Category Archives: Writing

Saturday: the super moon, equinox, and spring…

Family, Life in General, teaching, Writing, , , , ,
three 'brave' crocusses poke up through the soil - Monday 3/14.

Fourteen minutes since Monday, we have gained fourteen minutes of sunlight since Monday! I fell fast asleep last night as the moon was illuminating Earth brightly. This morning a light frost graced the ground and rooftops, it will burn off later this morning as it warms up into the fifties. Monday afternoon, I was scouring the yard for signs of spring and I found couple of crocuses poking its head above ground in the backyard along the stone path. We will all be outside today and I will be looking for more signs. It has been a busy week, the days are screaming by as we get closer to spring and spring break and warmer days. Today is Saturday and it will be a busy day – as they all are. Continue reading Saturday: the super moon, equinox, and spring… →

Spring, it’s a comin’

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Yesterday as we were cleaning up from the Green and Gold banquet, I spied a patch of Earth with some shoots pushing through.  When, I got home I looked around our yard for signs of sprouts and found none, but I will be back out again looking; it’s the time of the year when I scour the garden looking for spring’s first crocuses, daffodils, and other signs of awakening after a long winter. Spring, it is almost here. Continue reading Spring, it’s a comin’ →

The List

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several lotto tickets - waiting to be checked!

The other day, I went to the grocery store with a list, Beth made the list and it included everything I needed. I ran my errands and drove to the store. I got out of the car, forgot about the list and left it inside the car, where it was safe, and went inside to shop for groceries. I added items to my cart, remembering the items from the list, as I walked down each aisle.  I checked out and drove home. Of course, when I walked in and unpacked the groceries Beth asked where the sour cream was and it was still at the store on the shelf, where I had left it. It was on the list but evidently, it never made it to the Iist, I used. If it were the first time, I suppose Beth could have forgiven me, but this happens all the time; I make a list or am given one and do not use it. Continue reading The List →

Like vs. Need

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Often, I am torn between what I would like to do and what I need to do. And, sometimes I am caught between what is good and what is better. This morning, I spent time thinking and now it is time to be doing. Sometime after I fell asleep and before I woke, snow fell and I need to clean the driveway before we leave for church. The job will take ten or fifteen minutes but I need to get it done, now. I also want to write a blog post, but I cannot. Therefore, this will have to suffice, for now. The view out the window this morning is all white and grey, but the sun will shine today and bring brightness to us all. Make the Days Count, one shovelful at a time! Continue reading Like vs. Need →

The Big Snow – part one

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Ivy looks out the front window and 'dreams'!

At this moment, it should be first period and geography class, but I am sitting in my basement writing about the past couple of days and the ‘Big Snow Day.’ It has been a very hectic couple of days and last night was the latest night I have had since Christmas Break, but I knew I was not going to need to get up in the morning and drive to school. As school was cancelled due the blizzard prediction for Tuesday and Wednesday; and it came, starting midday Tuesday and it continued until just a few moments ago. After the initial frenzy quieted down, about eight o’clock Tuesday night, I checked Facebook and a friend posted, “Due to the weather tonight, I’m cancelling bedtime.” To which I replied, “Our’s was cancelled hours ago! It is wild outside!” And, the weather and snow was wild: the winds howled, the snow fell, and it blew. Continue reading The Big Snow – part one →

Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend

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Lafayette County Courthouse with a Confederate soldier facing south in memory of his comrades.

I am in Oxford – Oxford, Mississippi. A couple of months ago, in late November I texted my bother Warren – ‘Hey what do you think about Oxford for MLK day?’ Warren, being Warren, texted in return, ‘Wouldn’t Selma be a better choice?’ I have to admit he got my message, but he had me in the one-liner department. Continue reading Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend →

Happy New Year 2011

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The view from the cottage across the lake is obscured by the fog hovering over the lake.

The New Year comes along just to end Christmas vacation. Today is New Year’s Eve and a reminder that getting back to school is just a few days away. What has happened to the time? I know I have spent it resting, relaxing, rejuvenating, driving, and chasing Ivy. I know the days have counted for my mental health if not for the other aspects of who I am. I have spent a bit of time (probably too much time) looking through Facebook and added several friends from my childhood home in Sugar Land. Thinking back to that time was fun and I have made a couple of connections I had been wondering about for years.  

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Day 57: The Writing Process and the week before Thanksgiving

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This is the week before Thanksgiving and the past several days have been busy – very busy. My students turned their narratives in Monday and they all look great. I did a quick scan of what was turned in and it seems my students learned from my instruction and did well with their writing. I will begin grading them this weekend with plans to return them after Thanksgiving Break. It takes time to read and respond to writing and I want to make sure I have time. This week has been too busy to even start grading. Continue reading Day 57: The Writing Process and the week before Thanksgiving →

Veterans Day and Heroes

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Grandpa, Beth, Olivia, and William pose beside the island on the deck of the U.S.S. Hornet, September 2006

Veterans Day is November 11th and for most schools in Illinois it is a holiday. But, Thursday morning found me at two schools on my day off. William had an honor breakfast and I was glad to attend. He is doing very well in seventh grade as he did in sixth grade. He is a solid young man, respectful and his character shines through. His school, Hubble Middle School, rewards students who display excellent character traits through their actions with ‘Hubble Huskie Coins.’  William had earned a ‘Huskie coin’ in the first quarter of the year and was being honored with other young men and women who had done something similar. Less than hour later, I was working as a crossing guard at Olivia’s school. When I can, I volunteer to be a crossing guard at Wiesbrook. It is always fun. After my crossing guard duty, I attended the Veterans Day flag ceremony.

Continue reading Veterans Day and Heroes →