Halloween

Don't walk alone after dark . . .

Crato

Anta do Tapadão

Here in Portugal you can't go too far without tripping over a megalithic monument. And earlier this week was no exception.

While touring the Upper Alentejo we visited the Anta do Tapadão near the village of Aldeia da Mata. This structure has been around for the last 5,000 years or so. It was built by the Celts and similar structures can be found elsewhere in Europe including the most famous site of all, Stonehenge.  There has been much speculation as to the purpose of these monuments and some think that these sites held religious significance for their architects.

The Anta do Tapadão is said to be the best preserved anta in Portugal. But what is even more amazing is that we actually found the anta which is located atop a small mound along an unmarked path in the middle of someone's cow pasture.

There is a sign along the road indicating an entrance point on someone's farm. There is  also a sign on the gate asking people to close the gate after entering but that's where the signposts end.

We walked straight along the main path assuming that we would see some kind of indication. There was a path to the right and further down there was a path to the left. We kept on the straight and narrow. We walked about 1 kilometer and didn't see anything.  Finally, some workmen entered the property and we stopped them and they pointed us in the right direction.

This isn't the first time that we have visited national treasures on private property. These are often in the most surprising locales. Once we had to cross a large herd of grazing sheep on a farm with tailless cats to visit a menhir.

I can only say that the harder it is to find, the bigger the treat . . .

Mercado de Outono

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If you look around your town, there are activities that can break the routine . . .

Autumn at my door . . .

https://www.facebook.com/ajourneytopeace?directed_target_id=0

These early days of autumn are spectacular. It's sweater weather - warm days and cool nights. Soon enough the damp will set in but before it does, bask in all that October offers.

I'm a blogger

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There, I've said it. I'm a blogger.

I started my first blog in 2005. It was a joint-educational venture with my good friend Dr. Cristina Costa (then Ensign Cristina Costa) when we were both working as English teachers at the Portuguese Navy in Alfeite. The blog was called From Stem To Stern - an oh so nautical theme.  I just visited this blog after a lot of years and see that it doesn't look the same - the background is missing, as is the forum among other things.  I can only say, "Oh well" and not feel bad about that. What remains are the memories of that moment. You can also get a pretty good idea about what the students were learning.  Remember that edu-blogs (educational blogs) were very new then and this was ground breaking classroom practice. This was my first blog. You always have a soft spot for your first . . .

Since then I have spent a lot of time on blogs. I have created other blogs for lots of different kinds of students. There were more groups of Navy students, there were teachers who were my students when I was teaching teachers online, there were mothers that I taught to blog, there were OIS teachers who took a class from me when we were in the Fundição, yearbook students, SDIS CT blogs, OIS CT blogs, a Cyber-Kids blog (an after school activity that I ran one year), Year 4 blogs (these little kids were so enthusiastic about learning technologies), MYP English class blogs, a professional blog and a personal blog. In addition, I visit a lot of blogs. I love cooking blogs and visit a few on a regular basis. I know, who would have thought . . .

Yeah, I guess you can call me a blogger.

There seem to be lots of different reasons why people blog. Some links to sites that talk about this are: http://www.shoutmeloud.com/top-10-reasons-why-people-blog.html, http://www.briangardner.com/why-people-blog/,
http://www.jeffbullas.com/2010/07/23/12-reasons-why-people-blog/.

I blog primarily for self-expression. I like to write. I like the part that I need to sit and focus on what I want to say. I have to think about it - whatever it is. I can pull my thoughts together and really decide what I think. It's contempletive, not reactive.

I had had several educational blogs before I created a personal blog. At first I felt a little vulnerable but then I realized that nobody really reads my personal blog anyway so no big deal - hahahahaha.  And that's not a tragedy because there's a certain freedom in writing for yourself.  You're not writing to please, entertain or  impress; you are writing to meet your own needs - to figure things out, maybe to vent a bit, to commune with the universe. You are writing when it suits you and about topics that suit you. There's no "have to" associated with personal blogging.  Ahhhh, already the pressure is off.  A personal blog also charts one's journey through life. It's a kind of documentation of one's journey.  Some years one blogs more, other years less. Some years are full of one thing, other years focus on other matters. If someone should happen upon my blog in their journey through cyberspace, I hope my blog will help that person find his/her voice and his/her reason to blog.

I understand that some of my students/former students have discovered my blog. Thank you so much as I am flattered that you find me interesting reading. Maybe you should start your own blog.  I would be sure to "follow" you.

Yeah, that's right. I'm a blogger. . .