I woke up to a glorious fall morning, a more perfect day for soccer than one could wish for. I arrived at the field with plenty of time to stretch and warm up. My legs felt strong and I played a rock-solid game, committing no turnovers, making several nice attacking passes, and guarding my mark like white on rice. With 20 minutes to go and a comfortable 3-1 lead in hand, I left the field because both my calve muscles were beginning to cramp up. I then watched helplessly from the sidelines as we gave up 3 goals to suffer our second loss in as many weeks. My perfect morning was perfect no more.

Later in the day, Jeanine and I returned to the high school to see a project that Nicolai had created for his Rivers & Revolutions class. He built a massive gateway to delineate the entrance to the classes study area and worked with peers to add a sign and decorate the 2×4 frame. Students in this course study the writings of Aldo Leopold and Annie Dillard, canoe the Concord River, examine the development of early civilizations along floodplains, stroll through Minuteman National Historical Park, contemplate the relationship of circles and lines, hike across glacial deposits, discuss human conceptions of time, and revel in the waters of Walden Pond. It is the first time this holistic approach to learning has been introduced anywhere in the state and Nicolai has been enjoying the course immensely.