It is the height of flowering tree time - redbuds, fruit trees - couds of pink and white blossoms. The lilacs and wisteria are starting to burst - just over the last three days, adding purple to the haze. Zachary continues to call spring "color time" and he is right. Bob reports bluebonnents popping up in south Texas, though I have seen none here yet - no blossomes at least. The plants are in evidence and many people think the cold wet winter sets us up for a great bluebonnet season. I hope so!

Ruth and I have been doing serious spring cleaning - house and yard, and that feels great. We are organizing the craft/guest room with marvelous results. I continue to be in awe of the ability she and Joanna both have to see chaos and impose a system I just don't think like that - have trouble finding a handle with which to attack physical disorder - a way to think about how to make sense of things. What I'm good at is persistence. Its so wonderful to have help getting started and looking at space and objects differently. I' also thrilled that Ruth finished the repaint of the kitchen and put on new drawer pulls. Its all bronze/copper and green now, which is fun.

This is the first day of spring break and Bob and Chris both seem to be in need of it - as most teachers and students are. Bob seems discouraged with the attitudes of the students (I'm not sure what percentage of them) - that they seem to need to be "made" to do work, aren't intrinsicly motivated, and that many of them steal and sneak in various degreees to various extents. Almost none of them will pick up mess someone else made and in one class all of the students accepted and were willingto use rewarde tickets they knew were stolen. I think I would have to attack the character issues and trust issues very directly in order to try to teach kids - and that would be hard in a system that focuses on the academics andmaking sure they all have the academic skills to pass a given test on a given day.

Kent's father died yesterday after a long fight with cancer. He was a surviver of the Battle of the Bulge, and a good spirited and gentle man who loved his family well. It touches me to see his son missing him. The World War Two generation is near its fading - my generation entering the fading years - the next generation rising to power and responsibility - interesting to be part of the shifting cycles. I want to think about the legacy of the generation that we are losing - the strengths and the limitations and write a bit about that. But not right now. I have wild dinosaurs named Danny and Zachary in my house.