Emily Carr's "The Book of Small"

This made for a fascinating read, bringing the reader into the Victorian era into what could be more English? Victoria, British Columbia, of course!  Carr captures perfectly the atmosphere of a little town growing slowly into what will become one of Canada's most picturesque cities. Told from the point of view of Carr as a small child, this story is told in the most charming way.
I used the chapter called "Servants" to design a lesson plan on immigration for my Social Studies class. This chapter tells of how young Chinese boys of twelve were hired by the "Victorian matrons", to help with laundry and the other numerous chores large households had back then.  English servants were a waste of time, as the women "had the firm detrmination of finding husbands in a hurry and making homes and raising families who would be not servants but masters."  I particularly like how she observed that the Chinese went "to Chinatown to be completely Chinese till next morning."
Emily Carr is known as Canada's most famous female painter,but she was also a most gifted writer.

Relaxing weekend

Well, I had an enjoyable road trip out. I suppose that it was time to get away for a bit.
We went to the greenhouse at Dunvegan, sister 4 and I, and bought some annuals for the deck. There was still a frost warning over the weekend, but the May long weekend is past, so said plants will have to fend for themselves.

Waking up...

The world is now solidly green, and the lilac and the chokecherry trees are in bloom. A road trip is on for this weekend. I'm visiting one sister, and also a very well-stocked greenhouse down in Dunvegan.
Even though I am not planning on planting very many annuals this year, I still want to fix up a few containers with some new bright colours.
The perennial beds are waiting for me to come and weed, but they will have to survive without me a bit longer. I believe I am finally getting over the very nasty cold?flu? I had, but it has taken much of my energy.
The world out here on-reserve continues to be very looking-glass-like. People are so very backwards, it is absurd. But then, life is an absurdity, so maybe this looking-glass world is more in touch with reality than the outside one? More on this later.

May is the cruellest month...

The weather is gorgeous today, windy and sunny. I am going to go out in a minute and check my perennial beds. Living up north, it's always interesting to see which plants have survived and which have not.
My cedar shrub will have to be taken out. I thought it might make a comeback but the very early warm weather last spring has done it in. My three mock orange blizzards always make it through, as do the forsythia and the flowering almond, but none have not reached the height they do in the south.
I am still sick :( . I cant' believe how long this cold is lasting. I was in to emergency last week and the doctor said an upper respiratory infection, but it really doesn't feel as if the penicillin is working. I just have to trust that eventually this will be over.
Now, here is an interesting fact. It's pretty hard to get teachers to work on-reserve, and one of the reasons is that we are not protected by a union. Where I work, our leave benefits are pitiful. We have a little more leave (two days)) than the rest of the band staff, but if you get sick, forget it. Drag yourself into work and suffer, because unless it's so serious that it's either short-term or long-term disability, you are only entitled to 1.25 sick days a month(last time I checed the policy). Now, ordinarily, that should be fine, but some years you need more than that. And, in addition to that, being so isolated often we have to travel great distances to see specialists, so travel time eats into sick leave time. So it goes...

Monday Blues

I am still not better. I am coming home straight after work so that I can rest up for the next day, but I am still getting chills and aches. Last Friday I went to the nursing station. (Yes, that's we have on reserves.) There was no doctor, but I was able to get a painkiller injection for my neckache and headache. Blessed relief for 24 hours! I was supposed to see a doctor here today, but apparently there was a possible hail warning so he left early. I'll try for Wednesday, I suppose.

There weren't very many students in school today. As a teacher, this just makes it harder, because unless most students are present, you can't really move forward. So it's always good to have two lesson plans - one a little easier and capable of being reviewed quickly the next day, and the one you plan teach if most show up. Now this would be complaining if it were not the norm rather than the exception. With a class attendance average of about fifty percent, it really puts the pressure on to find ways to cover all the material. Add ESL, junior high hormones, and other major issues, and it's hard to come up with a way to have students learn successfully.

That's enough. Now for the good stuff! I had a great cup of coffee this morning, a spring-rainy drive to work, at least one intelligent, sympathetic conversation with a co-worker, and one of my sisters called to check on me. And now there is a late evening thunderstorm after all. Time to read and reflect!

On Being Sick, and Spiders at Work

I managed to pick up something on my trip, just not sure what. Chills and aches that come and go, a sore throat which makes it hurt to swallow, and continuous headaches and neck pain.The doctor says to ride it out but I am getting worn down. This has been going on for almost 2 weeks.
At school it's surely spring. The big brown beetles are out, as are the black spiders, who are invading the school. I have had to capture and release two to the outside world last week.; The students in one class had also captured a spider in a bowl and named it Gary. They wanted him for their pet. I took pity and released Gary to his fate in the outside world.
Sometimes I am glad I am near-sighted.I am pretty certain the bugs wouldn't arouse my compassion if they came too close.From a distance they are too tiny for me to really discern details, and that's the way it should be. I suppose that I would rather be Gulliver with the Lilliputians, than Gulliver with the Brobdingnagians.