Monthly Archives: February 2015

From the prosaic to the extraordinary

Posted on February 27, 2015 by jyourist

It is not news that it has been a rough February. With wind chill, the temperatures have sunk into dangerous ranges. The snow has accumulated over the month making travel treacherous. On the way back and forth from work there … Continue reading →

Posted in winter | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hiram Revels

Posted on February 25, 2015 by jyourist

One hundred forty-five years ago today, on February 25, 1870, Hiram Revels (1827-1901) was sworn in as a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, the very first black man to hold this position. This was during Reconstruction, that brief, decade-long experiment in … Continue reading →

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State of meditation lasting 1,000 years

Posted on February 22, 2015 by jyourist

This 1000 year old Chinese bronze sculpture of Buddha holds more than is obvious to the naked eye. It holds the mummified remains of the Buddhist monk Liuquan, a master of the Chinese Meditation School, at least this is who … Continue reading →

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Magic Words

Posted on February 21, 2015 by jyourist

The students are presently working on their research papers. They have been reading about and exploring their topics for over a week and are starting to organize their ideas. Yesterday we talked about formulating a thesis. This concept is so … Continue reading →

Posted in grammar, Teaching, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Simple Truth” by Philip Levine (1928-2015) RIP

Posted on February 19, 2015 by jyourist

I bought a dollar and a half’s worth of small red potatoes, took them home, boiled them in their jackets and ate them for dinner with a little butter and salt. Then I walked through the dried fields on the … Continue reading →

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Lesley Gore 1946-2015 RIP

Posted on February 17, 2015 by jyourist
Posted in activism, music, women | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

T.H. White’s The Once and Future King

Posted on February 14, 2015 by jyourist

LANCELOT AND GUENEVER were sitting at the solar window. An observer of the present day, who knew the Arthurian legend only from Tennyson and people of that sort, would have been startled to see that the famous lovers were past … Continue reading →

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Oatmeal Cookies

Posted on February 13, 2015 by jyourist

Mmmm… part of our Pre-Valentine’s Day meal this evening. Easy. Quick. Delicious. Original recipe by my husband’s mother. Now tweaked over these many years. Yes, off to the kitchen to get another.

Posted in food, recipe | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Eric Foner loves me

Posted on February 12, 2015 by jyourist

For Valentine’s Day at school, students can purchase Lindt truffles for friends and they are delivered on the last day of school before Valentine’s Day. The ASA (Asian Students Association) sponsors this activity and the money raised is donated to a … Continue reading →

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The annual burn

Posted on February 11, 2015 by jyourist

Every year we burn our Constitution tests. Because our school receives federal funding we are mandated to give a Constitution test in the 8th grade and then mandated to destroy it just in case an upcoming 8th grader lays their … Continue reading →

Posted in Constitution, school | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment