Sunday, October 30, 2005

Bear Finds a Home


His foster mom named him Bear. The litter of five kittens had been found under an elderly woman's home in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina. The mom cat was close to feral. There were five in the litter, three tabby boys (one bright orange, two light orange), and two gray girls. Ivan, William, Bear, Tess, and Lilly. Beth, who volunteers for the Greensboro Animal Rescue and Foster Program took the boys home until they were old enough to be adopted.

I happened to be at the ARFP house when these kittens were brought in on August 28th. They were then about 5 weeks old. They were heading to their foster home and wouldn't be ready to be adopted until they were spayed or neutered when they were approximately 3 months old. I fell in love with Ivan, the orange tabby who crawled up my arm and rested on my shoulder. My daughter Sarah was very partial to Bear.

I went back, talked with the foster mom and asked her which kitten of the litter would be best as a single cat. She said that Ivan had to have playmates or he'd probably create havoc day in and day out. She said that Bear had the kind of personality that would allow him to enjoy his solitude during the day and appreciate the company at night and on weekends. I visited again and made the big decision to adopt Bear.

So, on Sunday, October 23, I picked him up and brought him home. Sarah and her husband Brian even bought him a nice cushy carrier!

Beth was right. He's been fine during the day.... but....he decided that he really likes weekends. He woke up yesterday morning with a "you're going to be late for work" nibble on my nose. As the day went on and we watched a movie together, played with plants, did laundry..... he figured out that weekends are pretty cool. Then we got to do it again on Sunday.

Anyway, being a cat mom again is nice.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Meow...



I've been thinking about getting a cat. I've lived with cats my whole adult life, but I haven't shared my life with one for more than a year. The *thought* of having a cat is messy, noisy, inconvenient, and expensive.... but somewhere in the far reaches of my mind I remember the feeling...

I love this first quote:

If there were to be a universal sound depicting peace, I would surely vote for the purr. ~Barbara L. Diamond


Here are some more:

If cats could talk, they wouldn't. ~Nan Porter

There are two means of refuge from the misery of life - music and cats. ~Albert Schweitzer

If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much. ~Mark Twain

The cat could very well be man's best friend but would never stoop to admitting it. ~Doug Larson

There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone. ~Louis J. Camuti

As every cat owner knows, nobody owns a cat. ~Ellen Perry Berkeley

The problem with cats is that they get the exact same look on their face whether they see a moth or an axe-murderer. ~Paula Poundstone

Your cat will never threaten your popularity by barking at three in the morning. He won't attack the mailman or eat the drapes, although he may climb the drapes to see how the room looks from the ceiling. ~Helen Powers

I had been told that the training procedure with cats was difficult. It's not. Mine had me trained in two days. ~Bill Dana

If there is one spot of sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up. ~Jean Asper McIntosh

No amount of time can erase the memory of a good cat, and no amount of masking tape can ever totally remove his fur from your couch. ~Leo Dworken

A dog, I have always said, is prose; a cat is a poem. ~Jean Burden

The cat is the only animal without visible means of support who still manages to find a living in the city. ~Carl van Vechten

A cat improves the garden wall in sunshine, and the hearth in foul weather. ~Judith Merkle Riley

I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat. ~Edgar Allan Poe

Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later. ~Mary Bly

In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this. ~Terry Pratchett

Purring would seem to be, in her case, an automatic safety valve device for dealing with happiness overflow. ~Monica Edwards

There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast. ~Author Unknown

Kittens can happen to anyone. ~Paul Gallico

The cat is the animal to whom the Creator gave the biggest eye, the softest fur, the most supremely delicate nostrils, a mobile ear, an unrivaled paw and a curved claw borrowed from the rose-tree. ~Colette

Prowling his own quiet backyard or asleep by the fire, he is still only a whisker away from the wilds. ~Jean Burden

I don't think it is so much the actual bath that most cats dislike; I think it's the fact that they have to spend a good part of the day putting their hair back in place. ~Debbie Peterson

To bathe a cat takes brute force, perseverance, courage of conviction - and a cat. The last ingredient is usually hardest to come by. ~Stephen Baker

Of all the toys available, none is better designed than the owner himself. A large multipurpose plaything, its parts can be made to move in almost any direction. It comes completely assembled, and it makes a sound when you jump on it. ~Stephen Baker

Ignorant people think it is the noise which fighting cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it is the sickening grammar that they use. ~Mark Twain

A cat is a puzzle for which there is no solution. ~Hazel Nicholson

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet. ~Colette

Who among us hasn't envied a cat's ability to ignore the cares of daily life and to relax completely? ~Karen Brademeyer

A kitten is so flexible that she is almost double; the hind parts are equivalent to another kitten with which the forepart plays. She does not discover that her tail belongs to her until you tread on it. ~Henry David Thoreau

If a dog jumps into your lap, it is because he is fond of you; but if a cat does the same thing, it is because your lap is warmer. ~Alfred North Whitehead

Some people own cats and go on to lead normal lives. ~Author Unknown

If I called her she would pretend not to hear, but would come a few moments later when it could appear that she had thought of doing so first. ~Arthur Weigall

Cats are smarter than dogs. You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. ~Jeff Valdez

If only cats grew into kittens. ~R. Stern

Saturday, October 15, 2005

Peace Seeds in My Own Backyard



There are several reasons why "In My Own Backyard" is the title of my blog. One of them was inspired by a lyric in Steve Earle's song "The Revolution Starts Now" from the album of the same name.

"Yeah the revolution starts now
In your own backyard
In your own hometown
So what you doin’ standin’ around?
Just follow your heart
The revolution starts now"

~Steve Earle


One aspect of the Montessori method of education that initially attracted me was how the curriculum interweaves peace education with academics. Peace is not a separate subject we teach ~ it is part of everything we teach.

Montessori encompasses a large part of "my own backyard." Sowing seeds of peace, respect, and kindness in this "garden" is very central to why I became a teacher.

The AMS Peace Seed Connection is a wonderful resource for teachers, students, and parents. There you will articles such as:

Talking to Kids About World Natural Disasters
Anita Gurian, Ph.D.

Why Can't You Raise My Child's Test Score?
Sharon J. Damore, Ed.D.

Recognizing and Addressing Bullying Behavior
Nancy Hofer

Crime and Punishment
An editorial by Ruth Corey Selman, Ph. D.

It's my hope that what I do here in all areas of "my backyard" will make a positive difference in the world, little by little, step by step.

I close today with this quote from Margaret Mead. It's one of my favourites:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Monday, October 10, 2005

I Have Arrived. I Am Home.

A dear friend of mine went to a peace walk in Los Angeles this past Saturday. It was lead by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk.

Afterwards, my friend met and talked with Cindy Sheehan and was very moved by her humanity and her openness to the unexpected changes that are happening her her life since her activism became front page news.

I have also been inspired by Cindy, a mom who "speaks truth to power" ~ from her heart. Here is a recent post written by her in respose to her experience at the peace walk:


I Have Arrived. I Am Home.
by Cindy Sheehan

I was honored and humbled to be in the presence of holy man Thich Nhat Hahn today at MacArthur Park in a very Hispanic neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Tha^y, (teacher) as he is known, is a Buddhist monk who was active during the Vietnam War years bringing peace and reconciliation to the countries of North and South Vietnam.

He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Martin Luther King, Jr. He walks with an aura of peace and acceptance radiating from him.

Every day we do things, we are things that have to do with peace. If we are aware of our life..., our way of looking at things, we will know how to make peace right in the moment, we are alive. Thich Nhat Hahn.

In a speech I delivered at the Riverside Church in NYC on the one year anniversary of Casey's death, which was also the 37th anniversary of MLK, Jr's death, I said: We must all do one thing for peace each day. I now know that is not enough. We must live peace and embody peace if we want peace on earth. Our entire lives must be for peace. Not just one activity a day.

Every step is peace.

Click here for the rest of the post by Cindy Sheehan.

Sunday, October 02, 2005


Oftentimes it's not about finding peace, it's about letting your voice be heard. Many thousands, me included, marched on Washington DC on September 24th, 2005. We were there to join our voices together to express outrage that our country has initiated a war without noble cause.

Saturday, October 01, 2005


Sometimes I find peace in places that are far away, but still my "backyard." This is one of those places ~ under the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena, California.