Day 37

February 6, 2021

Driving with Lindy and Jean Marie

In the 90's I worked with Jean Marie Aubin in several educational organizations.  She and I attended many state and New England wide conferences. By the mid 90s we were both working at The Literacy Project, Inc.  I was the Economic Literacy development person and she coordinated the Northampton site.  We did many projects together.  I loved working with Jean Marie. Our mission doing the work we were doing was the same.  We both were facilitating the development of voice in people left behind.  We were doing the work in creative and participatory means.  We were both passionate about it.  Unfortunately, she died of cancer a couple of years ago, way too young.

Yesterday while I was writing this blog I had a wonderful memory of Jean-Marie.  Early on in our working together she told me she wanted to write a book called, Driving With Lindy.  She never did, but we talked a lot about it because we were on the road together a lot, me driving, someone else navigating and lots of silliness.   

While I was writing yesterday I realized I was writing Jean's book, the narrative to Driving With Lindy. So tonight I dedicate my post to Jean Marie Aubin, one of the most fun and smart colleagues I ever worked with.  I think there are several people who would agree with me.

(If you're interested to know more about my history with literacy here's a link.  This write up was authored by Margaret Anderson, another great colleague of ours.)

 https://www.literacyproject.org/news/2017/4/3/lindy-whiton

The sky came out blue today.  While I stared at the rookery clouds blew away and the sun blasted my face.  Felt great.  I captured the one red tailed in the tree and no other birds.  It was 37 degrees at 11:15.

Seemed to be a great day for pigs today.  I saw them at Beth's farm and at Just Roots. The goats were all standing in a row, round and blending in with the oh so white snow.

By the time I got to the orchard the sun was sliding down a little.  It was around 3 and in the low 40s.  

The Deerfield River was not frozen and there were geese on it.   

I went home, pulled in the driveway a few minutes after four and decided I wanted to go to Just Roots to see if there were any big birds there.  Plenty of  grackles, but no hawk or owl.  And lovely lines, more linear action than at the rookery or orchard.  

I want to learn about paw prints and I want to learn about whose nests are whose.  Both prints and nests are abundant and visible at the moment.  I am photographing them, but I wish I could draw them, too.

Hope you enjoyed todays ride.  I want you to know it was smooth sailing.  Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be bad so we may have to stay at home and do still life.