Dan’s Delights 4/14-20
April 23, 2025Hello Dear Ones :)
What a week this has been. Sometimes I go into a week wondering what kind of new delights will surface throughout the upcoming week because even as I begin to work in getting ready for my outdoor school season, so much is up in the air. Anyone that has worked with children in a educational setting knows that Mike Tyson’s quote “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” is a way too accurate portrayal of what it’s like to bring a lesson plan to life. This may be my 5th season teaching some of these lessons and yet each time, there is something new to uncover.
I think for me this is part of the grand appeal of education. No day at its core, if we are paying attention, is the same. The people may be the same, but that is about the only thing that is the same as we teachers are constantly adapting the plan to meant the varied needs and learning goals of our students. And the hardest part, but albeit my favorite part especially in the very short windows of time i get working with the students in my program, is building the relationship of trust because as Rita Pierson said in her famous TEd talk “Kid’s don’t learn from people they don’t like.”
It’s just Tuesday of this 4 day long week of 12 hour days going into classrooms and introducing outdoor school to all the lovely students we will work with this spring, and I’m glad to report that I think that foundation is setting up quite nicely. Maybe I’m crazy but I find that there is a great amount of trust a kid has in me if they feel confident to ask “Are you Zesty?” My response, which had no real thought put into it. “Like Parmesan Cheese” Which has been a lovely topping on some of my meals this week So let’s get into the delights shall we.
I sent a lot of my friends this wacky little personality quiz and I loved getting everyone’s responses. The art work was just so cute and chaotic and it seems a lot of my friends are tomatoes, which is great cause that pairs so well in Salas’s with my jalapeño self. Which yeah, does anyone wanna learn how to salsa sometime soon???
The food I ate this week was a whole joy of love in its own right. French toast, omelets, quesadillas, fresh bread and bagels, potatoes and egggs, pancakes, life was full of great meal this week and I wish I could’ve shared more with all of y’all.
And i did get to share it with some good friends! One night we had the gang all over for some ravioli and a nice bottle of Temparnilllo (did I spell that right…) and another night there was chaotic impromptu ideas to have a 9:30 pm pancake dinner party with a lovley strawberry compote. Wowza what a good night. There were jazz records, pancakes flying across the room, even banana toppings finding their way flying through the air. I love how the people around here are so childlike in their souls. It’s just such a joy to be around.
Look at this cool White Fir Cone I found!
I mean all these other flowers and trees have been equally amazing and vibrant filling the streets with wafts of allergies and sneezes. But if that’s the price of beauty, I’ll pay that admission price two times over. And I am
Ace Hardware gives out free popcorn and that’s just delightful.
I played a lot of disc golf this week with my friend Caden and some of his friends around town. By the end of each round. I was just figuring out how to control the disc and on each day by the miracles of the high heave and above I managed to sink shots from more than 50 ft away. It’s such a satisfying feeling to hear the crashing of the chains or the ring of the propane tank. Also if regular golf is a good walk ruined, well than disc golf is a great walk detoured! (No discs were lost, which honestly, quite surprising)
The Sunsets this week have been simple and yet so elegant. Blue hour, how I love you so.
These little creatures I saw in the windows while on walks that I got to catch up with my dear friend Averi. What a lovely human she is and her heart and love are extending to so many projects back in Massachusetts.
LOOK AT ALL THESE CATS!!!! LIKE AHHHHHH SO MANY!!!! or maybe the same one on different days
Lastly on Sunday evening I got to dance the night away with The High Step Society. EDM really isn’t my style of dance normally but ya know if you mix in a lot of New Orleans Swing and Big Band vibes well… I’ll be moving and grooving all night to their tunes. What a joy to see them before they leave Oregon back to NOLA to continue working on their upcoming album.
Wowza what a week what a week. I’m excited for all the time with students this week and also just excited to get to know more the new staff better. Already this week has had unexpected delights that I’m excited to share about next time. Until then, Adventure is out there and if you have anything you want to share or just a topic you find interesting I would love to hear about it. Write me here! :)
Take Care you lovely loves and may this music send you into a such a lovely week ahead!
Dan