The Danziel and Pascoe Series - In Order

I was first introduced to these series of mystery novels when I moved to Maine. It was recommended by a librarian in the area and I devoured the books until the series ended with the death of the writer. Reginald Hill had an extraordinary talent in being able to write mystery novels out of chronological order and stories within the stories while working within he framework and stories he had already written. He also had a rare habit of letting the murderer get away with his crime causing much consternation in my mind as my sense of justice felt thwarted. He passed away in January 2012. Andrew Danziel is the 'Fat Man' who works as a Detective Superintendent while Peter Pascoe is his Detective Sergent until a promotion later on in the novels. Another character worth mentioning is Ellie (Soper) Pascoe who is married to Peter and is an integral part of the lives of both Pascoe and Danziel.


1. A Clubbable Woman (1970)

2. An Advancement of Learning (1971)

3. Ruling Passion (1973)

4. An April Shroud (1975)

5. A Pinch of Snuff (1978)

6. A Killing Kindness (1980)

7. Deadheads (1983)

8. Exit Lines (1984)

9. Child's Play (1987)

10. Underworld (1988)

11. Bones and Silence (1990)

12. One Small Step (1990), novella

13. Recalled to Life (1992)

14. Pictures of Perfection (1994)

15. The Wood Beyond (1995)

16. Asking for the Moon (1996), short stories which include "The Last National Service Man", "Pascoe's Ghost", "Dalziel's Ghost", and "One Small Step"

17. On Beulah Height (1998)

18. Arms and the Women (1999)

19. Dialogues of the Dead (2002)

20. Death's Jest-Book (2003)

21. Good Morning, Midnight (2004)

22. The Death of Dalziel (2007), Canada and US Title: Death Comes for the Fat Man

23. A Cure for All Diseases (also titled The Price of Butcher's Meat) (2008)

24. Midnight Fugue (2009)

I love these characters and it feels a bit sad that there will be no more books. That I won't be able to know how the Pascoe's life changes and is lived and how their community changes with time. But I can always come back and pick up a book to make them alive again for that brief period of time... to listen to the Fat Man and sigh at his crudity even while I find myself in aw of his instincts. Good books indeed.

My Week

Its been a bit of a week. So much has happened that I feel differing quantities of happiness and sorrow and sometimes those emotions co-mingle and I just feel tired and ready to fall down and sleep. With so many things to think about, my brain is full so I thought I would empty some of my gratitude here.

I had to say goodbye to Flutterfly this week. The insulinoma had grown too strong for her increasingly frail body and as she started to struggle to a point where I didn't see any positives left, I sadly took her to be euthanized. This is happening more frequently as all of my ferrets but one are elderly and, in some ways, it can be argued that I am running a ferret nursing home. She was a good and kind ferret who gave me kisses everyday and was a pleasure to spend time with. She had her moments- all ferrets do- but I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know her, to watch her play and sleep, and to just enjoy her company. She is very missed.

I am grateful for work and so thankful this week was pay week. I paid most of my bills and managed to pick up a few small CPR classes so that I am pretty much caught up on everything. I got to go hangout for a bit at a beautiful kid's summer camp and enjoy the view, the weather, and even a few great meals. That was a marvelous opportunity and I am so glad to have had it.

I went to the beach this week and spent two hours watching Brock swim and looking for shells and throwing sticks for Teddy. I haven't been to the ocean since the divorce and it was wonderful to go and just wade in it and enjoy the mixture of warmth and cool, the rocky ground and soft shells and even a few jellyfish. It was a wonderful time and I was able to come home and sleep for a few hours- the deepest and best sleep I managed to get all week.

I managed to make a new ferret friend this month who is sending me lots of stuff for my guys to not only make them more comfortable, but also make it easier for me to put off laundry. As I have to go to the laundromat to clean things, that is a blessing indeed.

Bug climbs Blue Hill mountain every week and I love to get the pictures of him up on the mountain. He really enjoys the walk/ climb and does most of it barefoot.

So lots of good, bad, sadness and more. Looking forward to the new week.

Life is Different Here- Short Analysis of the book “Bridges Out of Poverty”

It is important for teachers, social workers, and mentors who work with poor individuals and communities to understand that poverty not easy to successfully resolve. Poverty is a multi- faceted problem where individuals who work full time can still remain in poverty and those who are born into ‘generational’ poverty are unable to break out of the beliefs, behaviors and survival skills that define their everyday lives.1 As a future teacher, it is vital that I understand the multiple causes of poverty, the unique problem solving skills that are acquired by those who live in it, the hidden rules among economic classes, and the patterns that hold individuals in their economic and social class for the duration of their lives. This topic is quite broad and and this book covers more information and details than can be covered in a short analysis; therefore, I will focus on two specific aspects that need to be acknowledged by potential helpers working with both individuals and communities to effect positive change to figuratively build a “bridge out of poverty”. These focus areas are: Patterns in Generational Poverty and Internal Resources and Resiliency.

Patterns in Generational Poverty

Individuals in generational poverty learn from an early age many thoughts and behaviors that can significantly affect their ability to overcome the poverty of their childhood. An aspect of this particular form of poverty is the specific structure, belief systems, and hidden rules that are created to keep families and communities together. Even seemingly helpful strategies such as developing a community support system and ways to cope can in the long run hold back economic progress as special debts come due.

Since living in and dealing with poverty is the only lifestyle that individuals know, specific coping behaviors develop. Some aspects of dealing with poverty are limited respite time, power and matriarchal structures, and creating support systems for day to day survival. Since money is lacking, the forms of respite that are most frequently used are group activities and discussions, background noise (constant television in background, many people talking at once, humor, etc.), and other inexpensive interpersonal activities. Support systems are created by developing relationships with others in the community that are co-dependent; individuals help each other with volunteer work or financial resources when they are available and the same is expected in kind when others have the resources and abilities available. The individuals with power in family relationships tend to be the mother of the family; it is she who is the constant and focal point of all relationships so her words and actions have a stronger impact on the group than other individual members even when the members are grown ups. All speech is held in the casual register which includes survival language, extreme freedom of speech, and the propensity to talk back to authority, marking people in poverty and making it difficult for them to find and keep steady employment.

Belief systems are unconsciously recognized or intentionally developed by all individuals; however, there are several rather unique belief systems that tend to exist solely in those who struggle with poverty. The beliefs that fate rules their lives, that society owes them a living, that conflict must be resolved either physically or by removing themselves from it such as quitting jobs, cause specific behaviors: difficulty in organization, excuses for problem behaviors, difficulty in accomplish tasks and monitoring their own behavior.2 Due to these challenges and more, individuals may be unable to exit their economic class; in essence, this reinforces the beliefs in fate and dislike of authority.

Internal Resources and Resiliency

All human beings have some form of internal resources that help them to navigate the world around them. Some examples of internal resources are intelligence, traditional and cultural spirituality, emotional resiliency, as well as other internal protective factors. Internal assets can include the ability to form positive relationships, self worth, flexibility and more. Depending on the individual, these resources may all be in abundance or may be limited due to many factors beyond their control such as mental illness, abuse, and environmental damage or challenges that can not be escaped.3 One ability that tends to be developed is the ability to solve problems minute by minute, day-by -day, with limited resources which is a valuable survival skill.4 If possible, it is important for both the individual and their mentors/ helpers to recognize the internal strengths that each person possesses and how to use those skills to the best advantage. However, it is important to recognize that people dealing with long term poverty may develop limitations to their internal resources due to the trauma that is inherent to the environment and stressors that enfold the individual.

For people in poverty, life is a daily struggle that is often invisible to those who do not know them well. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize poverty in individuals and communities based on the visual and behavior cues given by those with in. Individuals need role models or mentors that can help them overcome the hidden rules of the class system as well as develop a trusting relationship between so that difficult subjects can be discussed and challenged. It is important for who work to lift people out of poverty to understand the behaviors and general challenges of poor people. Particular help is needed with goal development, coping strategies, developing new support systems, work stability, and mental health and other medical problems. The necessary personal skills for helping people in poverty-empathy, ability to develop healthy relationships and boundaries, understanding of the challenges faced and how to gather appropriate data so that treatment plans are relevant and successful- need to be developed and strengthened in all individuals who work with challenged populations so that those who help can maintain their own internal and emotional resources.

There are more steps discussed in this book to help struggling communities and people than I was able to discuss here. I highly recommend this book for all individuals who wish to work with people to improve their economic situations. I also recommend this book for people who struggle with poverty to help them understand that there are ways that their lives can change; that they are not merely the victim of fate. An important book for all to gain insight into ourselves and our communities.

Poetry Found

Found poetry is a process where you take a page or a chapter of a book and cull phrases out of it to create a new piece of writing... a piece of poetry. I wrote this one from a chapter in a critical thinking textbook. Enjoy.


Ride the wave of knowledge

Learning is messy, sometimes painful

Interdisciplinarity is universal because it is everywhere

Pressures of reality, convention and popular bias …

Weigh too heavily on her mind

For the pure joy

Adhesion, integration, application, transformation…

Bigger than just words

A Hammer with which to shape it

A weapon the size of your fist

It is the journey that matters in the end

Review/ Critique of “The 7 Habits of Highly Affective Teachers"

This is a review of an article I wrote in my last semester of school. A link to the original article can be found here. I have no idea if it is relevant to any of my readers but here it is for your reading pleasure. :)

An important part of any teacher’s continued relevance in their profession of choice is ongoing professional education and knowledge development. The profession of teaching and its function in the lives of families and communities cannot be understated. Therefore, teachers find themselves regularly called upon to suggest and facilitate changes in focus, curricula, and teaching practices. On top of these changes, teachers are also called upon to create lively, ethical, and effective learning environments as well as deal with discipline and different learning styles while supporting the wellbeing of themselves and their students under their supervision. The amount of responsibility given to teachers can be overwhelming and being an effective teacher requires a great deal of physical and mental strength as well as an ability to think quickly and to remain calm and collected in highly stressful situations. It should come as no surprise that this is a tall order to require of any human being on a regular basis, yet society does expect all of these attributes of teachers.

In his article titled “The 7 Habits of Highly Affective Teachers", Rick Wormeli suggests that teachers have an additional responsibility both to their students and themselves; emotional health. Teachers who recognize that their emotional responses to their environment reflect their own biases and may create negative perceptions within themselves are more able to recognize when a situation arises in which their perceptions and attitude create problems. Teachers must also recognize that every student comes to class with their own set of biases and perceptions of the subject, teacher, classroom, etc. and that these biases and perceptions create emotional attitudes that both the student and the teacher need to recognize and respond to. Wormeli states that teachers who wish to be effective in their job must work to be the most affective in their classroom by recognizing their own challenges and understanding each student well enough to evaluate each student’s emotional health. This is a challenging concept which requires that a teacher be introspective and be able to teach that same concept to their students as well. It also requires a teacher to understand enough about each student’s emotional health to recognize when the typical teacher response to a student needs to be modified to promote a constructive, positive learning environment for all. These responses may include changing the ways that lessons are delivered to help students feel more secure in the classroom, responding with kindness when punitive measures would typically be used, giving students the benefit of the doubt, and creating open discussions with students to determine motivations for specific behavior.

Wormeli states that there are seven habits that teachers who want to be highly affective will work to develop. They are: finding joy in others’ success, cultivating perspective and re-framing, ditching the easy caricature, exploring the ethics of teaching, embracing humility, valuing intellect, and maintaining passion and playfulness. In detail, the author describes what each of these habits entail, how to work to develop them, and why they are so important. He ends his article with the statement; “Let us compose virtuous affective habits that will ensure the success of the next generation.” He also suggests that, if we follow his guidelines, we can ensure our own success and emotional wellness - a wonderful outcome indeed.

This article has several strengths that recommend it to potential readers. The author lays out his case for his suggestions very well by mentioning problems many of us face in our work and personal lives, agreed that those problems are negative and need to be changed, and then lays out his suggestions for readers to work to change themselves to help minimize potential stress and difficulties ahead. The author makes clear to readers that emotional health is an integral part of all human beings and asks readers to be introspective about their own biases, feelings, and behaviors and then recognize the emotional needs in others. He suggests that, as each of us work to obtain positive emotional health, we in turn can recognize needs in our students and then respond appropriately to those needs. He acknowledges that sometimes the response will be unusual and having a solid grounding in positive emotional health will set teachers up to make more customized responses to fit the situation and the student’s needs, not necessarily the rule book. When reading the article, the reader is motivated to develop the ‘habits’ for better emotional health by listing problems that all of us face. By describing the negative consequences of poor emotional health in such a way that it creates empathy and understanding in the reader, all readers are motivated to make the changes described and to continue working on them long after the article has been put down and daily life has taken over.

One of the weaknesses of the article is its brevity. Each habit is only lightly described while the positive results of the habit are well described. Therefore, the author makes clear the desired results, but doesn’t give much guidance for how the reader can work to get to those desired results. Giving readers the desire and motivation to get the positive results, but not clearly outlining how to gain those results leaves readers motivated, but potentially frustrated as to what actions to perform to gain the results. While there are a few examples of things that can be done to work towards it, these examples may not be useful to the reader- not all readers will ever be hall monitors, be able to change the policy of percentage grades, etc. Therefore, only extremely motivated individuals who are able and willing to do more research into how to develop positive increases in emotional health will probably be successful. Due to this lack of guidance, the habits seem like a lofty, but unattainable, goal which I believe is the opposite of what the author intended by writing the article.

In the article, the author discusses good positive habits teachers should develop to help students have good emotional health. While the article does mention the need for good emotional health for the teacher, the larger focus is on how the teacher can help the student. I would be interested in knowing what criteria or scenarios teachers can use to determine where they are on the scale of positive emotional health and what they might be able to do to help themselves work towards a solid emotional foundation. I would also be interested in what resources a teacher would be able to use to help themselves or support them in helping their students that would be available to them at their school.

The article gives several examples of behavior that teachers can use to help students develop emotionally healthy habits. Some of these examples include: re-framing situations and perspectives, developing strong attachment to student success, exploring best practices for teacher and student success, and more. I would add that professional environments that make emotional health a priority for all who inhabit its community would create a safe and productive learning environment for all.

In InTASC Standard #9, a teacher is supposed to engage in ongoing professional learning, ethical practice, and a continuous commitment towards evaluating curricula, behavior, and how their choices affect those around them. A teacher who is consistently evaluating their behavior and responses to their co-workers and students with a view to helping build positive relationships and learning environments is a teacher who is able to empathize and use problem solving strategies to differentiate responses between different learners depending on their unique needs. Teachers who have strong ethical codes as well as a focus on their emotional health can become more effective people both in their personal and public life. I suggest that school administrators would do well to provide resources to help teachers develop strong emotional health habits thereby giving teachers the tools to teach and help students develop these same positive habits. As childhood is a time of growth, uncertainty, and emotional flux, this is a perfect time to help students learn healthy emotional habits to support them through their lives.