Heart for Writing

Time has a way of going by too quickly. Now that I retired. It really shouldn't be that different because i am used to being off in the summer, but since I retired from teaching, it has been one thing after another.  I just returned from staying with my mother.  It was a wonderful visit. I even had the opportunity to spend time with my grandson and see my daughter and son-in-law.  He rode over 15 miles in the heat on Sunday eve.  At least it wasn't as bad as it had been.  Thank goodness for the relief from the 100 degree temperatures. I will be recognized at our school board meeting tonight and I'm loking forward to that. I am reorganizing my basement since I brought home my "stuff" from school from the last 17 years in the same classroom. My daughter gave me a workshop online and at first I wasn't so happy but it really has been a Godsend.  Very helpful! Rode 6 miles in town last Sat. morning before I went to see my mom.  The storms had our ...

Well, I did it! I retired!!!  It was time. I plan to write more, read more, and spend more time with family and friends.  It was a tough decision but in the end, it was the right decision. Just thought I'd up date and then I'll be back on later and try to become a regular on Tuesdays' Slice of Life!  Happy Slicing! :)

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...

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 Hi...

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 ...

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...