Tag Archives: writing

Saturday – President’s Day Weekend 2011

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Snow remains in only a few places in the backyard, what a bright sunny February day

Most of the snow has melted leaving only pockets of grey dingy ice piles here and there. Fallen twigs and branches litter the backyard and deck leaving a carpet of brownish grey grass matted from the snow. That is what is left of the yard after twenty or more inches of snow and several days of late winter days in the forties. It is nice outside, thought the sunlight belies that temperatures in the thirties, which will probably remain there all day, at least that is the forecast. Continue reading Saturday – President’s Day Weekend 2011 →

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

Family, Life in General, teaching, Writing, , ,
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 →

Allegiances

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Tom Regner's football card from 1970 - I have two of them!

I grew up in Sugar Land, Texas in the late 1960s and lived there through the mid- 80s. My mom still lives in the house we grew up in, though it is quieter today than it ever was when my brothers and I grew up. It was at the early age of eight in 3rd grade in 1970 that I became a football fan. I was a fan of the Houston Oilers, who were not very good in the early 70s. Our next-door neighbor was Tom Regner and he played for the Oilers. The 1970 season was his fourth as a professional after a college career at Notre Dame where he was a first team All-American in 1966. As a third grader, and even today, I remember him being big, Continue reading Allegiances →

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.  

Continue reading Happy New Year 2011 →

Silent Night

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Olivia is dressed to tell Santa what is on her list!

It started snowing early this morning and it has snowed lightly all day long giving the trees, the yard, and everything a beautiful coat of fresh white snow. Also, it has been several days since my last post and I have wanted to sit and write, but I have not made time to do it for all of the things that I need to do are far more important than what I want to do at this time of the year. I have had several ideas and topics, which crossed my path, but for now, those will have to wait as I focus on the present. Continue reading Silent Night →

Free Write Friday – Take 2

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I started this last Friday in class and ran out of time to finish or rather other tasks took over the time to write and think. I try to model writing with my students and Friday is Free Write. They can write whatever they want, as long as they write. Some students write lists, others work on writing a continuing story, and some write about what they have to look forward to over the weekend. Here is what I began…… Continue reading Free Write Friday – Take 2 →

Weekends in December

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“Every man has only enough strength to complete those assignments that he is fully convinced are important.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) German writer and philosopher

Saturday and Sunday all seem to run together. Weekends are busy and filled with unscheduled time to get things done including all of the tasks and jobs left undone from the week. Of course there is the unexpected, the task or job that pops up and needs to be done at that moment. I got pulled into such a job Saturday and am still finishing it Sunday morning. Continue reading Weekends in December →