So my student said, I hate when my dad plays gospel bluegrass

... So off I went to the deep back corner of my storage closet and I started looking at the Bluegrass CD's I had placed back there years ago to make room for jazz at home. And there I found Ain't no Grave Can Keep My Body Down on a Tim and Mollie O'Brien project. The jazz flowing through my horticulture class stopped.
I tried to tell the student it was Zombie bluegrass. But he was not buying that for a moment. However, I made it up to him Friday afternoon, when I let him play a Rush CD. Which took me back 35 years or so.

Rules

My classroom wall 2007

 Rules

1. Leaves of three. Leave them be.
2. Spread joy. Be exuberant.
3. Attempt the task which you fear.
4. Help other to discover success.
5. Emerge into the person you desire to be.
6. Work with tools. Play with toys
7. Be filled with hope.
8. When plans get changed, see where the new plan takes you.
9. You can disagree and be pleasant at the same time.
10. Attempt to answer big and small questions.
11. Be Mindful.  The present moment is a fine place. 
12. Forgive your teacher, your classmates, and yourself. Accept the imperfections we all have with grace and kindness.
13. Accept your fate and work with your assigned team.
14. Question accepted truths. It is the way science improves.
15. Be creative with flowers, thoughts, and colored pencils.
16. Live a long life. Avoid eating house plants and leaves of nightshades for that matter.
17. Wonder why and how.
18. If you have tried and failed , then try again or ask for help.
19. Be aware of how your emotions are affecting how you behave.  
20. Understand this, that Mr Stratz enjoys being a teacher. Your behavior controls how much he can teach. 
21. And finally... Enjoy the jazz.

Shopping Local: Buying Perlite and Vermiculite at Rhoads

Wayne Stratz in 2007 at Rhoads Gardens

It was in 2007 when I last gave Rhoads Garden a shout out, and what is a bit scary is that most of that time they have been preparing for and witnessing road construction on route 202 where they are located just south of the intersection with Route 63. 

This week in a moment of frustration with myself (Yo fool, you had off for over a week and did you get to Rhoads) I posted something like this on facebook:  "I really really really need to buy perlite." 


So today I supported my favorite local nursery and got myself some perlite.  Why, well at work the aloes clearly desire to be re-potted, the marjoram seedlings need to move on, and seeds will need to be planted.  So I walked through the gift shop and went back into the deserted garden center and re-emerged with 10 paperwhite bulbs, and big bags of vermiculte and perlite.

If you want a variety of plants, friendly staff who love their workplace, and quality gardening supplies:  check out Rhoads. 

My job --- a blessing and a good gig

I stumbled into teaching and there have been jobs along the way that I would not have described as a blessing or a good gig. But now I do say such things about my job. Sadly blessings and good gigs don't mean perfect and trouble free. Angst still arises, but I am in awe that my professional life has landed. I continue to leave this blog open to all who can stumble here and apparently at least one student and his family has done just that. My science classes are often interrupted with back in the day stories of life growing up or in Oregon or in Massachusetts or in Illinois. Do I wish for my students to be reading this blog? Not really, but is it the end of the world? Just like I don't wish they would knock on my front door. But I would not slam the door in their face if they did. In the latter case I would explain what is private and what is public. But the truth is I keep this blog public, so all I can do is keep it a place where I would bore them to death. That is my hope.

Now I have gone public with my life at work. With permission from the leaders at the school, I have started a blog about the horticulture program. Here is a photo from 2002 of me at the school. It was taken and given to me by friend who has retired and moved to Canada. My hair had grown out, but had not yet turned gray. I am planting bulbs. Mosaic Woman keeps it on her dresser top, apparently it is favored by her too.