running rings around the moon

the moon. have you been looking at it these past few nights?  at least here on the delmarva these delicious chilly nights it has been a huge golden crescent over the trees.  one of my korean students asked me last night when we were looking at the moon outside the Language Center: "teacher, what shape this is called?"  and so i got to say "crescent.  it's a crescent moon."  not a phrase you get to use often, unless speaking of the turkish flag. 

into the hot tub for the first time this fall last night, oh glory, glory hallelujah for my aching bones and joints.  and then sleeping like a rock, no meds, no nyquil, no racetrack mind whirling in the long dark hours.  just blessed deep sleep, with my cat curled in my armpit.  i may actually live to see thanksgiving.  a friend, long since dead of AIDS, used to say "if you make it to halloween you'll probably live til christmas."  he was of the depressive tribe himself, and knew whereof he spoke.  we lived in a group house in those days, a freaky band of characters, three guys and me. three of us both worked and lived together, the fourth sometimes worked somewhere.  i learned to love italian opera and the rolling stones with those guys.  i also learned that men don't, left to their own devices, clean bathrooms or kitchens until those places acquire a stinking crust of scum and muck.  so, after almost a year of cleaning bathroom and kitchen, i moved out.  it was great fun, but it was just one of those things.

(have i reached the witching hour of 2500 characters yet with my random ramblings?) on a cool grey afternoon with nothing urgent to do, i feel kind of mellow and relaxed.  noteworthy in itself.  for the moment i'm feeling quite good about most of my classes and very good about my students.  the stories they are turning in for Listening and Speaking class are delightful.  this morning i played the tape of Raouf Mama telling the story "How Chameleon Became a Teacher" while they listened raptly.  the assignment is to adapt a children's story from their country into english.  i edit it with them, then they are going to "tell" their story to the class.  most of the stories are turning out to be little morality fables of a very charming nature.