What color is your brain?

Your Brain is Purple

Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

What Color Is Your Brain?

Friday Fill-In #49

1. I anticipate a different Christmas.
2. Red, blue, yellow, green, purple are my favorite colors for the Christmas tree lights.
3. The candles in the window have white bulbs.
4. Home for the Holidays is one of my most favorite Christmas movies.
5. My favorite Christmas lyric(s) is/are O Holy Night.
6. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas surrounded by family and friends.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to drinks with friends, tomorrow my plans include Christmas shopping and Sunday, I want to decorate my home for Christmas!

Friday Fill-Ins on Sunday!

1. When my blog is broken, the focus quickly turns from writing to fixing.
2. I saw the most amazing blades of grass this morning!
3. P.S. I Love You is the new movie I'm most looking forward to seeing.
4. Work: Necessary and Fulfilling.
5. Of all the new tv shows, I enjoy Life the most.
6. If only Dad were still here.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to cooking, tomorrow my plans include a holiday party and Sunday, I am going to the ballet to see the Nutcracker!

Walking...

The first walk that comes to mind is a treacherous trek through a New England blizzard. The whipping wind took my breath away. I hold the strong hand of my father trusting he will always take care of me. A few years later, Dad and I walked again through the neighborhood streets after school and work. We'd talk and laugh. These walks helped him quit smoking. They were my favorite time of day.

Today, my Dad is gone. I walk alone. He is always at my side.

(Thanks for the opportunity to reminisce about these walks!)

Michelle

P.S. Happy Birthday Dad.

Rainy Mondays

What an icky way to begin the day! I am not looking forward to school today. Practicing for the writing SOL. So, I have to wait and sit while my students write. I don't get to teach. After school I am driving an hour and a half to do my presentation on publishing. Have to get ready for today!

Happy Monday!

My to do list

1. Vacuum
2. Brush dog
3. Grocery shop
4. Move winter clothes IN and summer clothes OUT
5. Write dream job description
   
6. Laundry
7. Cook a yummy dinner!
8. Pack for presentation tomorrow

I wish this post was more interesting, but this is my life right now. I am simply proud that I've posted again. Still working on more consistent postings.

Happy Sunday!

WOW! First Draft Writing Time!!

I am on such a HIGH right now. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!! For a VAST thirty minutes, my ten year olds WROTE, WROTE, and WROTE. For THIRTY minutes. Can you get twenty ten year olds to do ANYTHING for 30 MINTUES??

They loved the "freedom" they got with their choices in Writing Workshop. They were able to choose content and form of their writing. I am flummoxed by the inspiration that these fifth graders demonstrated! Some wrote poems, some wrote stories, a couple wrote letters, and one wrote a story in journal form. They created real and meaningful writing.

Ahh!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!

Can't wait for the next class.

Good Morning

It's 5:03 a.m. on Friday morning. I don't really have anything new to say, but I want to post and get into the habit of daily writing! Hmmm, what do I have to say?

Today is my 14th day of school. Happily, I am looking forward to going. It's been a struggle. Wondering whether or not I want to continue. I heard something yesterday and it's stuck with me. We are addicted to comfort. In my head, the questions swirl! What's wrong with that? Why can't I be comfortable? Isn't that what we look and search for??? Things, people, situations that make us comfortable? What's so wrong with me wanting to be comfortable??

Hmmm...something to think about.

Exactly where have I been?

It's been nineteen days since I've last posted. Hmm, where have I been? School. Planning for school and meeting the parents and the students. Beginning the school year and getting the hang of the routine. Now, I've been teaching, grading, meeting, and planning more. When does it stop? June 17th that's when.

This is my thirteenth year of teaching. Hmm, that's like going from K-12, except more than half of those years were spent in fifth grade.

Today was a good day. We calmly enjoyed silent reading time. After reading through our writing notebooks, we picked the best line-the golden line- and published it. We discussed why that was the golden line, and we complimented each other on our talents. Now, I am working on a book of our Golden Lines. How exciting! The best part of today came when a student said to me, "I used to hate writing. I never knew that I was good at it. Now, I love it!"

Who could ask for anything more??

Now, I sit on the balcony and enjoy the breezy autumn evening with my trusted companion and friend, my mutt Leo. Best wishes for a day filled with compliments and calm!

Six Months

Six months ago today my dad died.

His name was Charles, but he went by Chris. He was tall and had a personality that filled the whole room. In September he got sick, aneurysm in his heart. He survived fourteen hours of surgery and endured months of painful recovery. Through it all, he looked for meaning. He became introspective and thoughtful. I got to spend two weeks with him at Christmas. He read me 'Twas the Night before Christmas one last time. We watched an old western on tv, and we talked and talked and talked.

On February 28, he was eating ice cream. His wife left him for a moment to let the dog out. When she returned, he was unconscious with a dribble of ice cream down his chin. He hung on until my sister and I arrived. Then he was gone.

I miss him everyday. I love him very much.

So Dad, for you today...the Dairy Queen's on me.

Love,
Michelle

Meetings, meetings, meetings

What purpose do they serve? Sitting all day makes me so tired, I inevitably think is this what my students feel? No, I must be more exciting than the speakers I see. One of the speakers today made an observation that's stuck with me all day. He said that he's taught all ages from kindergarteners to middle school to graduate students to teachers and we all have one thing in common. When we come into a classroom, we sit as far back as possible. (Maybe not the kindergarteners.) His question is this:
What does this say about education? What does it say, that the
students always want to sit far away from the teacher?
Hmmm, that's an excellent question!

This afternoon, my second meeting was better. I learned at least two or three things I'll try this year, but that wasn't my favorite part. My favorite part was seeing that my friend Tim was still using the clipboard he made this summer in my introduction activity. It made me smile!

More meetings tomorrow! Wish me luck!!

Hello from Beyond

Everything happens for a reason.

How true that is! Tonight, I climbed into bed and glanced out the window. The window that usually has the blinds drawn, yet not tonight. Anyway, as I look, I see the full, bright moon. I remember that Dad used to tell me that no matter how far away we are, we are always beneath the same moon. I smiled as I remembered that conversation. As I said, "I love you, Dad." Lightning brightened the sky surrounding that same moon. My breath caught and I froze. Again I spoke, "Dad, is that you?" And once again, lightning struck. Literally.

Heaven! Maybe instead of being beneath the moon, Dad is sitting on top of it. No matter where he is, I know that he's with me.

That feels so good...so true...so absolute!

Good Night!

Sleep, where are you?

Can't sleep. It's only 10:21, but still...the house is still and I should sleep. Yet, sleep won't come. It's refusing, thereby forcing my brain to work overtime. Brain cells working late into the night (remember, late is relative) can lead you down dangerous paths that should be avoided. Sleep...where are you? I'm waiting!!!

Good Night
(hopefully)

M-

Body & Soul

What does a religious experience feel like? This afternoon began with a massage that helped me let go of stress and tension. A walk in the woods followed...alone, but accompanied by my new friends the chipmunks, moths, spiders, and mosquitoes. The rocky path led me through green shadows and cool breezes to God. I found St. Francis meditating by the gazebo. After visiting with him awhile, I continued and discovered the mysteries of the rosary punctuated the walk, each with a trellis and benches. The downhill journey resumed and each step brought me closer to a dream come true. Standing alone in the middle of nature...a chapel. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I entered. This is how I've always wanted to pray. And pray I did. Kneeling, sitting, crying, asking, thanking, talking...praying.

It doesn't get better than this.

I felt like I was seven, exploring the woods for the first time. Each stone led me to a new discovery, a new feeling, a new place. The outdoor theater hosted a waterfall with Mary and her son, Baby Jesus, looking on. We watched the water together. The return hike was uphill, and the humid air captured my breath every chance it got. This required more stops on the way home. I sat in the Trellis of the Anunciation. Wrote, sipped, breathed, walking again to the gazebo. There I watched a orange headed spider search for a way into the screened haven. Finally, to my temporary home at the Appalachian Lodge. Here, I am alone. My friends are outside the door.

Here I sit, writing about them.

Clean House

What's it about a clean house? Clothes hung up neatly, shoes lined up, dog hair vacuumed...Ahhhhh! I enjoy my home when piles are cleaned up and papers are put in the correct binders. Dishes are washed and sleeping in the cabinets. This is a day when I look around and I can't believe that I live here. I love my cozy one bedroom palace. And tomorrow, I'll leave it for a week. But coming home will be so much sweeter...

Vacation

Tommorrow I am off to my very first vacation, all by myself! It's like walking to school on the first day of kindergarten. "Where are you going?" you ask. To a spa, in a secluded part of Pennsylvania. Massages and facials await. Hopefully lots of writing time too. I've spent the last two days cleaning and organizing and preparing to leave. I've been experiencing some unusual emotions too...anxiety. Is this because I am going on vacation by myself? Leaving my dog? Or is it because the Summer Institute is over? Hmmm...whatever it is, I know tomorrow morning as I hit the road, the excitement will replace the worry.

I must go and finish laundry, putting songs on my ipod, and organizing books and papers form this summer!

See ya!




Thirteen Things I COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT 1…. Leo, my dog! 2. TiVo 3. Journal 4. Medium point roller ball pens 5. Laptop 6. 600 thread count sheets 7. Pictures of family and friends 8. My original childhood copy of Anne of Green Gables 9. I Pod! 10. Sandals 11. Gerbera Daisies 12. Tall ice cold glass of iced tea 13. ME! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)




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Did I mention this is my first blog?

Hmmm...so, as I mentioned in the title: this is my first blog. As I type, I wonder do I have anything of any value worth sharing? Who will read this? Does that matter? Will the readers mock my overuse of the ellipsis? Am I asking too many questions?

For now, my decision remains to write regardless of audience. I write for me.

But, I hope YOU read!!

Sleepless nights...

After quite a long night fighting with my computer and connecting to wireless...which was connected but said it wasn't connected: I am exhausted.

School, Summer Institute, School...I am in between these experiences and that feels...in between. Preparing to clean, pack, and vacation. Going to a spa!! For the first time, this is a vacation by myself. Relaxing and quiet, with LOTS of time to write. What will I do without contact to the outside world for two whole days? Exciting to discover...