A Difficult Day

"It's the left over humans.
The survivors.
...I witness the ones who are left behind, crumbling among the jigsaw puzzle of realization, despair, and surprise.  They have punctured hearts.  They have beaten lungs."

-The Book Thief

Today I found out my grandmother was diagnosed with a rapidly growing tumor in her brain.  She has maybe 3 options of treatment.  

1) Don't treat it.  Survival time: 3-5 weeks. 

2) Chemo. Survival: questionable.  A few months?  A couple of years?  Depending how her body handles it.  This will not be a great quality of life and it will not result in surviving.  Just delaying. 

3) Surgery.  They won't know if this is an actual option yet.  She will find out Thursday if they can go in at all.

For those of you just tuning in here, my dad died this past September from a neurological thing.  Meanwhile, my great aunt was just diagnosed with breast cancer.  She is supposed to have surgery to remove a lump in hopes of getting it all out in early June.  My granddad also is not doing very well.  He's had heart problems for a while, but since my dad passed, he has been doing worse.  My whole family is falling apart, it seems.  

School is winding down, which means the kids are acting like wild animals, my car is in the shop and the worst part about getting it back will be paying for it, we are trying to pack and move, I'm trying to schedule a 20 hour driving course and some technology PD over my summer athletics schedule, and my brother's wedding is the week after graduation, his birthday is tomorrow.  I don't know what to get him for either of these events, nor where the money to buy those things will come from.  

I could just use a break. 

Angry

I think I'd really like to write about something... new.  I was going to write about a slice of my day, but it's been a tough day.  Doesn't really fall into my positive plan.  I was going to write about some things that make me happy and something to help me cheer up, but then I felt like it was just so selfish.. and selfishness has been one of my major peeves lately.  So I decided I would start something new.  Maybe write some fiction... or some non-fiction cleverly disguised as fiction... but it turns out that's quite difficult. 

How do people just WRITE?! 

How are these stories made?  How do people come up with these entire worlds and universes, mythologies and lore, languages, families?  I'm sure it takes much more than a day, more than a quick write to get this type of thing done.  But man, how do you even start?!   

So instead, I made a to-do list, got overwhelmed, then frustrated, then deleted it and felt better. 

So here I am.  Stuck again.  And so my dear readers and fellow writers, I give you: a rant, turned belief system. 

People like to talk a big game.  They like to say they believe in something, but when it comes down to it, there's nothing to support it.  Here is something I believe in: Academics.  Academics above all.  You should always seek to better yourself and knowledge is more important than a high school game. I am a coach, and I believe student athletes should be more worried about their school work than their sport.  If you don't pass, you don't play anyway.  

I believe if you have a student who can't pass public high school, especially regular classes (mine in particular), they don't need to be spending so much time practicing their sport.  Perhaps, since a lot of that is muscle memory anyway, they should spend a little more time with their nose in a book, a moment in tutorials... maybe they should ASK SOME QUESTIONS!! There's an idea.  If I have an athlete that hasn't been able to hold up their end of the bargain, guess what: they don't play.  You are held accountable for your actions.  Now, if a teacher is simply being spiteful or unreasonable, sure.  I'll have a chat with that teacher and we will figure something out.  As teachers you know, though, that's rarely the case.  

I believe you hold kids accountable for their work. Someone has to. 

I believe in rewarding kids who work their hearts out.  And I don't believe in gifting kids grades just to push them through the system.  And I definitely don't believe in asking other teachers to bend their system, their beliefs, so that I can win a GAME.  Maybe I'm not a good coach.  I just don't think that's the way you teach a kid character, integrity, hard-work, tenacity, and accountability. 

We are teachers first.  We are educators.  Care takers.  We have kids that can't write a sentence in English.  We have kids that can't read... worse, well, equally bad... we have kids that WON'T read!! Oh, I could go on forever. I am so sorry.  I just don't understand.  

Staying Positive

I started reading some other blogs before I posted and remembered that I am trying to be optimistic and happy.  And grading papers was not making me happy.  So here is attempt number three at a Tuesday Slice.  (One and two were angry and sarcastic/reflective, respectively).

I just finished the book Before I Fall.  It was.... well, it was.  I'm still not sure if I'd recommend it or not.  I spent the first 80 pages furious at the main character.  Almost quit reading it.  Liked the ending though... mostly.  

It really got me looking at my kids in a different light, though.  I have spent the last two days giggling and chuckling to myself as I walked around monitoring my students taking a test.  It is a rare thing to hear from a high school teacher, but my students are so cute.  Walking through the desks and watching their faces taking a test is one of the cutest things I've seen, though I'm sure they don't see it that way.  Some faces are peaceful and sure, others are distressed, pensive, frustrated, day-dreaming.  A boy leaves for lunch with his hair ruffled and fluffed from running his fingers through it so many times while stressing about answers.  The girl next to him has to swap pens because she has chewed the end of this one clean off.  Next thing you know, she'll have ink all over the desk from breaking the stick inside. 

One student I have to tap on the shoulder every 5 minutes and remind him to focus and finish up.  I have no idea what he's thinking about, but it's not Spanish.  Maybe he is hungry, or stayed up too late playing games and can't focus now.  Maybe he's thinking about his parents always pressuring him about classes he cares nothing about... but that can't be it.  He is far away, but not in a bad place.  Maybe he is thinking about his new girlfriend, wishing he could text her about how awful this test is, or where they're sitting at lunch.  What are they doing after school? This weekend?  Maybe he's thinking about the clothes he'll wear on their date, or whether or not he should gel his hair.  There's a an Ag trip coming up, maybe he's thinking about the fun they'll have being out of school, or who his roommate will be.  

It's funny the things they think are important... the things that are important to them... the things I used to think were important.  I can tell you, Spanish is not one of them.  I'd bet very few of their classes are at the top of their lists.  There are so many other things to be worried about: the big game, making playoffs, what their boyfriends and girlfriends are doing, what their friends are doing, what they're having for lunch, for dinner, what's going on after school, what movie/tv/netflix/videogame releases are going on, the latest news about he said that she said that he swears they kissed, even though she's talking to the other guy.  

I watch them: joking on the way to lunch, cringing as they turn in the test they didn't study for, smiling about their plans for the day.  I think about who I was in high school: Who would I have been friends with?  Who would I have liked to have as friends?  Which table would I sit at during lunch?  Who would my friends and I be giggling about as we write our first names with the boys' last names attached in our notes?  Which homework would I be dreading?  Math, obviously.  That hasn't changed.  I laugh to myself thinking of all the things I thought were important, and all of the things that never mattered.  The moments I still remember, the person I thought I would be, compared to the person I am. 

When kids can't/don't read the test

The past two days we have been taking a vocabulary test.  Within grading the first five or six, I quickly realized, once again, that no one studied.  At all.  I gave the kids practice, reviews, we went over the words the day before and the day of the test, all of the words are on quizlet so they can study on their own, I had tutorials where I will go over the test with you... and these are some of the answers I had.  This is supposed to be a recipe for spaghetti sauce.  Italicized words are their answers from a word bank.  I don't recommend following these recipes, as you will not end up with tomato sauce for spaghetti, but probably a big mess and a grease fire.

Sample 1
How do you make a you forget for spaghetti?
It is simple with this sauce.

Ingredients; meat, tomatoes, oil, garlic, salt.

1. First, you must chop the meat so you don't have to peel big of meat in the sauce.
2. Then, you should put the tomatoes in a pot of hot water to add them and then to fry  them.
3. After that, you have to recipe oil in a to taste.
4. When the oil is hot, you are going to heat a little bit of garlic.
5. Then you are going to fry the meat and then mix the tomatoes with the fried meat.
6. In order not to burn the sauce, you should cook it on a small fugo.
7. Don't to boil to add a little bit of salt.  You should pieces what you prepare so you can see if it needs more salt.

Sample 2
How do you make a to heat for spaghetti?
It is simple with this to boil.

1. First you must recipe the meat so you don't have to mix big of the meat in the sauce.
2. Then, you should put the tomatoes in a sauce of hot water to fry them and then pieces them.
3. After that, you have to boil oil in a recipe.
4. When the oil is hot, you are going to you forget a little bit of garlic.
5. Then you are going to add the meat and then to try the tomatoes with the fried meat.
6. In order not to burn the sauce, you should cook it on a low flame.
7. Don't to peel to add a little bit of salt.  You should chop what you prepare so you can see if it needs more salt.


Does grading papers ever make you feel like a failure as a teacher?  I used to really get down about it, until one test, I made the review identical to the test, I had a whole day of review games, plus the review itself, I gave the abbreviated/accommodated version of the test, walked them through each section, gave them "helper" words to figure out what sentences meant, walked around asking if kids needed help, forced kids to take help even when they didn't want it, and allowed corrections... and kids still failed with flying colors.

At some point, you just have to know you did everything you could.  And some kids, no matter how much you care, don't care at all.  No matter how much you want to, you can't study for them, you can't fill in their answers for them... well, you can, sometimes that doesn't even help.  Like they say, "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it study for the test." Or something like that...

Bless those teachers who are "tested subjects".  Just one more reason I don't teach core classes.

Stress Penguin #SOLC15 - 3/30

Today was a testing day for us:English I.  Talk about mind-numbing.  At least I was in one of the rooms with spoken-testing accommodations so I wasn't just staring at kids silently for five hours.  As I watched the students filling out their little bubble sheets, concentration furrowing their little brows, deep thinking causing them to bite their lower lips, I waxed a little poetic. (I've always wanted to use that phrase!)  I was constructing these fantastically descriptive and lovely essays on the goings-on of the room.  After lunch, my brain decided it was no longer interested in anything, especially writing, and I kind of lost the desire to write any of them, much less take the time to edit and share.  So I will share my two favorites.  Forgive any weird grammar or spelling, it's been a long day.

Stress Penguin

Some people have worry stones; others keep stress balls or bean bags near them, or on their desks.  One carries a stress penguin.  Stress Penguin sits, stoic and straight, on the corner of his desk, the ever watchful guardian of the tester.  From time to time, his human looks up from his test to consult with Stress Penguin, as if staring him desperately in the eyes, the answer will be whispered to him by the tiny bird.  Stress Penguin sits in silence.  Without warning, he is snatched from his post, the air crushed out of his body once, twice... five quick pulses, like a drill in dexterity, or maybe just a nervous twitch.  The sentinel is returned to his place on the corner of the desk, refilling his body to its normal proportions.  He watches the progress, wishing he could help more.  If only he could tip, maybe fall with his beak "coincidentally" on a key phrase.  If he could soothe his human's nerves with calming words, rather than suffering the periodic brutality of having his body crushed time, and time again.  Stress Penguin can do no more than be a watchful sentry, a comfort and support, a silent encouragement, waiting for the next moment he is needed to alleviate some tension on test day.

Nostalgia

I remember looking forward to testing days.  In elementary, a testing day meant several things: a break from your normal routine, a chance to prove yourself, a snack break.  You pause during the test, set aside your booklet, and the class mom greets you with the gift of juice and crackers. There is something so satisfying about apple juice and peanut butter crackers.  You take your allotted snack and set it on the paper towel or kleenex, taking care  not to let the oils on your fingers or spilled juice get on your test booklet.  You chat with your neighbor. After the desks have been cleared, the test continues.  

"I will be writing about how to write an essay."  The TAAS test (the texas something something standardized test at the time) was simple.  Especially the writing. You get five lines for an intro, 13 for each of three paragraphs, and 5 lines to close it up.   "I have now written about how to write an essay."  We've changed since then.  The prompts are a little more advanced, the criteria have changed.  But it still makes me miss some of the oddest parts of my education.  I can still remember looking at Mrs. Walden's "keys" to the TAAS (shaped like keys) on her wall.  I remember the guinea pig being removed from the room so he couldn't let out one of his famously timed "EEP EEP EEEEEP eeeeEEEEEEEP!"s. 

I miss testing, but the rules are different now.  No snacks, definitely no peanut butter (nut allergies every where), no simple formulas, no quick readings with straightforward questions.  even the seals are different.  No more slicing open a hand or tearing half the page trying to slide your pencil between the thick paper stickers that were supposed to be "easy open".  

I miss the days we got a long recess at the end of the day because testing small kids all day is a bit rough on them.  We need this back.  We need the outdoors, and recess, and time to let loose all of the pent up energy that these poor little tester's are trying to harness into strategic question-answering skills. 

The Feeling of Home #SOC15 - 3/29

“La vida sería mucho más agradable si uno pudiera llevarse a donde quiera que fuera, los sabores y olores de la casa materna.”

"Life would be much nicer if one could take where ever they went, the tastes and smells of their mother's house."
 - Like Water for Chocolate

     I always like to go to friends' mom's houses and see bits and pieces of my friend in the house.  I really like going into anyone else's house.  It sounds odd, but I just like to see what they've done.  How did they decide to decorate it?  What is their color scheme?  How do they use the space?  I always think it's interesting to see different homes.

     When I first went into Aaron's apartment when we started dating, I remember thinking how fancy and earthy everything looked.  His tables were iron and marble, leather couches and ottomans, dark browns and blacks and grey all over. Even the pictures he had on his walls were things like a black and white picture with trees.  His dishes.  His dishes are brown.  I didn't even know they made brown dishes.
     Now, every Sunday, we go to Aaron's mom's house for dinner.  Going into her home you can definitely see where Aaron gets his taste from.  Almost everything is dark, rich, earth colors.  The walls are brown, except the kitchen where it's a deep burgundy color.  The carpets are brown, the tables are stone and glass and iron.  The furniture is all dark leather, and the decorations are in browns, blacks, and deep, deep, rich earthy colors:  dark greens and reds, like you might see under a dense canopy of trees in a forrest.

Aaron's cabinet space

My cabinet space 

     My apartment, by contrast, looked much like my mom's house.  I have a tropical blue bedspread with lime green and white hibiscus flowers all over; the reverse side is pink, orange, green, blue, and white stripe.  My art is colorful, vibrant, and eclectic.  There are flowers everywhere, colors everywhere, and tons of pillows.  I have fiestaware dishes of all different colors, except black and white, and my pots and pans are all red or blue.  I even have a rainbow collection of chopsticks!  I prefer soft cloth fabric to leather, I hate metal, and I'd take painted wood over metal any day. If you saw my post about my mom's house though, you might get it. I think it's interesting that we carry it with us.

This is basically my whole aesthetic. 

Even my binders at school are bright

My whole life looks like this

     We are currently trying to decide whether or not to buy a house, or continue renting.  I'm kind of slowly leaning more and more towards buying my own house so I can decorate and paint and do the things I want to do.  I've wondered how that will go.  How will we decide what kind of bedspread to get, what kind of art to hang, what kind of dishes to buy?  What will our house smell and taste like? How will we make a new home out of a house?

     My mom told me once, "Home is where your mother is."  She said, after her mom died, she wondered where home would be.  It wasn't El Paso any more.  She would have to make her own.  I am lucky to still have my mom, and she's right.  Even though I've never lived in the house she owns now, and even though I've lived in west Texas for TEN years now, I still say I'm going home when I refer to her house.  How will I make a home?   I will take the smells and the taste and the love of my mother's home, and bring it with me.  Maybe I can make room for a little bit of metal and earth and leather. (That's a big maybe)

Sideways #SOLC15 - 3/28

Tonight I am writing horizontally and one handed.  Today we CLEAN cleaned our room: under the bed, the bay window seat, the crate, the closets.  It is spotless!  Then we cleaned the livingroom, the backyard, the garage, the porch, watered flowers, cleaned the kitchen, and took Dot on a looooong walk.  Now she has trapped me on the couch.  Dot is curled up next to/on top of me, and is laying on my arm.  She is way too sweet and cute to move.  

Tonight we are watching "Guardians of the Galaxy".   Can I just say... Chris. Pratt.  mmmm... Chris Pratt is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. I loved him in Parks and Rec, loved him in Guardians.  I love his interviews.  He's just a funny, clever, handsome handsome guy!  Did I mention he's good looking??  ha ha

If you haven't seen this movie, I think it's worth the watch, unless you're like a friend of mine who hates all things fantasy/sci-fi/nerdy.  *cough cough puente cough cough*  Even she might like this!  It's action, adventure, space, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana (another of my favorites), plus a talking raccoon!  And Vin Diesel making a tree adorable and lovable.  It was good enough we've started reading the comics!  I'm very behind, but they did a very good job casting.  

That's been my whole Saturday!  Tomorrow will be grades, lessons, cooking, laundry, and cleaning! 

Found Poetry Friday #SOLC15 - 3/27

The Morning Playlist

Roslyn, My love,

with you in my head

Let me sign your Satellite Heart,

Cover your tracks

Flightless Bird, American Mouth

Never think I didn't mean it.

Supermassive black hole,

Don't you mourn the sun.

I belong to you.

All yours.

Meet me on the Equinox,

Edge of my dreams, 

Go all the way into the Twilight.

Love will take you,

Eyes on fire, speaking a dead language,

Sleeping at last. 

     I stole this idea from Ruth Ayres, who stole it from Ruth Metcalfe.  I took it one step further.  With the exception of one song (Love Will Take You), all of these titles are from ONE MOVIE FRANCHISE! Granted, it's a 5 movie franchise, it's a HUGE list of songs.  I love this idea of finding poetry though!  Maybe I should be teaching English... maybe I'll get Speech certified next....

The Library

Paper towns

City of ashes

A clergyman's daughter,

The time traveller's wife,

She's come undone,

Same kind of different as me.

Behind the tortilla curtain,

Over the wall,

the Illustrated man,

A Lion among Men.

Their eyes were watching God,

Then we came to the end.

This second piece is entirely from books in my bookshelf! It's been a tough day.  Another 14 hour school day in the books.  Time for bed.

Boys Ruin Everything, Even Meditation #SOLC15 - 3/26

Be still and know

That you are good.

Sit back,

Close your eyes,

and Breathe.


Breathe in,  know that it's okay

Breathe out, to not be perfect.

Breathe in, it's okay

Breathe out, to not be okay.


Breathe in, know that the bad things

Breathe out, they'll all go away.

Breathe in,

         ...some day...

Breathe out.


There is passion,
                            and there is Peace.
There is strength,
                            and there is Serenity.
There is power,
                            and there is Wisdom.
There is victory,
                            and there is Harmony.

               There is Life.
                           

"So take a new grip with your tired hands and stand firm on your shaky legs.  Mark out a straight path for your feet."

You can do this.  Don't think it, feel it.
Breathe in, breathe out, repeat.
You can do this.


Alright, so I borrowed a little here, a little there.  If you didn't know, throwers are a bunch of basket cases.  Probably all athletes... probably all people, at that.  Something happens to these kids.  They step into the ring, take a breath, and then, it happens.  You can see it.  They start to think.  Damn.

Now, I typically encourage thinking.  It's a great thing, especially in the classroom.  Not so great in the ring.  They start to think about messing up, all the things they do wrong, how they can fix it RIGHT NOW before they throw.  Think about who's watching, who isn't watching, why are they/aren't they watching?  What if I don't do well?

SHUSH!!  SHHH!  Stop thinking!  Relax, little buddies.  You've been doing this for weeks/months/years.  You're fine.  Let your body do the work and tell your head to shut it. This year we've been practicing being a little more "zen" and throwing like it's fun.  It's not exactly working yet ... but we're trying.

Sadly, their current mantra goes like this, "I am a strong, independent, black woman, and I don't need no man!  This one's for Katie."
I don't know.  Don't ask me, because I don't know.  Somehow, my zen message has gone horribly askew.  Leave it to teenage boys.

How to Answer a Phone #SOLC15 - 3/25

Today's teachable brought to you by cell phones, and inexperience.

Each year, I find that I have to teach phone manners.  It is becoming more and more common that students have never answered a phone other than their own cell phone, and at that, they only answer to their parents.  Everyone else texts.  I think it's still relevant and important to have phone manners, though.  So every year, I teach the following.

Things we do:
1. pick up the phone and in a cheerful, clear voice, say, "Coach Wright's room, student speaking"

2. listen carefully to the caller and try to help them.

3. say THANK YOU! when someone calls.  Yes, even if they are calling for someone to go to ISS, even if someone is in trouble, no matter the news, thank them for delivering it to us.

4. try not to stare at the person who was called for and make vague comments like "uh huh", "yeah she's here..."  It makes people uncomfortable.

Things we don't do:
1. pick up the phone and say, "hullo?"

2. watch the phone ring

3. say "yeah" to anyone on my phone.


Today, something I didn't expect happened.  The phone rang, one of my sweetest kids picked it up and said, "This is Ms. Wright's room, Student speaking."  Alright... so far so good...
He turns to look at me and says, "oh yeah, she's here! thank you!" and hangs up the phone.
Curious, I asked him who it was and what they wanted.  Please with himself, he responded, "oh, just the office I think.  Some lady?  She just wanted to know if you were in class today.  I think she thought you had a sub!" (My phone has caller ID, by the way)

About one second later the phone rings again: "Ms. Wright's room, student speaking... uhm yes, you can talk to her..."
holding the phone at arm's length toward me, the same student says, "I guess she thought of something to tell you."

What had happened wuz...  "Some lady" was my principal calling about a technology presentation I am giving.  When she called the first time and asked, "Is Coach Wright there?" She meant, "is she available to talk on the phone?", not, "I can't keep track of my own staff, thanks for the attendance update, good bye!"  Typically, when someone asks if the occupant of the room is in, it means they would like to talk to that person. Or, if you're unsure, you say, "yes she's here, would you like to talk to her?"

Okay, okay, writing this out, it doesn't sound as funny as it was.  I thought it was funny.  I giggled all day about my kid hanging up on the principal because he just thought she was curious about me being at school.  At least he said Thank you!!!

Letting Go #SOLC15 - 3/24

Let it go

          

(the teachers who gripe and complain about every little thing)

Let it go

(the stress from all the papers you have to grade, the bills you need to pay) 

Can't hold me back anymore.

(haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate, I'm just gonna shake shake shake shake shake)

(shake it off!  shake it off!)

Let it go

("friends" who gripe about you and your sweat pants)

Let it go

(people who don't get in trouble for breaking all the rules)

Walk away and slam the door.

(I think there's a bottle of wine in the fridge)

I don't care what they're going to say.  Let my sun shine on.  Alone never bothered me anyway. 



What an irritating day!!  Except, when you sing, and let it all go, and love your job, and have awesome kids, who cares?!  Today we played human bingo and had an amazing time.  I had the sweetest, most cooperative students the past two days.  Funny how they seem to adjust when things are going badly outside of school... and funny how when it's all going well, they act like crazy monkeys.  

For the Love of Slicing #SOLC15 - 3/23

I almost forgot to post today!! It would have been such a shame to mess up now.  I know I've written about similar things before, but this writing challenge has been such an amazing event for me!! At first, I was really nervous for people to read my blog.  I don't have anything to say, really.  But then I got a few comments.  Then I started watching the views on my blog go up and up.  What a crazy, exciting boost! There was a day I posted later than I usually do and only got 1 comment and it was strange how much my attitude about posting  had become.

I am really excited that I have actually made it this far. I think I've mentioned this before, but I was really doubting myself for a while.  About three days in, I thought I wouldn't have the time to keep posting.  But, like we learned in a recent PD, if it's important to you, you'll make it happen.  If it's not, you'll make excuses.  I have found myself making excuses to get out of other things, just to write my slices!

As a writer, I have gotten pickier.  Weirder about what I publish.  I revise and revise and revise, and reread and reread and reread, and revise some more before I post.  I want to have something I love to share with all of you.  I feel like this challenge has changed me in so many ways and how I think about my writing.  I often find that I want to try new things and get creative with my formatting or styles.  I actually wrote a "poem"!  I don't guess it needs the quotation marks, but I still kind of have the elementary rules drilled into my head.  It has to have a specific number of words and syllables and it all has to have a rhyme scheme.  I know part of the goal of SOLC is to help us develop as writers, I just didn't think I would be developed too.  It's so exciting to grow!!

As a commenter, I have found SO many people that I just love.  I have found several blogs I've subscribed to, and I really like to randomly stumble around while leaving comments.  I try to scroll through different times and leave comments for early posters, lunch time posters, evening, and late nighters.  There are so many blogs I've seen with fantastic formatting and wonderful ideas for posts.  I've borrowed a few and I saved several.  I've even shared them with my students and posted a few in my classroom.  I love reading all of the different slices from so many different lives all over the world.

I would like to become a regular Tuesday slicer year round, and I hope I can get even more people on board with trying the writing challenge next year.  Thank you, Slicing Community, for everything you've given me.  Only 8 more days!!!!

A Full Day of Nothing Important #SOLC15 - 3/22

Today, for the first day all Spring Break, I slept in.  Until 8. Then went about cleaning up some of the little messes the pup left for us.  Straightened the living room, did some dishes that mysteriously appeared in the sink despite our being gone, swept.  By now, Dot had a little too much energy so we went for a nice walk in the wonderful sunshine.  It has been the cloudiest week and today was beautiful!!  She got to see her first duck, thought she might like to try swimming but there was a TON of algae and I didn't want a bath to be added to my to-do list.  We came back for some lunch and I made some peach "compote" for my oatmeal in the morning.  Did more dishes, had some sparkling wine, and read for a bit.

The best and most frustrating part of the day: gardening.  I love to garden, but I seem to be terrible at it.  I did finally get some lavender to grow last year but it went all wild and curly and didn't quite look like the picture.  This Spring, I bought some pansies, zinnias, marigolds, rosemary, some little daisy looking things, and a salvia plant.  I know nothing about salvia, except that it has bright red little blooms and I thought they were pretty.

Mistake #1: I let Dot out to enjoy the sunshine with me.  She wanted to help garden.

Mistake #2: I let Dot out to enjoy the sunshine with me.  She found a turtle and thought it might be fun to eat.

Mistake #3: I let Dot out to enjoy the sunshine with me.  She chased a bird and ran head first into a fence.  Then thought she might eat a few of my flowers.  Bad Dot.

I finally have all of them potted and placed out on the front porch.  It says they all need 6+ hours of sun and I think they'll get enough there.  I just hope they don't get too much.  After all of this, we were DIRTY (and by we, I mean Dot).  I sweetly coaxed her into the bathroom where she thought the bathtub was kind of cool... until she had to get in it.  What a nightmare.  Dirty paw prints all over the place, water ALL over the place.  I finally just got a wet rag and washed her paws one at a time while she sat on the run, which also now needs a bath.  Won't be trying that again.

All-in-all, pretty successful day!  Oh, except I haven't made any lesson plans, or graded any papers, at all.  So, you know, that's good.  I should probably be doing that instead of slicing but I just don't waaaaaaant tooooooooooo.  *throws a childish fit*  I guess I will get to being a professional adult and stop sipping tea and bird watching...

Home again Home again Jiggity Jog #SOLC15 - 3/21

WE MADE IT!!!

It rained ALL SIX HOURS of the drive, but we made it!  And back just in time to get the post in!!! I hope...

I am still unclear as to whether or not we can post up until 11:59 our time, or if it has to be Eastern time?

Regardless, we made it.  And the pup left us minimal damage.  A shredded sonic cup and a notebook.  No torn up clothes, floors, walls, or furniture, no missing cats.  After my friends got a bloodhound that basically ATE their house (yes, ATE IT), we were a little worried.  Thank goodness Dot is a little less destructive.  

Hopefully tomorrow I can get back to some slightly more thoughtful and better planned slices.  Today was a terrific day, I just don't have time to slip in all the details.  We did the Wipe Out 5K (totally worth it, but make sure you get an early start time) in Arlington, scarfed down some Panera, and raced back to Lubbock!  I think it's always funny how ready we are to leave, and then how thankful we are to get back home again.  I know tomorrow I'll be wishing we were gone for one more day.  When school starts, we will wish we had another break.  But it is SO NICE to be back in my own house, and my own bed!

Until tomorrow!!! Day 21 down!!! So close to saying I wrote EVERY DAY for the month of March!!!

Abstract Art #SOLC15 - 3/20

Another phone post. 

I cannot make the abstract. 

I like lines

And boundaries

And I am good at control. 

The wall are covered in the abstract.  

With lines

And boundaries

And there is control...

... and there is freedom. 

Are there mistakes?  Can we know?

Is this water? 

Air?

Time?

Everything and nothing?

How do you make the abstract? Let go?

Say something small with any and all material

It's the same with poetry.

I like lines

And boundaries

And I am good at rules. 

And yet in poetry

There are lines

And boundaries

And rules...

... and there is freedom!

You can do anything!

There are lines

And rhymes

And meter

And cadence

And it can be anything!

But how do you make poetry? 

Say something huge with so few words

Another Traveling Day #SOLC15. - 3/19

I'm really not sure what to write about today. We've been moving about so much today there hasn't been much time to sit and let those creative juices flow. We made it out of Fort Worth and into Dallas with minimal stress. How do people live in these big cities? It has to take years off your life just driving around.

I think a small part of my writing block has to do with my phone. (Also,  I just haven't given myself time to sit and think) But it is very difficult for me to write from my phone. I kind of hate it! I need my full keyboard and to hear the flow of my fingers drifting across the keys. Or maybe it's the larger screen?  I really couldn't tell you, but there is something so frustrating about trying to blog via cell phone.  Anyone else share this struggle with me?

Losing the Magic #SOLC15 - 3/18

This morning I was reading over some of the late-night slicers, and came across this fantastic slice about a little boy who whole-heartedly believes in the magic.  I started thinking about the magic I still believe in, and I think it all comes from books.  I LOVE to read.  Love. It.  And I'd like my students to still have some magic in their lives.

Out of 145 students, ages 14-18, I think I might have 4 that like to read.  Or rather, four that will openly admit to it.  Why?  How does this happen?  Where are we losing these kids?  We took some of our volleyball girls to read to a pre-K class and those kids LOVED it.  They love to read.  And yet, the whole bus ride back to the high school, the girls were talking about how much they hated reading.  I would say maybe through elementary, most kids love to read.  Where, when, and why are we losing that magic?  Why are my teens suddenly so turned off by it?

Typically, I tell my students, you don't hate to read, you just haven't found what you like yet.  I keep a small "library" (more like a small cluster) in my class of all kinds of books to recommend to my kids.  Every year when the public library has their huge sale, I buy as many books as I can from different genres.  I even stock some comics and magazine for those with lower attention spans.  But for the life of me, I cannot find a way to get them to *WANT* to read.

On the very rare "catch-up" day I allow, if students are caught up in my class, they can work on something for another teacher, or they can do something "academic".  I do let them draw.  I do allow Trivia Crack because they are learning when they play (shhh! don't tell them!)  But I recommend they read, and I recommend a book to those who don't have anything.  There is just SO MUCH resistance!!

Student: No thanks, I don't read.
Me: I have all kinds of things...
Student: No, I really hate to read.
Me: I have magazines! Body builders, motorcycles, runners, seventeen, seventeen latina edition, cars, camping, fashion, home decoration...
Student: Nah. I'm good.

This morning, it is cloudy and cool, the windows in the house are open to let in that fresh morning breeze.  On the porch, there are freshly planted flowers and a swing.  I know I should stay inside and be social.  We did come here to visit my brother and his girlfriend, after all... but that swing is calling to me.  I just want to sit outside and READ!  I want to smell that freshly turned dirt, listen to the birds, and get lost in a story.  When it rains, it makes me want to read.  When it's sunny, I want to sit in the sun and read.  When I see big fluffy chairs, I think to myself, that would be an awesome reading chair.

Maybe it's me that has the problem.  Do other people have "reading chairs"?  Do they walk into book stores and libraries and feel the joy I feel?  I just don't think I can be alone out there.  And if it is a problem, how do I pass this problem on to kids who just want to text and tumble and play games on their phones?

**EDIT**
Since posting this, I read this post that really took me back to those "good old days".  We might have a discussion about where they used to like to read and maybe that will spark some nostalgia for them and lure them back to books. 

My Mother's House #SOLC15 - 3/17

My mom always says home is where your mother is.

My mom's house has always been home.  She can make any house feel like home to me.  When she bought this house, I decided she had lost it.  Yes, it was much smaller, much easier to manage.  Much easier for my dad to get around.  But the house!  Sloping floors, missing floor boards, a sagging ceiling, old, OLD windows, dark walls, no vent hood!! These people had been cooking on a stove with no vent.  There was a nice little char mark on the ceiling above where the food was cooked.  How could anyone save this slowly dying house?

My mom did.  She has a formula that you can see in my own decorating now.
Step 1 - lighten it up.  Add color.
This house is now full of color.  A light, white sand in the living room, robin's egg blue in the dining room, pale green in the kitchen, cheery yellow in "the guest room" (My dad's old room).  Her own room is a pale pink, but she has been thinking of repainting it.

A fresh coat of paint

I had to chase Sir off the table. He loves placemats though

Step 2 - Add more color.  Add art.
The things that please me most in this house are the bursts of color in each room.  In the living room, a blue chair with bright green ivy.  In the dining room, a pop of red from placemats on an otherwise dark table.  Paintings, sketches, and photos from all stages of my mom's life hang in every room.  From neutral, sandy, New Mexico/Texas, to vibrant prints from Louisiana, oils and water colors, mosaics, and pencils.  I love the eclectic collection.

Guest Room before

Guest Room after

Step 3 - Add plants.  Then add some more plants.
This is something I have yet to master.  My mom has the greenest thumb I know of.  She touches it, it grows.  It's almost like Midas, if he has wished for green growth instead of gold.  There are plants in almost every room and surrounding the house.  Every summer there are new arrangements of blooms in the yard, new vegetables in the garden in the back.  So far, all I've managed to do is keep an ivy plant alive... and that's after a few unsuccessful attempts.

Diningroom full of plants

Baby Daffodils

The Original Hallway

New Hallway! 

Step 4 - Light, and Love.

There is so much light in this house.  There are new windows in every room so they can be opened and let in the fresh air.  There is so much love in the details of this house.  I hope that I can make and keep a house like she does.

I almost forgot the most important step!!!

Step 5 - Add a cat! (or two)

Francis bird watching in the morning

Sir bird watching all day! 

On the Road Again #SOLC15 - 3/16

     Back from wedding weekend, and on the road back to the metroplex for more travels!  This trip we are visiting my brother and his girlfriend and then Aaron's (bf) uncle.  No real plans.  I just thought it might be nice to visit some family on our spring break.  I forget, though, how difficult it is to travel.  Did I pack for enough days? Did I pack clothes for the right weather?  What if we go for a run?  What if we go out somewhere nice?  What if we go somewhere nice, and it's nice outside, but it's cold in the restaurant?  Do these shoes match everything I brought? Did I pack enough socks?  Did I even pack undies?  Are the dishes clean? Did we leave enough food for the animals?  Did I leave anything plugged in?  Are the instructions I left for our house/pet sitter detailed enough? ... you get the point, I guess...  I worry.  I over-plan.

     So anyway, we are at my mom's house for the night.  A quick stay-over, and then on to the grand old DFW!  So far, so good.  I don't really have a juicy slice for today.  I got my oil changed, got my CDL so I can drive a bus, and cleaned out my car... that I could live out of probably.  Not now, because I had to empty it to travel.  But normally, when the stuff goes down, my car is the place to be.  There are clothes, probably food, tools.  All kinds of things!!  

I have a couple of slice ideas I am kind of working on, but I haven't had time to write something I think it worth publishing yet.  Until I get my head cleared out... hasta luego slicers.

A Spanish Story: 1 of 2 #SOLC15 - 3/15

Today while browsing pinterest, I found a blog post about false cognates.  A cognate is a word that looks/sounds similar in two languages.  For example, bank and banco, or (even better) hospital and hospital! My students love these, for obvious reasons.  A false cognate (or false friend (faux amis)), is a word that looks like something in the target language, but means something totally different.  A common mistake in my class is "embarazada" when they want to say embarrased, when it actually means pregnant.

A Story of False Cognates

My junior year of college, I took a third year conversation class in Spanish.  I was feeling pretty excellent about my future in language, until the rest of the class entered the room.  I was the ONLY non-native speaker.  Apparently, most Spanish majors are Spanish speakers.  I still don't understand that.  Why not try something new?

Anyway, Day 1, we are supposed to share a story about our summer.  While the other students are spilling out stories, letting the lengua run off of their lenguas like water, I am taking frenzied notes about key words and ideas I want to say.  Vocabulary is where I struggle.  It's hard to keep thousands of foreign words in your head that you don't use daily.  I had to show these people I belong here, though.  I had the perfect story.  When it came my turn, I began:  (The English translation)

This summer, my friends and I (2 boys and 2 girls) went rock climbing in Arizona.  We were staying in Sedona and climbing out at Bell Rock.  We had been told there were several bolted routes on the far side of the rock, but we couldn't find any at all.  After spending half of the day hiking with a full rope in tow (they're pretty heavy), we gave up and decided to go climbing without rope.  We left the rope at the bottom of the mountain and "free climbed" about 100 feet to the top.

At this point, I had a rapt audience.  Some mouths were open.  Eyes were wide.  I had stumbled through a few phrases, but the content was enough to make up for it for now.  "heh heh, they're so impressed... I should add the part about Matt almost dropping to his death before I caught him and dragged him back up to safety."  Before I could get this heroic feat into my story, a hand shot up.

"Sin ropa?!"

"Sí.  Sin. Ropa."

Yeah, they're definitely impressed.  I didn't realize I was that daring, I didn't think it was that hard...
A tap on my arm.  The girl sitting next to me whispers in my ear, "Ropa means clothes.  Lazo means rope.  They think you went climbing... 'desnuda'."

Díos mio.  They think I'm a nudist rock climber.  Red in the face, as only a person as pale as I am can be, I quickly explain I meant lazo, not ropa, and that I like to climb with all of my clothes on.

I now use this story as a two part lesson for my students.  1) that it's okay to make mistakes, we all make mistakes.  Try anyway.  and 2) that mistakes help you learn.  Since that day, I have never once forgotten that the word "ropa" means clothes, and "lazo" means rope.