Honored To Guest-Lecture: BEOWULF

 

My current plan is to hit three key parts:

Beowulf dominates Unferth's challenge

Queen Wealtheow give Beowulf a torc

Beowulf's report to King Hygelac

as well as translation notes.

Wish me luck.

Required Reading

 

The Hoffman-Fletcher clan in wondrous detail.

Memory: Tomales Bay Swimming

 

January 2019

Now: perhaps Grendel's mother's mere might come to mind?

Lady, Oh

 

Neither Stylist Nor Philosopher

 But cutting my own hair with scissors since April 2020 has taught me much regarding the value of truly incremental change.

Folklore 101

 

Reading Around

 

Wind-Hammer is the Name of the Horn

 

Bramble, Thatch, Thistle, Moss, Nettle, Acorn,  Boulder, Scree, Snaggle, Fleece, and Thorn.

Are those ranger names, troll names, or Hobbit surnames mm?.

Clay in Play

 

Lady!

 

She made her presence known, emphatically and happily.  

Good to see a smile on her face.

Old-School Heroic Fantasy

 

I have always appreciated Pratt's wry humor.

Roll Call: Lady and Tinker

 

Tinker, Philosophical

And affectionate:

Reading Around: Old School, New School

 I am reading two novels that have deep roots.

Second generation, literally, heroic fantasy and also mystery writing.

A Riddle

 Most of the things I am often, though not always, good at -- remembering, thinking about others first, anticipating what others need or want, being happy in my own company, having a lively imagination, being a reader, and even just being quiet -- came about because of childhood stress, toxicity, or trauma. 

And, not that everything was negative. I was a mostly happy child, supported and encouraged. But if I look deeply at motivating factors, the negatives stand out.

Frankly, most of those coping characteristics have helped me to be a true reader, a good student, and an effective teacher.

Have my best students been traumatized in those same ways?

Sobering, even scary reflections.

Book-Dragon

 

The New Semester Begins . . .

 

Waves and Butterflies

 

Asilomar Shoreline.

Monarchs of Pacific Grove.

Tinker in Comfort

 

Monarch in Distress

 

So late in the season 

So much milkweed reduced to mere weeds.

Sad, sad sign.

Reading Around

 

Edradour.

Good with dragons.

Tinker Time

 

Inner Harbor

 

Paddle, paddle.

Fourth workout in five days.

Rereading Griffith's MENEWOOD

 

I have just listened to the wonderful HILD audio CD, and now I am rereading this amazing second chapter of Hild's life.

Read this book!

Windy Paddle

 

Third workout in three days.

Working toward a habit, you know.

Roll Call (Without Captain)

 

Hello Paddle 2024!

 First paddle workout of the new year and for some time past.

Too many recurring illnesses.

Paddling today, however, so all is jolly.

Inner harbor.

Mirror-bright, mirror-flat.

Post-salt. Happy as a child.

At the Fish Market

 At Monterey Fish Market today, I asked the 'monger for a pound-and-a-half of rockfish for a stew.

He picked out four filets and put them on the scale, hesitated, then quickly selected two more filets and added them to the pile.

The scale settled precisely at 1.50.

Our eyes met as I smiled and laughed.

The fishmonger smiled back and laughed too, happy at the goal achieved and at my noticing the exact touch.

Successful outing for an introvert like me. 

Happy times.

I may be a professional extrovert--and quite successful as such--but my true self is deeply shy.

In this, and in other things (my hair), I am my father's son.

Tinker, Dunkel, Menewood

 

Captain and Lady: Summer 2023

 

August, 2023.

Voyage Well, 2024!

Best of luck and Charmed, I'm sure.