Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Dogs using the Metro!

I just saw this post as I was surfing the internet (I know, shame, shame.). Anyway, check this out! I think it is kind of cool. Here is the link to the original post.


Who are you lookin' at???




Apparently dogs in Moscow are using the metro to travel into the city to search for food and then travel back out to the suburbs at night. Amazing!

The biologist in me thinks this is so cool to see how these dogs have used their cognitive behaviors to "hunt" for food. They have adapted to the system.

My animal friendly side is concerned about all of these stray dogs; that I am sure are not spayed and neutered. Yikes! Some of them don't look too healthy. :-( Why are all of these dogs just sleeping??

Not to mention the part of me that thinks about my non-dog-loving friends (you know who you are) and how this might terrify them in a public space!

Then I think - you know, I went to the park yesterday, and even on the park you had to have your dogs leashed. Interesting - two very different worlds!

Anyway, I thought this was good food for thought. :-) Enjoy!

This man doesn't seem bothered in the least!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Protesting in Silence today in Tehran



I'm sure you've all been reading and hearing about what is going on in Iran right now, but I thought this video was a moving reminder about what it means to have free speech.


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Federal Hill, Inner Harbor and good friends!

View of the Inner Harbor from Federal Hill in Baltimore

Flag on Federal Hill

Stephani and Matt

On Sunday Stephanie and Matt visited B-more. They came for lunch - we had chicken salad, fruit salad and tomatoes, basil and mozarella. We had a nice lunch, then they showed me their wonderful videos from Greece and the video Stephanie made of their new house! It was great to see;I feel like I've been there! Thanks Stephanie!
We decided to go to the Inner Harbor and walk around. It was a gorgeous day, sunny, 70's, light breeze. Just fabulous! We stopped and got some ice cream and found a shady spot to side and chat. It was lovely to just sit, people watch, and catch up. Then we decided to walk up to Federal Hill and check out the view. 105 steps up to the top and the view was just fabulous. There is a park at the top with benches, a swing set and large trees. I took the picture of the flag, the light was shining just right!
All in all, it was a fabulous day. I feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends. What a weekend and a great start to summer!

Longwood Gardens

Last Saturday I picked up Jami in the morning and we headed up the road. I was taking her on a surprise hijacking to Longwood Gardens for her birthday (June 18!). She had no idea where we were going, it was so much fun to surprise her! She was a good sport.

We got to Longwood about 1pm and had lunch in their formal dining room. We had drinks and great food and it was just what the doctor ordered. After lunch we set out to explore the grounds. Longwood is set up with many different types of gardens - perennial beds, vegetable gardens, orchards, meadows, woods (with a tree house!), rose gardens, topiary gardens and the "Idea" garden. The rich colors, the inspiring setting, and the promise of vegetables, fruits, and flowers was very uplifting. It made us very happy to be out in nature all day, taking our time, walking through these carefully manicured gardens as well as the natural woods and meadows. Below are a few pictures from the day.





Somebody was taking a nap! :-)

Look who else we saw (and heard! He was loud!)


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Graduation

Today was graduation. It was a hot and humid day. The sticky kind of day that is gray and almost foggy with the moisture hanging in the air. Graduation was at 5 pm in the "Graduation Garden" behind the Gordon Building (House). It is really a very serene place with tall oaks and steps leading down a stone path to a semi-circle of arborvitae trees at the stage. The girls process down in pairs, wearing long white dresses and carrying baskets of daisies. They look so grown-up; simultaneously "old" and "young."

I love this day. It has so much meaning for the girls. This is the culmination of all their hard work, determination, perseverance, and strength. This is the day they dream about. This is the day they picture in their minds eye that represents becoming a young woman and leaving "home." For some of these girls Bryn Mawr has been their home-away-from-home for 14 years. Many of their childhood memories were created there. Whether it is reading in the nook in the lower school library, or sitting listening to the birds at the observation deck, or laughing with friends in the commons room. Today, they all love Bryn Mawr. Even the ones who rail against "the man (or should I say woman)." Today, they share a love of community and a love of place. It is a special day.

Today, the faculty processed in, and then the band started, and the girls walked down, hand in hand, under the darkening sky. Yep, just as they all took a seat on stage, the first raindrops began to fall. The Headmistress made an announcement directing people into Centennial Hall Auditorium (making sure the girls get there first). One minute later the sky opened up, lightening streaked and thunder pounded and people got soaked. I mean soaked.

In the end, I didn't get to see the girls graduate. The auditorium could not fit all the family and the faculty. Even the overflow space that had closed-circuit TV couldn't fit us all - people were packed like sardines in there. So I left. I was very sad about not seeing them get their diplomas. I was sad to not hear the graduation speech, or see the smiles as they hugged each other in celebration.

But I know that this is a story they are going to be talking about for a long time. I think this has only happened to a few classes in Bryn Mawr's history. That makes them special! What a story. They will re-tell it, and it will become lore.

So this is the end of the year. And just like the girls, I am looking forward. I am looking forward to next year; the next adventure. I always leave with a bit of optimism and I am very thankful for this. The moment I do not feel this way, I know it will be time for a change.

But today, the cooler air came in, the rain has stopped, and tomorrow is a new day.

History of Bryn Mawr School

Mission Statement:
The Bryn Mawr School is an independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school for girls from preschool through grade twelve. Within a nurturing environment, Bryn Mawr's rigorous academic curriculum inspires a passion for intellectual curiosity and emphasizes the delights and demands of learning. In the classical humanistic tradition, Bryn Mawr promotes the full development of mind, body, and spirit. The school cultivates respect for diversity and engenders habits of moral and ethical leadership and a sense of responsibility to the broader community.

A Bryn Mawr education is grounded in the expectation that young women will be resilient in the face of complexity, ambiguity, and change; will become responsible and confident participants in the world; and, will lead considered and consequential lives.

Isn't this what a school is supposed to be about???