It's a Party! 14/31

This is my 13th year of participating in this challenge, and every year but one, I have held a slicers' party. I honestly didn't think this would become a hit, but I am asked every year to host it again. I always think I will run out of ideas, but so far, that hasn't happened.

We are at the half-way point of the challenge, and this is usually where writers begin to struggle with finding ideas. As the month wraps up and when you need an idea for a slice, (and yes, it WILL happen) accept this invitation to the slicer party. The best part is you can join the party anytime during the month when you are struggling or need a quick idea.

This year, I am taking a viral idea from social media. To attend the party, you must bring an analog bag/basket. 

I have been wasting too much time scrolling on social media, and I need to cut back. While scrolling, I found that analog bags were becoming trendy. At first, I thought, oh this is stupid. But after looking into what these really were, I thought, "This just might help me with all my wasted time on my phone."

An analog bag is a collection of items in a bag or basket meant to keep people from doomscrolling. Creating my basket helped me to look at the activities I love to do but haven't done because I spend too much time on my phone. Don't have an analog bag? That's easy--create one or write about what you would include.

Here is what is in my analog bag: 

I have some of my various notebooks and journals, but I have planned a post to explain these.

I recently found this journal about being a mom. It has places to write about my childhood, my family, my parents, becoming a mom and many more. I hope this will be a special keepsake for my children.

I loved to color when I was a child and with my children. There is nothing like a new box of crayons (although I use the twistable ones now)! I have an adult coloring book with large spaces and fun mandala type of designs.

I have various notecards for letter writing (another post about this coming!).

I keep my prayer journal and a rosary that belonged to my mother.

Before becoming a teacher, I quilted as a hobby. Teaching left me very little time to do this. Plus my eyesight keeps me from threading the tiny needles and keeping my stitches small. Now, I have picked up counted cross-stitch again. Small projects, like Christmas ornaments, is the perfect size project for this basket. 

I keep a magazine to cut out words to use in my found poetry notebook.

I am a Wordle player, but because I want to stay off the phone, I have picked up some word puzzle books.

I am also trying to revive my reading life, but I did not include books in my basket because they are everywhere!

I hope you join me sometime this month and share what is in your analog bag.  Please let me know when you come; I'll hold the door open for you!

Let's Party!

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

Spring Break 2026 13/31

It is currently 3:30 pm, and two hours ago, my spring break officially began. Here is my spring break to-do list!

• sleeping
• reading
• eating
• playing online Euchre with family
• shopping
• spending time with my adult children
• collaging
• writing
• creating
• walking
• letter writing
• doing what I want whenever I want and with whomever I want!

Let the break begin!

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

A Bad Day 12/31

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

I woke up this morning to a severe leg cramp. Not a Charlie horse, which can easily be stretched out. On no, this was a quadricep cramp. You know, the big muscles in your thigh. 

I stood in pain trying to stretch it out, but everything I tried hurt. I eventually made my way to the bathroom and sat in a tub of as-hot-as-I-could-get-it water. The pain eventually calmed down, but every move I made throughout the day seemed like a spark of a match just waiting to set it on fire again. 

All this caused me to be late for school, marking the beginning of a very bad day.

As I got out of my car, I looked down, and thought, "Looks like I'm not the only one!"

Someone dropped an iced coffee drink
getting out of the car.

I've Been Mugged 11/31

Have you noticed any topics that are popular among slicers? When I was reading Ramona's slice about teasers she can't resist, it made me think about common topics slicers write about:  not having anything to write about, cats, books, fun or exotic places, family, and coffee!

I am not a coffee drinker, but I do have a collection of mugs that I have received from various people. You may ask what a person does with mugs who isn't addicted to doesn't drink coffee? 

They hold PENS of course!!

This one holds the only mechanical pencils I write with.

This one holds my very first pen addiction:  InkJoy.

This one holds my current favorite, Energel pens.

The one holds my Sharpie pens.

and my Sharpie markers

This one holds my Energel pens in 20 beautiful bold colors at home in my writing room.

This one holds my Zebra Pen Mildliner Double-Edged Highlighters (and I have 3 more colors on the way!) These are great to highlight in my Bible.

This mug holds a special place in my heart. I am part of a group of eight friends from high school known as the EJDs. Each flower represents one of us and has the quote, "It takes a long time to grow old friends."

The first five pictures are the pens I have at school, and the other two are home. I did not include the ones that are housed in cute little glass jars. But those will show up at my slicer party that will be this Saturday! I hope you can attend sometime this month! I look forward to sharing with you my version of the newest trend!

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

It's a Scoop 10/31

 My sister and I have a code when we need to text an answer to a question that we don't want anyone to "intercept" at school. (Try to read between those lines.)

If the answer is yes or something good:  it's sunny outside.

If the answer if no or something bad:  it's cloudy outside.

We have done this for years. The other night, my daughter started a new coded text unbeknownst to us. Here is my slice in text messages and how they were interpreted or shall I say misinterpreted!

A text was sent and my daughter thought my sister wanted to go out for ice cream. It was a beautiful Friday, and she thought, "Why not? We'll eat it on my patio" (of her new house that she recently moved into).

An hour later, my daughter realized that it wasn't ice cream. Instead, it was a code for a school scoop, which I did not know we had. I was totally confused. 

I looked back and sure enough, here was where the scoop code began. 

It's hard trying to be incognito, especially when it calls for three ice cream emojis!

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

Is This a Stress Reliever? 9/31

  

Five days before our spring break.

Fun committee trying to reduce stress.

Bubbles too small, not enough "pop."

I scream...more stress than needed.

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

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.

SOL Preparation

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

 Five more days until March and the Slice of Life Writing Challenge! One of the things I like to do ahead of time, is create a draft of all my posts. I do this for a couple of reasons:

1. It saves me time on those days when I it seems like extra minutes can't be found. I open my blog, and boom! There it is ready to go.
2. It holds me more accountable. I have all the days ready to go, and seeing those numbers helps me to think, "Well, why not another one!"

As I was copying and pasting my Two Writing Teachers spiel and numbering my posts, I realized that because I started with 1, the posts move down, and number 31 would be on top. To me, that was backwards. After writing post number nine, I decided this was a silly way to organize it, so I started with 31 and worked my backwards. 

To some, this may sound silly. But for me, whatever it takes to keep me going in March is all good!

Is there such a thing as too many books?

 

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

I am sitting in my reading room thinking of something to write about (and wondering how I am ever going to make it through the month of March!).

I am an empty nester, and my reading room is my daughter's old bedroom. She has golden oak shelves that line the perimeter of three walls. It didn't take me long to fill those shelves with books, taking them from storage boxes and stacks in my classroom and my own bedroom.

Looking around at the shelves, I have concluded that I have a real problem. Most of the books I have not read...yet! And, I have several bags full of more titles that I haven't shelved.

Many of these books I have had for years and some I just bought this weekend, thinking, "I am going to read this one next", or "As soon as I read this one, I will take it to school." 

I might have to change those thoughts to, "Once I retire, I will have time read all these books!"

Whatever my logic, I don't think I will run out of reading material anytime soon.