Thanks E.B. White

Thanks E.B. White

I love this quote by the author of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little and The Trumpet of the Swan. Thanks for the sweet lessons from these stories.  Lessons that have taught me how every individual is special and unique.  Thanks for showing me the value in persistence and of standing up for your strong beliefs.     

Instead of one little word, I'm going to incorporate this quote into my summer.  

My circle of friends has widened since starting on my journey as a slice of life writer.  I want to expand and continue those friendships as I experience my few months of summer. I'm going to add to E.B White's quote.  Not only a true friend but also collaborator to my thinking this summer. 

I love it that I have a calm direction that helps me move towards becoming a better person, teacher and writer.  I'm going to put the brakes on this summer and stop, think, feel and perceive people and nature surrounding me.

Tweet!

Wow, I love words and I love birds.  

But, I don't like fast, which is why I'm not sure that tweeting is for me.  Last night I had an exhilarating hour of tweeting with the #TWTBlog.  I felt excited to be engaging with so many excellent thinkers and teachers, but I also felt a bit lost in the process.  Where's the question?  Where do I type in my tweet… what happened to my tweet?  Yikes! 

Now I'm finally seeing messages 3 hours later that I missed during that wild and woolly hour.  Was it an hour?  It seemed like only a few minutes had passed.  

I do feel inspired. I feel a sense of community with other people that have the same passion for excelling and helping children excel.  I am smiling. I feel empowered. I have a voice.  

I see where my students would benefit from such a dialogue. Their voices heard, immediate feedback, community and…. FUN!

Perhaps I just need more practice.  "tweet" 

Migration of my mind……

MidMay migration of many species of birds

Buds and bears awakening

My mind migrates to a new season

Are teachers like birds

that get to change for a season?

          
                           Gather resources

                           watch families grow

                           and generate ideas

                          for a whole new crew in the fall

Springtime at Glacier National Park

Our last day of school is May 27th, since we start in the middle of August.  So my migration mind may be a little ahead of everyone else's!

Things I Discovered….

When slicing in March I discovered,

My writing doesn't have to be perfect to be appreciated and shared,

What its like to be a part of a writing community,
That other people share some of my same feelings and experiences,
Blogging is fun,
Writers share a special bond,
The more I write, the more I look at the world as a writer,
Everybody has their own path to follow, but certain feelings are universal
How much I appreciate this great group of writers
That even though I didn't make it everyday, I think I did pretty good!

Yeah!  Thank you all for the experience.

Olympic National Park 2013

There's something about a clean bathroom….

 There's something about the small space of my bathroom.  I love to decorate it, clean it and then redecorate it again.  I get this sense of accomplishment and cleanliness.  When I'm upset about something, I go to the bathroom and just really start cleaning.   It's therapeutic, scrub, wipe, fresh new towels, sparkling tub and toilet.  Am I weird?

Maybe it's because the older I get, the more time I spend there!

Here's my latest creation, butterflies and blossoms.

March Madness

Mudslides, earthquakes and missing airplanes
I am not personally affected by any of these events. I don't know anyone that's been affected by them either.  But it does make me step back, take a deep breath and a long look around me.  I feel grateful today!

G =  Grandmother, my favorite thing in the world!
R =   Real friends, you know them when you have them and there's      
        nothing else like it.
A =   Animals, What can I say, I'm a nature and animal lover
T =   Teaching of course, lucky to be doing something I love
E =  Energy, the great energy and support I feel when slicing
         It has been pretty wonderful. Thank you!
F =   Family,  they're happy, safe and healthy
U =  Understanding, some people don't *get* me.. but some do
L =   Love, Laughter, Listeners, Laundry,  

Worry

The blast of the heater wakes me in the midst of a dream. Weird, because usually it's a sound that stays in the background unnoticed.  What was I dreaming about?  I search my memory but can't quite find it in the fog of my half awake condition. 

It's that unsettled feeling, but I'm not quite sure what's making me worry.  My mind wanders and settles strongly on one of my daughters. I need to call her tomorrow I think to myself, and make sure everything is safe and sound in her world.  I've had this happen to me before. There is someone or something that weighs heavy on my mind and I feel a compulsion to call. send a card or visit. I've regretted the times I've ignored that voice that urges me to intervene.  

I've also had the opposite happen to me.  There are times that I've been on the receiving end of a much needed phone call, email or simply a kind word.  It seems to happen when I'm especially down or sick and I always wonder.  How did they know? 

I'll call her tomorrow I think as I hear the heater kick on again and try to quiet my mind from worry. I roll over and try to fall back into sleep.