academic programs and to meet with the coach. She introduced him to other runners, all of whom were welcoming and friendly.  He feels like it’s the right place for him.  I agree.

As we walked from one open house event to another, he casually announced the date in August when he will report to school.  I promptly began to hyperventilate and spurt tears, like an odd fountain of emotions.  JT was as surprised as I was, though he’s accustomed to seeing me cry.  

I’m finding that being a parent of high school Senior has lots of unexpected moments like this.  I’m shedding a virtual ocean of tears as I contemplate sending my boy off to college. At the same time,  I’m also excited about what the next stages will bring, for him and for me.  But there is uncertainty in this future and I am no fan of uncertainty.  Rather than worry about what comes next,  I’m determined to enjoy today and live in the moment, without freaking out about what is yet to come.  After all, babies grow into toddlers and toddlers into kids and tweens into teens and…..this is life.  He’s healthy and happy, he actually eats vegetables with zest, and he runs 40 miles a week like it’s no big deal.  I am lucky and blessed.  I know and appreciate it.


As for JT, well, he’s over-the-moon excited about what comes next; he’s ready for it.  And that’s happy!

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Dogwood Day: April 10


Since January, I’ve been posting Tuesday pictures of my amaryllis bulb as I not-so-patiently waited for the flower to appear.  My waiting was well-rewarded and it ushered in the month of April, which always delivers the goods for people like me, who long for flowers.  I am by nature an impatient person, a woman who has been known to read the end of a book so as to know how it all turns out.  Gardening has taught me the virtue and value of patience even as it has reminded me to take note of and appreciate even the smallest of changes.  With the arrival of April, my dogwood is ready for the season.



Or at least that's how things look up close.  Even today's gloom can't disguise the round buds that will become flowers in the next few weeks.


From further away, the tree seems to be stuck in Winter.  Gloomy, cloudy skies like today's don't hasten things as I would like.


But time is on our side and Winter's cold won't last forever.

Saturday, April 07, 2018

The Slow Spring Thaw


In agonizingly slow days, Winter’s cold is loosening its grip.  My neighbor’s south-facing front yard has a line of brave daffodils and tulips, while my own blooms are taking their time.  Spring seems to be in sight, though its warmth is so-far elusive.  I long for warmth and sunlight and find myself looking at pictures from last April to remind myself that blooms may not be here until mid-month.  And then I find myself in front of a calendar, silently counting the days, knowing that blooms will arrive on their own time.

Winter rolls in a slowly as well.  I’ve spent many a November day ready to wear a thick cardigan sweater only to find that it’s still too warm for that choice.  But warm days in the late Fall feel like stolen pleasures as the world sinks into Winter’s starkness.  After the first bunch of Fall color has fallen from the trees, crunchy dry leaves remain on many trees, waiting for cold winds of Winter to shake them loose.  As we wait for the first snow, I contemplate the cozy and homey days to come.

By April, the leaves are long-past gone and empty tree branches seem stark and miserly in the cold.  I know that there are tight buds waiting the burst open; I know they won’t be rushed.  And yet I’m weary of the chill and want to hurry them into being.  I swap out my Winter wools and corduroys for Spring linen and cotton well before the temperatures warrant such things.  I joke that my pride and willpower will keep me warm.  

To ease my impatience, I buy $6 worth of tulips from the grocery store.  I cheer on the chirping birds as I drink warm coffee in the cold kitchen and watch the sun rise in the eastern dawn.  Last weekend, I put out my spinning bunny sculpture.  Eventually, this corner along the fence will be the land of my fairy garden.  For now, the bunny spins around and around, looking in vane for Spring.  I remind myself that Mother Nature has her own stately time table.  


But it’s clear that I don’t quite believe it.

Thursday, April 05, 2018

Nest Repairs


In one of the Miss Read Fairacre books, Miss Read discovers that some local sparrows have made a nest on the roof over her front door.  At first she is charmed and then Mr. Willet, the local handyman, points out that the birds may use her front step as their toilet.  He volunteers to remove the nest to aid in relocation but Miss Read refuses, worried that the birds won’t find their nest.  Mr. Willet shakes his head at her kind heart and Miss Read ruefully begins to use the back door, so as not to bother the birds.

I thought of this story when I noticed a pair of birds making their nest in my roofline, having snuck under the eve where a piece of the trim siding had come off during a wild storm.   In the immediate aftermath of that storm, I had made a few calls for someone to replace the broken piece.   Homes in my corner of New Jersey had far more damage than that and I could never get a firm hold on a repair and so the problem lingered for far longer than it should have.  


Then a pair of birds tucked under the trim and built their nest along my roofline.  I’m not as kind as Miss Read and feared birds in the roof may be followed by squirrels in the attic so I doubled down on my efforts to get the trim repaired.  That happened over Spring Break.  For a few days, the birds perched on the roofline, unable to get inside.  In my guilt, I averted my eyes.  They’ve since found a new location for their nest and I have the satisfaction of a tidy new piece of trim.


That’s happy!

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

Amaryllis Tuesday: April 3


Late last week we reached peak amaryllis, with no less than six flowers on the hardy amaryllis stem.



It was splendid and lovely and remains that way this week. It feels like the showy advance guard for April, a month that often begins stark and chilly but always manages to deliver blooms and lush green grass.  On that note, I’ve begun to document the progress of my backyard dogwood tree which is on its way to making its own splendid flowers for this Spring.  Up close, the potential can be seen in the small, tight buds on the branches.


From further away, the buds aren’t so obvious.  


And in yesterday's snow, it looks even less promising.


But I know that those buds will grow larger and that one morning soon I will wake up to dogwood flowers.  I like that element of Spring, a season that begins quietly and requires careful attention to be seen and in full steam becomes as showy as can be.  For the next few months, Tuesdays will be dogwood days and I will post a picture each week, as I watch the tree and enjoy the arrival of Spring.

Monday, April 02, 2018

Live Like it's Spring


After a lovely two week break, students return to school today.  I love my job but the break from energetic middle schoolers was nice.  I’m back in school renewed; I'll be glad to see the students today.  Before I tucked into bed last night, I set out a linen skirt and pink cardigan to wear and, in a triumph of hope over good judgement, I will wear them despite the fact that snow is falling at a rate of more than an inch per hour.  


Snow in April is a poor man’s fertilizer and I put out some grass seed and fertilizer yesterday, so at least I’m taking advantage of this chilly turn of events.

But I long for Spring to stick around for more than a day or two and so there are pink tulips on my table.


There is warm coffee in my mug.

Did I mention the pink tulips?

Spring, I see you.

Sunday, April 01, 2018

Easter Celebrations


In addition to some chirping birds and watery morning sunlight, the Easter Bunny brought us some Easter baskets.  This one was a gift to me from my craft friend TO, who made these beautiful eggs and tucked them in a basket.  It was a lovely addition to our table!


I filled this basket for A, who cheerfully puts up with our family and should have a chocolate reward for her troubles.




T got some sweet treats because she is sweet to me.


JT had a basket full of candy and some new pajamas because in our house the Easter Bunny brings pajamas.  


There was a family supper with ham and all the fixings.


In this house, Easter is a celebration of Spring.  That’s happy!