"The only flower known to have wings in the butterfly . . ." The Book of Tea

MaripoMariposa means butterfly.

Yes, flowers, woods, mountains, and snow melt greater than it has been for more than 50 years so the water falls in Yosemite are spectacular. My family lived near here one summer when I was about 10. My brother closest in age to me is coming to visit and we plan to drive through the town. They had a peach cannery and we would take a wagon and get free peaches (the rejects). People here are quite open, friendly and white. I've been making inquiries about the whiteness and don't yet have a satisfactory understanding of the absence of diversity. Evenings are quite cool and days have gotten to 100 but of course its a dry heat so much more bearable. Jazzie has many new friends and listens for the woman next door to come home from work as they have e routine of playing ball in the yard before dinner. There's a school across the street that reminds me I am here to write, not simply play. I've been off caffeine for two weeks and developing new strategies to get me engaged. These include meditating twice a day, keeping a journal and working toward a set number of hours of writing each day with the willingness for it to be good or bad. Working on completing several incomplete projects: an article started about 8 yrs ago with Hopi and Navajo students who have since become teachers, about how they define teacher professionalism within a context of indigenous sovereignty. Working on the textbook with Guy Senese titled The Teachers Conscience. Working on an article about the neoconservative agenda nationally and how it is being fostered by Booker and Christy juxtaposed the agenda at Central High School with Ras Baraka. I interviewed Ras before leaving town and part of it will be woven into the textbook, as will the other article. Inspirational stories from practicing educators is crucial! I was asked to make my dissertation into a book when I completed it all those many years ago and I resisted. I've been re-reading it and searching out the people who were involved in the research to explore the possibility of adding more longitudinal information and turning it into a book. So far I have located two of the people on Facebook and we are back in communication. I am confident I can find at least six more and may take a trip to the Navajo reservation in the Fall. Several projects at once will keep me writing and they all feed into a central focus about radical democracy. Hope life is fabulous for you! Carolynesa means butterfly.

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Yes

Consultant's Training Program

You may be able to discern from this photo that I'm attempting to capture myself in the mirror. This is a suggestion of my experience in the Consultant's Training Program. I am getting a deeper sense (although still fuzzy) of who I have been in the world, gaining clarity about the world I've been creating for myself and the spaces I've made up as available. Not very clear, yes? How about this: I am happier that I remember being in possibly 60 years. I am loving the people in Mariposa. Out of the experience, I am choosing to challenge myself in numerous ways. Last week I dead lifted 85 lbs (never knew the rush that comes with dead lifting). Two weeks ago I gave up caffeine. I'm preparing for serious cross fit workouts: learning the correct way to do squats, aiming to be able to do burpees and pull ups, jumping rope, jogging, etc. But that's easy compared to learning to communicate in more honest and direct ways. Its a grand adventure into the unknown and I'm loving it, when I'm not resisting the hell out it!

Welcome to Mariposing

Welcome to Mariposing, a public conversation about my six month adventure in the Landmark Education Consultant's Training Program while on a sabbatical from my professorship at Rutgers University.

Mariposa, California is a magical place. I can literally walk from one end of town to the other and everywhere I gaze, I find beauty.

As I was driving across the country last month, making my way here, I learned that the change of address card I submitted with the U.S. Postal Service was not working. Mail is not delivered in town. I spoke with a man at the Mariposa Post Office and he said I would need to get a post office box, free of course. When I inquired about why no one had alerted me to this reality, he said, "You're coming to Mariposa. We do things the Mariposa way here!" Instead of being annoyed, I was laughing out loud, eager to meet this man in person. So this blog is my learning to do things

the "Mariposa way."