another stormy afternoon

good morning's classes, exhausting as always.  the grammar class finished their test in record time, some of them under an hour.  we'll see how well they did.  i'm so happy to have jean-max in that class, i can always count on him to see the point and help those around him to get it.  i'm really glad to be teaching most of the beginning level classes, this way i can weave all the strands together......not worry if i'm teaching grammar in the writing class, or vocabulary in the grammar class.  there's no way to keep it all separate, in any case.

it's so grey and dark outside and we're under a flood watch.  i haven't picked any tomatoes in a couple of days.  they're probably falling all over the ground.  next year's crop of volunteer tomato plants will be overwhelming.  maybe i just won't plant any new ones.....see what the fallen fruits and those in the compost produce for me.  although i'm thinking of entirely revamping the garden. so much of it has succumbed to the muscular weeds this rainy summer has encouraged, and i have not had time or energy to battle.  i was inspired by the  www.avant-gardening.com newsletter article about their concentric circles of herb gardens.  thinking maybe i'll try that for next spring.  after extensive layering and mulching to discourage the wiregrass and other weeds.

just had email from www.civilrights.org  letting me know that miguel estrada has withdrawn his name from judicial nomination to federal appeals court.  one for our side.  okay.  though i have to admit to sorrow at being opposed to the first latino candidate for such a position of influence and importance.   he would have been such a great example for all the kids we're trying to convice to stay in school.  i have a good one this term in two of my classes.  graduated from the local high school somehow, but his english is not up to taking regular college courses.  so he's in the ESL classes.  he wants to go into the Criminal Justice program, and eventually he wants to be a lawyer.  i'm giving him all the encouragement and help in my repertoire, a one-woman cheering squad.