Category Archives: relationship

Abiding wonder of reaching out

Posted on September 24, 2016 by jyourist

Since retiring, I have been doing a little tutoring to help make ends meet. It has been interesting, surprising sometimes, to see how academic work assigned in a class gets translated through the eyes of a particular student. Having been … Continue reading →

Posted in relationship, retirement, World War I | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Choices We Make When We Are Too Young To Make Them” by Lois Parker Edstrom

Posted on August 7, 2016 by jyourist

Evenings at the table with my father, stewing over algebraic equations, chemical reactions, my young life sloped toward science and healing. He didn’t recognize, nor did I, how I fingered letters the way the devout touch prayer beads, that I … Continue reading →

Posted in parents, poetry, relationship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Emily Rose at Green Mill

Posted on May 25, 2016 by jyourist

Sunday night we went to the Green Mill for Emily Rose’s promotion of her new poetry book Mouthy. Her presentation was preceded by the weekly poetry slam. The Green Mill is over 100 years old and has an edgy history. … Continue reading →

Posted in performance, poetry, relationship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“Still Life with Gratitude” by Dean Rader

Posted on May 23, 2016 by jyourist

One day, the scientists tell us, every star in the universe will burn out, the galaxies gradually blackening until the last light flares and falls returning the all to darkness where it will remain until the end of what we … Continue reading →

Posted in death, poetry, relationship, stars | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Outside together in the sun

Posted on May 21, 2016 by jyourist

Yesterday my friend Michael came to my school. Because my advisory had raised money ($500.00) for the La Casa Norte fundraiser (see earlier post), he thought he would say “thank-you” by screening the film Alzheimers: A Love Story at school. … Continue reading →

Posted in LGBTQ, relationship, school, students | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Michael and Greg

Posted on May 15, 2016 by jyourist

The following article appeared in the Windy City Times, the premier Chicago LGBTQ weekly newspaper. Gretchen Rachel Hammond spent three hours interviewing my dearest friend Michael and put together this story of Michael and Greg’s remarkable love story, over 41 … Continue reading →

Posted in Alzheimers, LGBTQ, relationship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It takes a village

Posted on February 28, 2016 by jyourist

This is a shout out to JB who, knowing what my hibernation with 8th grade first draft research papers entails, brought up to my desk a surprise lunch, a sprig of fresh marjoram newly pushing through the surface of wintered … Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, relationship | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Graceful about change

Posted on October 18, 2015 by jyourist

This weekend my sister and I talked with my mother about the request of her assisted living facility to move her to a new “neighborhood” within the facility, a memory enhanced unit. Mom has been declining, not just physically from … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, change, clay, elder care, relationship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The students’ first day

Posted on September 8, 2015 by jyourist

Today was the students’ first day. Only a bee sting on a student’s eyelid during lunch outside, a long email from a parent concerned about bullying, and confusion over where lockers were located with several students being mistakenly assigned to … Continue reading →

Posted in relationship, school, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Bounty

Posted on August 23, 2015 by jyourist

This was harvested from our garden today. Several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, peppers, and lots of yukon potatoes. Tonight we ate some of this produce in our salad for dinner. Delicious. Actually, I have been gone for four days and … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, family, garden, relationship, transformation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments