I'm Sioux Roslawski and this is my blog about writing, dogs, grown-up children, menopause, the joy of a marvelous book, classroom teaching in general, and specifically, the teaching of writing. You can email me at sroslawski(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Shorbet Adas bubbling away in the instant pot, fragrant with cumin, turmeric and freshly-squeezed lemons... Bamieh cooking in the oven, the flavors of coriander, garlic and cumin (oops! I forgot the pomegranate molasses... I'll be right back) melding into a delicious dish. A big pot of freekeh cooling in the fridge... Some shakshoukeh sauteed at 5 this morning and already safely stored in a plastic tub--ready for transport... In few hours I'll be headed to Columbia with 7 of my students to meet Ibtisam Barakat. We're bringing some Palestinian dishes. Hopefully--even though I probably didn't get all the flavors on point, she will feel honored that I at least tried...
... because I was so honored that she shared her story in the memoir Tasting the Sky.
Today I had a snow day. A gift from the gods. A much-needed break from my routine. One of the things I got to do (since I wasn't slaving over a hot smartboard) was play two long games of fetch with Radar. My dog loves to race after a ball--over and over. Leaping into the air for it, chasing it across the yard, running circles around a tree--he's thrilled. All I have to do is put on my coat and head towards the kitchen door and Radar's so excited, he's whirling in circles. What if we got ecstatic over such a simple thing? What if we were willing to show our excitement... so that others could share in our joy? I think I've linked this video before, but it shows exactly why I'm drawn to golden retrievers...
(I'm taking part in the Slice of Life Challenge. This blog is where it all began.)
This, of course, is not an old dog. This is one of the golden doodles that was born into our rescue seven months ago. This little guy has a forever home and is living a wonderful life. However, I'm not a young dog. I'm a fat, sassy and somethings arthritic dog. Can I still learn things? Yes. I recently reflected on it, and found four things I've learned about writing, and I posted them here.Just a hint: They involve yardsticks, my pants(ing) habits and unexpected nudges. How about you? What "tricks" have you learned lately? Inquiring minds want to know...
