Why Did I Wait So Long? 8/31

If I could name a theme that ran through my posts last March, it would have to be my knee. I "injured" it, and I use that term loosely because all I was doing was walking down the hall at school. Although my knee completely went out, and I couldn't walk, the MRI showed deterioration and arthritis but no damage bad enough for surgery...yet. Although I do believe that day will come.

For the past year, I have walked with a limp, and that has affected my other knee, my hips, and shoulder. I had moments, hours, and days where it worked and moments, hours, and days where it didn't. Steps are difficult, and I walk up and down one step at a time. My knees ache when I sleep, and rising from a sitting position makes me feel like the Tin Man in search of an oil can. All these things also affected my mental health, and I am sure depression was a possibility.

Last Friday, I decided to get an injection. Although my knee is still not perfect, I feel like a new person. Coming upstairs to write this slice, I walked up with alternating feet and carried items in both hands, without holding the railing. It has been a long time since I was able to do that.

The only question is, "Why did I wait so long?"

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

A Saturday Morning Visitor 7/31

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

We have lived in our house almost 34 years. Although we live in a city, our house is in a "countryish" quiet neighborhood with mature trees, very little traffic, and through the years a variety of animals have made their appearance.

A family of skunks have lived between a drainage pipe and a stack of wood in our neighbor's yard. A red fox has traveled through, especially since the neighbors to the left started raising chickens along with a rooster. Groundhogs burrow their way into the walls of our ditch line. Startled deer run through, trying to understand why cars might be honking at them. Canadian geese regularly fly over because of a small lake just south of us.  Somehow, a squirrel got through our attic fan and came bouncing down from upstairs. A wayward wood duck found its way into our chimney and down into our fireplace, only to meet its demise by coating its wings and lungs with soot and ashes. 

But today was a first. 

I was in the kitchen making my toast, and my husband says, "There's a turkey in the front yard."

"What?!?" I grab my camera and run with him out to the front porch. And there it was strutting around the front yard.

What a gobble-y start to the weekend!

Calla Lilies 6/31

Last April, my mother passed away, and I received a beautiful calla lily. These were also my mother-in-law's favorite flower, so I really wanted to keep this one alive.

My classroom is an ideal place for me to grow plants. I have a plant that I have had since my first day of teaching, 18 years ago, and it has sat in the corner of every desk. I have peace lilies from when my dad and father-in-law passed away in 2008, and another plant I received from a student over 15 years ago.

I've been pretty successful, so I was hoping the calla lily would enjoy living in my classroom too. 

But I was wrong. It died a slow death with leaves dying one by one. I finally stopped watering it, pulled the dead leaves off, and placed it on my computer cart in the back of room, not giving it any attention.

One day, I needed some dirt, so I walked over the black pot and dug my fingers into the dried-up dirt. I felt something, so I pulled it up. Examining it closer, I realized it was a bulb with some little shoots sprouting up. 

I thought, "I haven't watered this since last fall. How could something possibly be growing in it?"

I haven't had time to research it, but I truly want this plant to grow. If you know anything about growing these lilies, I would appreciate you leaving a comment!

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Spiritual Journey Thursday-Strength 5/31

  

Welcome to Spiritual Journey Thursday. We are a small group of writers hoping to strengthen our faith with each other. I am rounding up the posts today and would love to have you join us. Just add your link below!

This month's topic is strength, which also happens to be my one little word for 2026. I am working on many areas in my life that need strengthening, but strength is becoming a big part of my faith journey through journaling, Bible reading, prayer journals, and quiet time. Spiritual muscles, just like the muscles in my body, are built by exercising regularly.

Here are a few prompts that I have been writing about in my notebook:

1. When have I had to trust God when I didn't know what or why something was happening?
2. What weakness in my life has helped me to grow stronger spiritually?
3. Who strengthens my faith? How can I help strengthen others?
4. How does helping others strengthen my own faith?
5. How does my prayer life strengthen my faith?
6. What does it mean to be spiritually strong in today's world?

Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," is a common verse that people associate with personal success or achievement. I have learned through reading the book below and studying scripture that this strength is much more than success. It's about being content with what we have, enduring hardships, staying faithful in suffering, and persevering.

Building spiritual strength is a work in progress for me, but something I am dedicated to doing.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

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Let's Go with Dragonfly 4/31

Throughout my years of teaching reading, I have told my students, "If you are reading a story and come across a name you can't pronounce, just make one up that is close to it." This helps them to move past that sticky part and focus on the events in the story. 

I even use this strategy myself. One of my classes has been reading the book, Grenade by Alan Gratz. It is a war story and is set in Okinawa. There are many Japanese names in it that I can't pronounce, so I make them up. The students see me struggle but move on.

I learned tonight that I do the same strategy but in a different situation.

Medicines!

I fill weekly pills for a relative, and he takes 10 different medicines. As I lined them up on the counter to begin dropping into morning, noon, evening, and bedtime spaces, I realized there was a new medicine that wasn't on his list.

I called my cousin, his sister, and asked her if she knew what this medicine was for.

"Can you tell me the name of it?'

"Sure...dragonfly."

"What?"

"Well, I can't pronounce it, but it kind of looks like dragonfly, so let's go that!"

 

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

When Your Brain Hurts at a PD 3/31

The first Tuesday of each month, we have professional development sessions. In one of our sessions today, we had to complete a self-assessment of our classroom management. I am all for reflections and self-assessments for my students and myself.

However, trying to read the packet in a room full of teachers who are talking becomes difficult for this old brain. I was having to think too much, and the talking was a distraction. I was actually thinking, "How in the world are they answering these questions with all this noise? How could they even think?"

I inconspicuously (one of our roots this week!) pressed my fingers against my ears and tried to really focus on these three sentences:

1. I provide frequent, specific, and immediate contingent acknowledgement for following classroom expectations.
2. I use multiple systems to acknowledge expected behavior (teacher reaction, individual and group contingencies).
3. I use differential reinforcement to acknowledge effort, successive approximations, and behavioral improvement.

What in the world did all this mean? How am I supposed to rate this when I don't understand it? At the end of the day, too many big words and too many distractions left me with this thought," Just mark it low, and make it a goal!"

And that's just what I did!

 

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

Moms Can Do Anything 2/31

It's Saturday night, and I just got out of the bathtub. I am settled on the couch eating Troll jellybeans and playing a game on my phone. My son is home for the weekend and is upstairs in his room talking on his phone to his girlfriend.

I get a call, and it is him.

"Yes???"

"Are you in the living room?

"Yes???"

Can you go downstairs and get the WD40?"

"Yes??? Where would it be?

"Either on Dad's workbench or in that open cabinet."

"And why do you need that?

"My bed is squeaking, and if I move, I might not be able to find the squeak again."

I get up, go the basement, fetch the can of WD-40, and go upstairs to his room. He is lying in bed squeaking away. 

"Can you get down there and look under the bed and see if you can find where it's squeaking?"

"I can't do that! My knees won't let me. Here, let me try something."

I go over to the top of the bed and pull it away from the wall just a little. The squeak stops. I look at him and laugh, "Moms can do anything!"  And I walk back downstairs to my jellybeans.

 

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.

The Gap Between Intention and Action 1/31

Another page on the calendar has turned, and March has arrived. And with it comes another unopened notebook full of emotions, ideas, and untold stories.

I first participated in this challenge in 2014 and have returned each year. Many years I wonder why I keep coming back, and I wonder if I can even do it anymore. 

Yet here I am again.

Yesterday, I read a post on social media from Alan Wright. He has a new book out about writing:  Notebook Notions. Two things he said on his post stayed with me, and I feel they were a gentle guide to help me realize why I do return each month.

"Narrow the gap between intention and action."

I have been trying to get reacquainted with my writing life for quite some time. My notebooks sit stacked on my desk, unopened for weeks (or months) at a time. I attend my writing group and set goals each week, only to say, "Well, there's always next week" after reporting I didn't reach my goal again.

I think about this challenge and realize that this quote is really why I join each month:  to narrow the gap between intention and action. Knowing that I have the support and encouragement from a community makes that gap seem so much smaller.

"Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend than inspiration."

I am inspired each day by others in this community, and I have many books that have writing prompts and ideas meant to inspire the writer in me. Opening my computer and clacking out a blog post for 31 days, is a bit intimidating. But hitting that orange publish button gives me a sense of accomplishment and builds my self-confidence. Maybe it IS the routine that I need most and not all the books.

I am ready to find those words that have lain dormant for almost a year. I welcome the feedback in the comments, the community visitors to my corner of the world, and the joy of sharing my stories once again. 

 

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating 
a space for me and other teacher-writers to share our stories.