Diane Albanese's Musings » On Life

Santas in New York

Diane Albanese — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:55:58 +0000

Once again New York astounds me. We arrived there via bus on Saturday and spotted hundreds of Santas on the streets of Manhattan. Clumps of Santas, moving Santas, Santas heading somewhere important. We didn’t know where.

Another piece of evidence in my contention that NYC is one of the most astonishing places on the planet.

The Rain, the Cold and Marketing

Diane Albanese — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 11:58:38 +0000

I can’t shake this image that I have from my weekend shopping trips to the outlets. On Sunday the weather turned bad. Rain and wind blanketed the Cape region and there were reduced numbers of shoppers as a result. At the entrance of the outlets stood a human being holding a sign that announced one of the stores was going out of business and there were huge discounts to be had. The poor soul was wrapped in a coat, slicker and gloves but still getting soaked with rain pelting his face and wind ripping his garments. Made me wonder just how crazy we are to allow this human sign holder to brave these elements just so a store could make more money.

Looking Back

Diane Albanese — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 11:07:10 +0000

I browsed through my Cape Gazette archives only to discover that I have been writing for them for 11 years! Tough to believe but my habits don’t lie and I am always thinking about the Tuesday column deadline. I must say that the practice of writing a weekly column has really helped me be more aware of my surroundings and the people that I come in contact with. Often people say to me, how do you come up with ideas to write about? I don’t see it that way. Life is what I write about, my life and the lives of people around me. There’s nothing magical here. Just living.

Cape Wins State LAX Title

Diane Albanese — Tue, 27 May 2008 09:03:02 +0000

This is the happiest picture, the Cape Lacrosse Team Seniors celebrating their victory as #1 in the State!

Simple Thanks

Diane Albanese — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:37:31 +0000

I just wrote a column about thanks. This is the time of year when we honor teachers, moms, dads and even children. The time of year to slow down, catch our breath and to enjoy the new life popping out all around us.

I am grateful to my readers and listeners for paying attention to my ideas and letting me know that the writing I do has made a difference in their lives. For me, that is the best thing. So thanks!

Tech, My Students and Me

Diane Albanese — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:12:14 +0000

I’m at the Tech conference and the same theme keeps emerging: students know more about technology than we do. Students are the digital natives, we are the digital immigrants. Students use the technology in more creative ways and collaborate more than we have ever even imagined. Students use digital tools without thinking about it.

Here’s a scenario. I was driving to the conference in Dover and on the radio was a podcast, a recording, of the American Idol special that aired the night before. The radio announcer provided some commentary about the show and then played a clip from the show that was available on UTube.

American Idol is a show that really interests me. The conversation and information that I received over the traditional radio actually came from a web source – U-tube. I went to a conference session and found out that I could download the American Idol songs from U-Tube to my I-tunes and then my IPod. I didn’t know that. There is so much that I don’t know that I want to just block out a week of my time and do nothing but work on the Internet to find out more about these emerging technologies and how I can use them in the classroom.

Maybe I should ask my students.

Fleeing to Florida

Diane Albanese — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:12:26 +0000

Just got back from Florida – a time to visit with mom and dad and see how they are doing. The news from Florida is mixed. Yes- it is luscious warm there with tropical palms, warm winds and dreamy seas. There are also a disproportionate number of seniors there, so watch your driving and think ahead. Seems as if everyone goes to dinner at 4 pm and falls asleep in front of the TV at 10.

I had the most wonderful moment with my dad. He took me to his YMCA and we took an exercise/dance class called Zumba. I got to shadow his moves (Dad is quite a dancer even at 80!) and see how the others learned to dance to the Latin rhythm. The teacher was a fireball of movement! Dad was having such fun, an ear to ear smile on his face as he mimiced the teacher.

When the music switched to cha-cha, he turned around and held my hands and we did a few fancy steps together. At once I was 12 again and dancing with my dad. A precious gift I never expected.

Mary Cleary and Pam Nichols

Diane Albanese — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:46:51 +0000

Recently I was interviewed by a lovely teacher/writer, Mary Cleary. She teaches in NC County and manages to write for the News Journal as well as DSEA Action. Mary lives in NC County.

We met in Dover at Chinatown Buffet and talked about teaching. The interview can be read in the DSEA Action or on this link at

http://www.dsea.org/Publications/PDF/actionfebruary08.pdf

Go to the last page of the paper.

I just wanted to thank Mary for her patience and kindness. She really can weave a story and make it seem easy. I appreciate her efforts.

Also, thanks to Pam Nichols who puts together our DSEA Action every month and always manages to keep it fresh and informative! Two great teachers and writers!

Sparrows

Diane Albanese — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:53:04 +0000

As I write the sun comes up and reveal a sparrow sitting on the tree outside my window. When I open the window I can hear it singing. Then it’s friends come and hang out for awhile.

It is reassuring to know that there are only a limited number of winter days on the calendar and the birds know this.

Svaroopa Yoga Foundations

Diane Albanese — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:03:36 +0000

Didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for a five day intensive yoga workshop at Rehoboth Beach Yoga studios. Our teachers Polly and Jaya from Master Yoga, were so knowledgeable and helpful as we aligned and realigned our bodies and challenged old paradigms of our mind. Terry Gardner our host was gracious and welcoming. If you have never tried yoga, you must get to this studio and try it out!

My biggest surprise was that Yoga could be the answer to many of our health issues and problems. The phrase “Do More Yoga” has real meaning for me and I think this may become a very significant learning experience in my life. My new found friends and Yoga buddies were gracious enough to let me take pictures. We studied the Svaroopa style of Hatha yoga and bonded over the five days. A truly blissful experience.

Here we are: MAry, Heidi, Ruthie, Bern, Mary Ann, Shannon, Susan, Beverly, Mary Lou, Cheryl, David, Alan, Dona, Christine and me. Our teacher in this picture is Polly and Kim, another teacher is shown assisting. We also had Jaya, an excellent teacher, but I didn’t capture her with my camera – sorry.