The Return of The Random Cards at My Workplace

As I left work, I placed this card in a mail slot in the education office. The woman, who will find it on Monday, was recently given a new assignment and no longer works in my building. I miss her smile and the ongoing joke about her unlisted job duty of watching my back. I am glad my finger pointed to her name as I placed it on the employee phone list.

From this point on, for better or for worse, I will count out 21 names and that person will get a card. That is what makes it interesting to me. People who would be on the top of a self made list will be skipped over and some people I barely know at all will get a card.

A card and a short note wishing the person a good day. I can do this. And hopefully it will brighten a day or two along the way.

Earlier today I had to talk to a man about a new ID for one of my students. Inside his office hangs one of my cards from the last time I did this. It brightened my day.

 

The 12 Days of Christmas Shout Outs: Sharon Creech for day three

Here in our one bedroom two studio row, a tradition has come about; every year I buy Mosaic Woman a young adult novel for Christmas. I just squeaked it out this year as I bought her present during the final moments of the Scholastic Book Fair at my school.

And here we are on the third day of Christmas, and we have both finished the book. In fact Mosaic Woman had it read by the time I got home from the Christmas morning Eucharist.

I am no expert on the genre, I just wait for a book to catch my attention. And the cat did that. Sharon Creech's book does feature a rather hard to like cat and a boy who is missing his dog. But through a wise teacher, fine parents, and poetry, especially that of William Carlos Williams, the boy does come about to the understanding that not all cats are worthy of hatred.

I am also seeing uses in my classroom...

so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow (electron, DNA molecule, gravity, mass, predator, root, seed ...)

 

21 pieces towards redemption ~> or I seem to be better at imagining gifts than giving them

One ~> Mosaic Woman finds a card I addressed in August. The friend was the 21st person to make a donation to my campaign to feed the hungry. I remember offering something to whoever was the 21st. What was it? Last night I chose scraps of glass, 21 pieces of redemption. I am imagining something new. An improvisation. A gift to a friend, who has been very patient.

Two ~> in my studio window hangs a mandala. Was it not supposed to go to Cleveland with me as a gift to friends who gave me a room with quite the view.

Three ~> a baseball card sits in my closet. Had I not planned to send it to a friend, who not only commissions stained glass, but also sends me amazing photos of them in their new home.

Four ~> a card rests on my drafting table. It is for a friend, who has shown me that she truly believes my cards are drawn with hope for healing by one commission after another. My friend has been in my prayers, and yes the card is a daily reminder to pray for her, but it is time to mail it.

Time to make the gifts become a reality.