Category Archives: history

A NO SNOW snow day

Tuesday, March 5, 2013, @ 8:56 amFamily, history, Life in General, model railroads, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, great days, history, making the days count, reading, seventh grade, Summer Vacation, teaching, weather, writingClay

stormwarning Normally, I would be driving to school right now, but instead I am home in the basement nestled in my cave. It’s a snow day. The weather guys predicted the storm several days ago and the media is in full hype. Right now, there is less than half an inch covering the sidewalks and roads, but it is predicted to get worse, probably much worse with the bulk of the snow arriving midday just in time to release kids to walk home from elementary schools with unplowed roads and snowy sidewalks. It is just a bad idea.

The call came in at 5:23 from my kid’s school district announcing that “due to the expected heavy snow, all school and afternoon activities for Tuesday, March 5th are cancelled…” My district called a couple of minutes later with the same news. I’d already been waging a war with the alarm clock, and losing, I might add, when the phone rang. I turned the alarm off and W came in to make sure he could sleep until he wakes up, he was excited, but probably not enough to keep him from falling back to sleep. I tried going back to sleep, but I couldn’t so I got up and went downstairs. Continue reading A NO SNOW snow day →

President’s Day Challenge

Monday, February 18, 2013, @ 9:24 amadventure, Family, history, Life in General, pets, Reading, sports, teaching, Weather, Writingchildren, education, Family, Grayling, great days, history, making the days count, patriotism, President's Day, reading, seventh grade, teaching, US Presidents, winter sports, writingClay

Today is President’s Day. It’s the holiday to celebrate all of our presidents, but in particular George Washington’s birthday. I remember in elementary school coloring pictures of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and learning stories of their exploits of how George chopped a cherry tree down and couldn’t tell a lie and Abe was an honest self-educated man who chopped wood. I don’t know if these tales are true, but I do know that these two presidents led our nation in a time when its citizens were uncertain of how events would turn out.

And so being the wise nation that we are, we celebrate our heritage and history by letting the schoolchildren out of school for the day. Now, in the interest of transparency, I do personally benefit from this holiday and all of the other holidays, as well. I am a teacher. However, being a teacher does not imply an endorsement of our holiday practice. Now that that is out in the open, I can continue. Continue reading President’s Day Challenge →

Much is required

Monday, January 21, 2013, @ 10:19 amcountry, Family, growing up, history, Reading, sports, teaching, Writingeducation, Family, Har-Bowl, Houston Oilers, making the days count, patriotism, reading, sports, Super Bowl XLVII, teaching, writingClay

The 49ers made the Celebration of the Century - 1980s decade stamps — The 49ers made the Celebration of the Century – 1980s decade stamps

Sunday was Championship Sunday and yesterday, I got half of my wish. I was hoping for a ‘no feathers’ Super Bowl, instead we got the Har-bowl: a Super Bowl where two brothers – opposing head coaches – are pitted against each other. It will be a good one, no doubt, but I will be rooting for the 49ers.

If you have followed me for a while, or even for a short time, you know I enjoy football. You might recall I have rooted for the Packers in the playoffs (2011), the Patriots in the Super Bowl (2012), and wonder if I just root for the team that is on top. Not true. Continue reading Much is required →

Movies and the Oscars, and thinking, too

Sunday, January 13, 2013, @ 1:04 pmadventure, Family, growing up, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Writingchildren, education, Family, geography, hard work, history, Landfillharmonic, making the days count, reading, seventh grade, teaching, Wasteland, weather, writingClay

Hellfighters with John Wayne was one of the first movies I remember watching as a kid. I saw it at the Palms Theater in Sugar Land when I was in first grade when we were preparing to move to Venezuela. I saw many movies at the Palms; it was the kind of theater that every small town had with one screen, a concession stand, its walls were painted with a tropical theme lit just right before the movie began to give the feeling of being somewhere besides Sugar Land, Texas. I remember the children’s movies I saw there, but Hellfighters was for adults and there was something about watching movies with real action like oil well fires. It was hardly a great movie, but I remember it well. We even saw it at the theater in Venezuela, it was in Spanish with English subtitles, but they had cut the part at the end about Venezuelan rebels. I have seen it many times since and I even have a copy in iTunes my brother Warren gave me a few years ago.

I stopped going to the Palms when I got my driver’s license and I didn’t need mom or my bike to get me to the movies. Continue reading Movies and the Oscars, and thinking, too →

Shaken or stirred

Friday, January 4, 2013, @ 12:03 pmadventure, Family, growing up, history, Life in General, Music, pets, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, WritingBond movies, children, education, Family, great days, history, James Bond, making the days count, movies, reading, seventh grade, writingClay

I did not want to leave, I never do. The last day at the cottage is always the most difficult – especially over winter break. I had a few errands and other odds and ends to do before I left and B and I went through the kid’s skiing pictures and sent some off to be printed. I finished my thank you notes, wrote short notes to my mom, B’s parents, and a cottage neighbor and got them in the mail with the photos. I ran some final errands before packing the Tahoe and driving home last night. It was full with just enough space for W and Ivy. W was comfortable and watched a DVD he had gotten before Christmas and Ivy had just enough space to stretch and lay out. It was a perfect night to drive home – dry roads and hardly any traffic. We made good time and by starting late, we were able to spend almost a full day at the lake before leaving.

The road disappeared before us Continue reading Shaken or stirred →

More numbers…

Sunday, December 16, 2012, @ 10:30 amFamily, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Writingchildren, education, Family, history, reading, Sandy Hook Elementary School, teaching, writingClay

newtown_patriots — image courtesy of the New England Patriots and the NFL

It was a crazy day, Friday. My day began with a meeting, then an impromptu school tour with my advisory students, after the bell rang. We looked at how former students have left their mark on the school. We looked at the support posts, the pillars, which have been decorated with character traits: strength, courage, and patience – to name only a few. They were painted from drawings made by students a few years ago, who have since moved on to high school and, in this case, to college. I took them to down the main hallway, pointing out several spots, which we all pass by without thinking because they have become part of the scenery, like a billboard or a signpost along the road. We ended in the main entry hallway where flags from around the world hang. Continue reading More numbers… →

Clothing tags

Saturday, December 8, 2012, @ 9:43 amcountry, Family, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, WritingBangaldesh factory fire, children, education, geography, history, making the days count, politics, reading, seventh grade, teaching geography, Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, writingClay

When I was a kid, I read a lot. I still do. I read when I can and I have been known to sit down, lay down, curl up and read a book in a day, or two. Sometimes my reading keeps me from doing something and I get the look, and guilt sets in. Over Thanksgiving break, I came home from school with a book I checked out, Safekeeping by Karen Hesse. I started reading in the LMC (library) when I picked it up, and when I got home, I sat down on the couch and read. I read until I was about to fall asleep. I climbed in bed and read some more. I read a bit the following day and finished reading it as the turkey roasted, Thanksgiving morning. It was a good read.

Most of what I read now is related to what I teach, and I teach kids, seventh graders, so I read adolescent literature. Some of it’s good, some not, but it is always interesting. Sometimes I find books for kids that have a similar adult book, almost a match, or similar theme to books written for adults. I truly dislike the term ‘adult book,’ but you know what I mean. As a kid, I read non-fiction and an occasional novel. I read about football, World War II, and occasionally I’d find a good read in a disaster book Continue reading Clothing tags →

Veterans Day – Semper Fi

Sunday, November 11, 2012, @ 9:11 amadventure, country, Family, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Writingeducation, Family, great days, hard work, making the days count, patriotism, reading, teaching, World War I, writing, WWIIClay

Today is Veterans Day. It is celebrated on the eleventh day of the eleventh month; the day also marks the remembrance of end of the First World War. There is no coincidence.

dad_usmc — Private Robert N. Watkins, USMC, my dad

Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13

As a young child, there were two topics, which I constantly read – World War II and football. I could not read enough or learn enough about the war. I was fascinated, and I still am intrigued by history. My dad helped foster this learning and I remember watching Patton at the Palms Theater in third grade. At the time, I thought it was a great movie. I have watched it many times since and have the soundtrack in my music library. I am listening to it as I write this morning. I still think it is a great movie about a great man, who like many was flawed, but did what was needed when it was needed most. Continue reading Veterans Day – Semper Fi →

6th grade, all over again

Saturday, November 10, 2012, @ 11:11 amFamily, history, Life in General, pets, Reading, teaching, Teaching and Learning, Writingchildren, Coleen McGregor, Dulles Jr. High Class of 1976, education, fall leaves, Family, great days, hard work, history, making the days count, patriotism, reading, sixth grade, teaching, writingClay

STRESS CITY. It is that time of the year, November and the push at school, home, and everywhere else. This past week was full: parent conferences at school – two full days, parent conferences for O, the election, and the kid’s activities – sports and scouts. I am grateful for B who handled scouts this week; otherwise, I might have burst. And, this week ends with my birthday. Yep, I am officially one year older today – Happy Birthday to me. Continue reading 6th grade, all over again →

Election Day 2012

Tuesday, November 6, 2012, @ 6:08 amcountry, Family, history, Life in General, Reading, teaching, Writingchildren, Coleen McGregor, Dulles Jr. High Class of 1976, education, Election 2012, Family, great days, hard work, history, making the days count, patriotism, reading, teaching, writingClay

The alarm went off at four this morning and I noticed we had a visitor in bed this morning. Sometime after I crawled in bed and fell asleep, Ivy came upstairs and jumped into bed with us. She usually sleeps downstairs, but it is comforting to have her lying at my feet warming my legs, even if she isn’t supposed to be our bed.