Heart for Writing

This is a time it is hard to think. My dad passed away yesterday. Forgive me for not slicing yesterday and this is all I have today. Please have us in your thoughts and prayers today and this weekend. Thanks.

I'm working on my lesson for poetry.  I was thinking of teaching about the Doors of Poetry. I had heard Georgia Heard speak some years ago and bought her book, Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School .  I plan to explain each of the doors and have some examples made out of construction paper to remind the students what the doors stand for. The six doors I plan to share are: Heart, Observation, Humor, Wonder, Memory and World. These doors are explained in Georgia Heards book.  I can give a short explanation here. Heart Door- things that we love. Observation, things that we observe in the world around us.  Humor Door - writing about things that are funny or humorous.  Wonder Door- includes things that we wonder about. Mmeory Door- is about the memories of your life. Lastly the World Door includes things that concern you and those things you think about in the world. I hope to help the students open the "doors" or "unlock" the door

I was talking about moving in my last slice. So today I thought I would write about Doris.  The girl who came in my life soon after I moved and became my best friend in Junior High, High School and college.  After several weeks at my new school, I met a new friend. Her name was Doris. She was very quiet and shy, like me.  She had "dreamy " blue-gray eyes and a welcoming smile. Her soft manners and shy approach are what drew me to her. She was never boastful or loud. I really liked the little things about her. Her deep faith, love for her family and her special treatment of me as a trusted friend, made her a friend for life.  Doris was always there for me when I needed her. We never had fights and somehow always had something to talk about. She lived nine miles away rom me. We both lived in the country so in order to visit each other in the summer, we would take turns riding our bicycles to each others' homes when we were in Junior High.  In High School, we double date

Have you ever moved?  Changed schools?  Felt left out? Life is not always so mundane.  When I was twelve years old, my parents decided to move. To simply pack up and move into another house, another school district, another place. I was devastated. Emotionally I wanted to cry. I was angry, fearful, disapointed and sad. I was leaving all the friends from school that I had ever known.  Why did this have to happen? After we moved, I started school. The first day was hard (it was March). I didn't know anyone. The children in my seventh grade class were nice enough but I felt all alone, quiet and shy. Cathy H., a friendly blonde-headed girl, walked up to me and said, "Do you wan to run around with me?" I had no idea. Another girl, Karen, who was quiet mentioned that I might want to get to know the girls first. She was right. After several weeks, I did find a friend that I did make a lasting friendship with. It goes to show that change can be hard but many good things can

What can I say about writing? No one taught me how to write in school. I wish they had.  Writing has become so important to me. I hope I don't forget the memories and events that I want to write about. Seeing my mother in her 80's, she's 87 today, makes me realize that we don't remember all our thoughts forever. There are times, I even forget or don't remember exactly the way something happened and as I tell it, my husband will say to me, "No, don't you remember it happened like this... " The little things are what is most important.  Writing about our children; the words that they said, the actions that they took are most memorable. Some I have written but I wish I had much more of it to read to them and their children, my grandchildren. If you are young now, heed my cry, write down as much as you are able to now, because it will be so precious to you and someone in the future. If I could only read a diary from my grandmother or great-grandmothe

I think my mind is messed up by this weather. Who ever heard of the 80 degree temperatures in March. Our average temperatures in March usually range in the 40's. So why am I thinking about summer? Wouldn't you? I don't have Spring fever.  I'm dreaming of summer!  I can't wait until summer.  I wrote about our convertible now I just can't wait. Blue skies, blue green grass,of course we'll have to mow you can wiggle your toes in the coolness of the grass, sweet smell of the yellow flowers, bees buzzing, butterflies fluttering here and there, balloons flying over head, the sun over all beaming smiling saying that all is right with the world. Hope it is with you. Happy Slicing! :)

Six words that describe me. I was reading a devotional this morning. It mentioned how would you describe yourself in a sentence with six words? Ernest Hemingway wrote his six words as: “For sale: baby shoes, never used.” How sad. In the Bible, Paul described Timothy as :“My true son in the faith” (1 Tim. 1:2 NIV). These are just a couple examples of ways it can be done. I have been contemplating this. What can one say in six words? I know that words can be very powerful in one sense and yet not say it at all. Here is what I hope to say: “Spent a lifetime loving and caring.” What would you say? How could you write a story in 6 words? A memoir? I think I will challenge my class to try this. Happy Slicing! :)

Have you ever owned a convertible?  I wasn't so sure I wanted one.  My husband had always dreamed of owning one.  After his mother passed away, he decided he would get one.  I know his mom would get a chuckle out of seeing him with "his" car.  He says it's ours, but it is his.  He lets me drive it, but he truly cares for the car, treats it with the utmost respect and doesn't let anything happen to it.  Well, now that we have had a convertible for about 14 years, I am in love with it too.  I wish we had had one when I was 25!  I think my biggest problem in the beginning was worrying about my hair!  I was concerned that it would get messed up, or I wouldn't look good enough, etc. Now, I don't care! :)  I love the wind blowing through my hair, the breeze, the open sky, being able to see the stars at night when we drive down the road in the country.  It is so relaxing.  What a thrill it is to take people for a ride who have never been in a convertible with

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, my husband and I had to ride our bicycles.  We rode in town. It is flat so I wouldn't hurt my knees.  The weather was so wonderful, warm and sunny.  Can't remember when we have ever had 80 degree weather in March.  Hope everyone could enjoy it!  Happy slicing! :)

I have many memories of Valentine ' s Day.   Some good and some not so good. As a child I really looked forward to the day when my mother and I would take the list of my classmates and make Valentine ' s for them. There were times that we bought some, but making them was so much fun.      We always made a "pouch" for our Valentine ' s in school. A piece of construction paper was folded over or a folder was given to us. We would decorate it any way we wanted. I usually used red and pink construction paper and white dollies.      It was always so wonderful to receive a valentine from all my friends and "the boys"! Even though we gave to everyone, I felt like the boy picked one just for me.      The hardest time was when I was in Junior High. Seventh Grade is really where it started. I liked a particular boy whose name was Allen.   I know he knew who I was, but I don ' t think he liked me as much as I liked him.     At the age of twelve, I felt like I w

Every summer I think I am going to get so much accomplished. The summer of 2005 was just one of those summers. My summer flew by so fast I hardly had time to realize I had a summer.   Before I spent the summer cleaning an old cabinet that had belonged to my mother-in-law. (She passed away in 1998.) It is called a Seller Brand Hoosier Cabinet.  When I started I had no idea what it was, but found out more about it after I had striped it.  It was built in 1914.  The paint was white with cracks and some hard varnish on it.  I have no idea how many years it had been painted, but it was very difficult to remove it. After There was a surprise waiting for me after I removed the paint from the doors. Under the dark paint was a light wood and it appeared to be nice looking. At the top of the doors, a decorative glass almost caramel color with strands of cream color swirled through it, appeared. I was delighted. Something inside me would really like to know more about this piece. When was

My Dad's birthday is coming up the 18th. He will be 89 years old. It is hard to fathom just what that means. He is not in the best of health and we have no idea how long he will be living so it makes you want to hold onto every moment you have with him. I realize that life is short and now that I am older, I think about it more. I'm not trying to be negative but positive. I would like to celebrate the person my dad has been to me. Sure he wasn't perfect and neither am I. But he has done many things right in his lifetime. A very caring person, he married my mother first of all. Born the sixth child of seven children. The fifth son, but one of his brothers died at a little over a year old. So he grew up with three brothers and two sisters. He worked very hard as a young man on the farm to help his father. They had grains, animals and some crops like potatoes etc. A religious family of German Baptist origin, they were very devout. My grandmother was very strict.

What I'm thankful for... I'm thankful I live in a free country to have a home I can go to freedom to worship a husband to love and that loves me I'm thankful for two children that I love and their spouses, my adopted children, I love with four exuberant grandsons who shower me with kisses and hugs I'm thankful for sunshine and rain blue skies and shadows that cool me sparkling snow and the gentle wind that blows flowers that bloom for my enjoyment I'm thankful for men & women willing to fight for our country leave their families and conveniences some sacrifice their own lives I'm thankful for my parents still living who gave up many luxuries for their children so we could become the people we are today I'm thankful for a God who blesses me each day by being with me no matter what I go through I'm thankful for you... thanks for stopping by to read my blog! Happy Slicing! :)

Yesterday I got a new cage for my pet mouse, Fat Albert. I also got a new cage for a Guinea pig. I'm getting the Guinea pig in a few days. The cage is purple with white bars going up, down,and side to side. The color of the Guinea pig is brown,white and black with short hair and black eyes. We might have to get two Guinea pigs because if the first one gets too lonely then it will die. The other Guinea pig will go to my sister so it will be far and we both get one. I can't wait till I get my new pet Guinea pig. -Trickster370

Today while Testing was going on I got to go in the cafeteria and color, read, go in the big gym, and do puzzles. While we were in the big gym everybody got scooters and we tied rope to them and had people pull us around and we ended up tieing 4 scooters together and that was fun the back 3 scooters almost ran into the wall. The next thing we did was play capture the flag but before that I got a  humongous ball out and started to roll it around and chasing it that was a pretty fun day that day. - Zombie101

My students were asking me today, "What should we write about?"  They were having some trouble coming up with ideas of what to write about.  Guess what? So am I.  I gave them ideas and now I am at a loss. I have used a quote, written about what I have been doing, talked about memories, and now I'll tell you about a recipe I found that I like.  It is called Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake.  It is easy and wonderful!  How about that for something to write about!  Besides being a Language Arts teacher, I am a Family Consumer Arts Teacher as well. Here's the recipe: Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist Cherry Chip Cake Mix 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened 1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cherry frosting 3 eggs Directions: Heat oven to 325°F. In large bowl, beat dry cake mix and butter with electric mixer on low speed until crumbly; reserve 1 cup. In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan, pre

"Our ultimate freedom is the right and power to decide how anybody or anything outside ourselves will affect us." ~Stephen R. Covey~ This is a freedom we don't usually think about.This is a right we have to decide how we react to something someone does or says to or about us. Students may think that it doesn't happen to adults, but it does.  We all have that problem and need to guard ourselves from being caught up in it. Mr. Covey is right in that we have the freedom to decide whether it affects us or not and how to react to it or not! People who are in the news must get tired of hearing what others say about them, true or not. I know that it is so much easier said than done, but remember you are your own worst enemy.  Think positively. Have a great day!  Happy Slicing! :)

Suns shining, warmer today, we went for a walk and then we went to a movie. What more would you want? We went to see the movie, The Vow. It was based on a true story.  I won't ruin it for you.  It was a good movie and it has me thinking. "Oh boy", you say. It's not exactly a family movie but it does make you think about life and what would happen if you lost the one you love.  If they didn't know you anymore, how would you react?  What would you do?  How would you get them back? Would you be willing to start over? Something to think about. Enjoy your day, afternoon, I guess, it's evening.  This time change...  Happy Slicing! :)

I like Saturday because it can be a day to relax, clean, spend time with my husband, travel to see my fa mil y, buy our groceries or finish school work that hasn’t been done. I like it especially because it is date night. Our night to decide whether to eat out at our favorite restaurant or stay in and watch a movie.   How’s your Saturday?   Happy Slicing! J  Or crochet an Angry Bird stuffed animal. :)  

When I was three years old me and my sister were swinging on a two person swing eating popcorn. We didn't notice that the swing was on a branch with a bee hive two feet away from the swing. When me and my sister decided to swing really fast, it started to shake the branch and the bee hive. We didn't notice that the bees were coming out until I got stung up my nose. My sister went running inside to get my mom. While I'm trying to get in the house I had my head tipped back not being able to see where I’m going. With out getting stung again and running into the house. -trickster370

We went swimming by our neighbors, that night we had to brush our trunks because they had green slime on them. The day before that we started to remove cement so we could put new cement in, so there was wood there to form a step. Then me and my brother were racing back and forth on the grass to the other step. Then he dropped his stuff ran and said. “I'm going to beat you.” I ran and took a short cut I jumped I didn’t jump high enough, I hit the wood so hard I could see my bone. I went inside I used 10 big packages of bandages. A couple days after we went to Quaker Haven (that is a camp ground and it has a lake.)I couldn’t swim because It would get inflected. -Black hits (blogger name- 6th grader)

I always wanted a Shelty Dog. That's pretty much like a Shetland Sheep Dog and perhaps a mix with a Collie. They never grow very big but are very friendly and lovable dogs. My husband and I had been married about twelve years and our children were 5 and 7 yrs. old, a daughter and son, respectively. The thought of buying a dog had not even entered my mind when I left home one sunny Saturday morning in the middle of June. All I thought of was to get to a housing development that had garage sales and find as many toys and clothes for my children as I could that day. I parked beside a house that had a sign out, “Shelty-Mix Puppies for Sale”. I walked by the open garage and looked in to see 13 adorable puppies but knew that I just couldn't stop for this. So I hurried on my way. I spent a good part of two hours walking from house to house looking at clothes and toys and sometimes, walking back to the car with an armload of my purchases to unload and return to continue my escapa

If you are familiar with "Hank the Cowdog", you'll know that he talks in the stories and they are all about him. Well, this short little story is about and written from my cat, Kitka's point of view. Kitka, The Cat Some people say, " I'm independent."   "I like to think that I'm mature." My owners always do what I expect. Even though I'm unable to speak with them, I have a way of getting their attention. I'm hot stuff and I know it. I swagger over to my platter of food. I won't accept just any food and I expect it to have water beside it. Not on top of it or in it, but beside it. One day I longed to be outdoors.  Anyway, I meowed long enough to urge my owner for their attention.  I had begged her enough, she let me out.  The screen door opened and I jumped at the chance to swiftly race out the door.  I no sooner was in the garage then I realized I only made it to the next place.  The outside door was closed!  Bumm

Kitka lived with us for 13 years. She was my daughter’s cat but I loved her just as much. When my daughter got married and left home, she was mine. Independent Clever Loving when she wanted to be Kitka was a fun cat Inside most of the time Liked the outside Never tore or scratched the furniture Her name began as “Snowball” Changed to Kitka Hard to explain the name change It just fit her She died in 1999 And I still miss her I can’t bring myself to get another cat White, short hair, touch of black on her head black spots on her back black on the tip of her tail. So soft to touch She didn’t like to be held until the last year of her life then she would sit beside me and let me pet her Miss you, Kitka! Happy Slicing! :)

Sink or swim could mean the same to many people and to others different meanings. How profound! I think in writing, to sink or swim would be to just get started and not stop.  What have you got to lose?    I went back to college when I was 39 years old to get my English degree.  I had a B.S. from college in Home Economics at that time, but was unable to find a teaching job so thought I'd add to my license so I could teach. Try going back to school with students who are approximately twenty years younger than you.  Talk about a challenge. Now there's one!   Boy, was I enthused!  They breathed life right back into me.  Most of them were very insightful and I learned to get right in with them. To cut a long story short, they would call me and I called them, and we made it through. The toughest part was creative writing.   I hadn't written in years.  No one had actually taught me to write.  The professor then wasn't teaching me either.  It was "sink or swim"

I'd like to give you the opportunity to find out why you have the name you have. Have you ever asked? I know that my parents named me after my grandmother.  My mom wanted to use her mother's name but because her mom died when she was 15yrs. old, she was afraid her dad might not like it so she decided to use a form of it.  The funny part of it is, he called me her nickname most of my life. So I guess it wouldn't have mattered. I know my first name came from Hebrew and means lily.  I've always thought that was cool.  I did like my grandmother's name and wish i had it, but my name is my name and I just wanted the first part of it.  For the fact that I don't want my students calling me by my first name, I won't mention it here. Anyway, this just gives you an example of what I was talking about for a blog for anytime. Hope you enjoy your blogging today!  Find out about your name, then about your heritage.  You'll be surprised what you learn.  Happy Slic

Today I made a Noah's Ark for our church's puppet show.  I'll follow with a picture of it. I wasn't alone, I had the help of two others.  You've heard of two heads are better than one, well, three heads are better than two!  I did the planning and we all carried it out, but they had ideas along the way. I love to make crafts and sew.  This is right up my alley.  We took a large piece of cardboard, actually two large pieces.  We had measured them ahead of time.  This helped me to figure out how much fabric I needed for the water too. I had purchased the markers, glue and other supplies ahead of time.  I brought scissors, fabric and anything else that I thought might help us. We stopped off at Subway to get a sandwich for lunch before we began. Then we drew and cut.  I began to make lines for the boards on the ark and trace  with a marker. After a few boards were done, the other two decided that they could do it too, so we all started in.  With three of us worki

I met with a friend I hadn't seen for about 7 years today.  She used to go to our church.  She had emailed me and asked if when she came to town sometime, would I like to meet?  Of course I'd like to meet.  Friendships are one of those things in life that are precious and icing on the cake.  You just don't want to let them go. This young lady is young enough to be my daughter but yet we have a bond.  She has taught a couple of years, but that was not how we became friends.  Her husband was our youth pastor. The interesting part started where we planned to meet.  A coffee shop in a town near where I live was a place where she and her husband used to hang out.  She was sure it was closed now.  I had been there in the last year so I was sure it wasn't closed.  Due to my busy schedule this week, I failed to ask if it was open and therefore did not find out it was closed... until this morning. How to get a hold of her?  I had no cell phone number.  I couldn't remem