Blessed to Be @LouisvilleWP Family and a Protegé of Jean Wolph. I Am, Because We Are. Always Love for Any @WritingProject

My poor mailman has to stop daily to walk books up my driveway, and it's always fun when he arrives at the same time as Amazon and UPS. I like to see which can move quicker. I wasn't anticipating deliveries yesterday so when he scampered up the driveway, I figured a publisher was sending me an ARC to review. When I reached my front steps, however, I saw in large letters that the box was sent from Jean Wolph.

JEAN WOLPH!

"What is God sending me," I quickly questioned. "What could she possibly want me to have?"

I owe many people much in my life, especially Jean Wolph. I was earning my teaching credentials when she was working on her own advanced degrees. I guess we were both graduate students at the same time, but she moved forward to direct the Louisville Writing Project. In 2002, I was fortunate to be part of the XXI cohort - 21, and Legally Writing. I continue to be in touch with many from that crew and knew from the experience that, in a dream world, being a director myself one day would be a life fulfilled. The experience was remarkable and the teachers-teaching-teachers model was better than any other PD I've ever received. So rarely are K-12 educators respected, but with #NWP, not only was there respect...there was tremendous support, opportunity, and possibility.

When I was given a scholarship from Syracuse University to earn my doctorate, I told very few. I was strategic, as I didn't want to leave my beautiful students at the Brown School, but understood a change was needed in order for me to keep my soul and heart in tact. Because I trusted Jean as a guide and coach, I asked her to meet for lunch, but she talked me into brunch, which was delicious. As the sage she is, she listened, asked questions, made inquiries, and let me figure out an answer that worked for me. Soon after, I accepted the offer, and then waited a month before telling anyone else I was going to depart Kentucky. She kept the secret to herself.

That was 2007, and every year I look forward to the glimpses and moments to see my NWP mentor at conferences or gatherings. That's why, when a package comes from Jean Wolph, one's curiosity is piqued.

It was a Louisville Writing Project 40-year celebration mug. I teared up, not because I was craving coffee, but because now I can choose this mug for my coffee whenever I want. I've been laughing lately that I have WAY too many coffee mugs and now that no coffee drinkers are at home with me, it seems ridiculous to have so many. I keep trying to pawn them off on Chitunga, but he's such a minimalist, he'll only allow one mug in his apartment at a time (which is disturbing, because half of the moca-cups in our house are his). I'm taking this as an opportunity to thin out a few of those mugs from yesteryear to make room for this extra-special one. AND I still drink out of my Louisville Stoneware XXI mug when I need to feel inspired, motivated, or connected to larger something than myself. I'm keeping that one.

So, I'm super-sad not to be in Louisville this November with my LWP/KWP team, but I most definitely will be toasting the ZOOM rooms with my LWP mug during NCTE morning sessions.

Here's to y'all in Kentucky. I'm so thankful that you shared the bluegrass state with me and helped me to find the music early on in my career.

Teaching, Writing, Leading. 

That is Jean Wolph all the way. That is LWP in a nutshell. That is NWP. And I am fortunate to have benefited from them all.