#5dubsaday 17/31

I've noticed a hashtag on social media lately that intrigued me:  #5dubsaday. Monte Syrie was posting with it. Because I am usually oblivious to trends, I was in the dark. Upon further investigation, I found that he was posting questions using the five Ws:  who, what, where, when, and why. He stated that the questions "lead to reflection and connection."

I thought, "What a great idea for a slice!"

I made a list of his questions in my notebook and used five (of my new 35 but don't tell my husband!) colored highlighters for each question stem. 

Deciding on which five to write about was the most difficult part. Most people know that I teach, I write, and I read books, so I decided to use questions about my friends.

So here they are:

Who in your circle deserves a shoutout? I am blessed with a circle of friends for over 50 years. We've been through a lot this past year, but one friend unexpectedly lost her husband last fall. She is strong and loving and kind and continues to give from her heart even when hers is broken.

What was your clique in high school? We were and ARE the EJDs, also known as the Eight Jelly Donuts. In high school, we pulled pranks with jelly donuts. We still get together today, and jelly donuts always have a place at the table.

When was the last time you had a really good laugh? Last fall, after our friend lost her husband, we had an EJD weekend. We wanted to support her and help her get through this current life moment. One of those nights, someone (former cheerleader!) wondered if they could still do handstands. After several tries and some serious spotting, they did it! And then out came the hula hoop. Oh my, we laughed and laughed until we cried.

Where did you hangout as a teenager? Cruising was the main form of our entertainment. We would all hop in someone's car and drive through town on the cruising streets with windows down and our Farah Fawcett wings flying in our faces. We would cruise through the McDonald's parking lot and around a drive-up root beer stand, blaring Journey, The Cars, REO Speedwagon, and Michael Jackson. At the end of the night, we would all give the driver a few dollars for gas, go home, and do it all over again the next weekend.

Why do childhood friendships matter? Going through life with a partner is something special. But going through life with a friend, or in my case seven of them, is something to be cherished. We've gone through marriage and divorce, births and infertility, cancer scares and death of loved ones, happiness and deep sorrow, but through it all, we have remained friends. And that is a cherished gift.

If you are looking for a slice this month, think about #5dubsaday!

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

A Few Kind Words 16/31

"To validate the existence of another human being is one of the most beautiful and selfless gifts we can give. In doing so, we also validate ourselves." ~ Tracey Willis Gates

I was recently gifted the book, The Power of a Few Kind Words by Tracey Willis Gates. Tracey writes about her transformational journey of writing a letter to someone (family, friends, co-workers, the mailman) every day for a year. When her father was asked what he wanted for his birthday, he replied, "A few kind words." Sadly, he died 7 months before he was to walk her down the aisle. But these words become the impetus and the guide to her letter-writing journey and the writing of the book.

In the book, she writes about five unexpected benefits of letter writing:

1. Writing a letter makes you happier
2. A letter can be cherished
3. It's a simple way to be mindful
4. It's a hug in an envelope to loved ones...
5. ...and a token of kindness to strangers

I remember when I was in college, I wrote letters to my friends, and I remember getting letters in return. Finding something in my sorority mailbox made my day. My parents got divorced when I was in college, and my grandmother sent me cards and letters, trying to help me navigate this major life change. I felt loved in a way I never had.

In my desk drawer at school, I have a collection of letters, cards, and notes I have received from students, parents, and colleagues over the years. I take them out to reread them from time to time, and I am filled with the joy of memories and the kindness of their words. 

If I feel this way as the recipient of letters, how would I feel if I were to be the writer of letters to family, friends, colleagues, or even strangers when we live in the day of impersonal text messages and emails. I don't know if I can do a letter a day, but I know I can certainly do more than I do now.

So, here is a letter to the slicing community.

Dear Slicers,

We are half-way through our journey. I appreciate you stopping by my corner of the world and leaving a comment. Just knowing that you have read my words encourages me to continue writing each day. You may not know this, but I find inspiration in your words. They make me laugh, and think, and sometimes they even bring a tear to my eye. But that's what words are supposed to do when we take the time to read them and linger with them. May we all continue to press onward these last 15 days and share the moments in our lives, big or small. And while we write, know that I appreciate your vulnerability, dedication, and willingness to share.

With kindness,

Leigh Anne

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

Dear Hormonal Mother Nature 15/31

  

Yes, you are reading this correctly!

Dear Hormonal Mother Nature,

I know you are a force to be reckoned with, and I appreciate, admire, and respect your mighty strength. But I think your hormones are a little out of whack. 

Living with you can sometimes be like riding an emotional rollercoaster. I just never know what is going to set you off. One day you are having hot flashes and stripping off your clothes and spawning tornadoes from Nebraska to Ohio, and the next day you are giving me the cold shoulder with your single digit windchill temperatures. 

From what I hear, tonight you will be racing toward me with your hair spinning and whipping at 60-80 MPH in a straight line, uprooting trees, blowing roofs off houses, and sending anything that isn't anchored down into the neighbor's yard or maybe into the next county. 

I saw what you did last week in northern Indiana--tipping over semitrailers and throwing grapefruit size hail all because of your mood swings. That wasn't very nice, and I think you really need to get control of your emotions. Or at least go see a doctor. Maybe she can prescribe something.

I am hoping (and maybe praying) that tonight you sleep well with no night sweats and that I don't hear the sirens announcing that you are up wondering around. I need to sleep, too.

Sincerely,
Leigh Anne, your post-menopausal friend

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

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!

Take a peek at other slicers' analog bag!

Ramona at Pleasures from the Page

Diane at Newtreemom

Glenda at Swirl and Swing

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.