A Little Spring in My Step #SOSMagic

For a short month, February sure has seemed at least two months long.

As I went about my Saturday routine of grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning, I found a little spring in my step.

The only traces of last week's snowstorm are the snow mountains that dot the parking lots and the clumps of grass and dirt from the roadway that accidentally found their way in front of the snowplows and are now haphazardly laying in people's yards.

Looking in the landscape this morning I saw the heads of the daffodils poking their way through the mulch - a true sign that spring may be on its way.

As I was tidying up my desk in Ethan's-bedroom-turned-my-office, I opened the window a crack to let in the sun rays and the freshness of the spring-like air. 

I heard my husband tinkering with his Jeep, preparing for that riding-with-the-top-down kind of day.

Tonight I plan to grill burgers, hopefully toasting winter's departure. 

I feel it. 

I feel the change of the seasons today. I feel the promise of spring. 

I hope Mother Nature doesn't let me down.

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

Is Someone Listening? #SOL21

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating this community to share our stories.

He's listening. He's always listening." 

I hear these words in the back of my mind all the time. Who is listening you ask? Well, I don't really know, but it is quite troublesome.

Last week my husband's toe was hurting, and after researching on the Intenet, he seemed to think it was gout. He wrote beets down on our grocery list. (While searching, he also found that beets would help gout!) He then asked, "Do they make beet juice?"

"I have no idea, but I will look," I said to pacify him.

I "searched" at the store and told him, "Nope didn't see any beat juice."

"He's listening. He's always listening."

The next day as I was scrolling through Facebook, guess what came up in my feed. Yep! Beet juice. I never searched for it on my computer, but there it was. This greatly troubles me. Are people listening to my conversations? Can they hear me through my phone or my computer?

My husband did search for it on his computer, so I guess maybe if the search is at least in our house, it could possibly show up on my computer?

But, I still feel like someone is listening.

This is just one of several advertisements
that popped up on my feed.

A Haircut Mishap

It's less than two weeks before the March Slice of Challenge begins. And I think it has been since last March that I sliced. I thought it might be a good time to build up to that writing marathon! Don't you think?

Tonight I read a post about a COVID haircut from Jennifer Larance. She was a brave wife and gave her husband a "real" haircut. I cut my husband's hair about every three weeks, but I use the clippers with a 1/4 inch guard. In other words, it is merely a shaved head.

But that 1/4 inch guard is a very important part.

He sits in the chair down in the basement with an old crib sheet around him like a cape. I complete my first run-through and check to make sure I didn't miss anything. Shaving his neck is my favorite part, so I take the guard off and carefully pull down the sheet to expose his neck.

Buzz...I finish the haircut and place the clippers down. Looking at my wonderful work, I realize I missed a spot on the bottom of his head near the nape of his neck.

"Oops. It looks like I missed a spot back here," I say as I pick the clippers back up.

But that 1/4 inch guard is a very important part.

I click the button up and the buzzing begins. Just as I make a quick stroke up the back of his head, I suck in my breath. What have I done?

"Oh no."

Yes, that 1/4 inch guard is a very important part.

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for creating this community to share our stories.

#IMWAYR ~ 2/15

 

In 2021 I'm trying to return to communities that support me as a reader, a writer, and a teacher. Not sure how regular I will be, but I am here today. 

Jen Vincent at Teach Mentor Texts and Kelle and Ricki at Unleashing Readers co-host It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Stop by and see what others are reading this week.

What I Read Last (Two) Weeks:

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

This book, at just 112 pages, was a quick read, which will appeal to many reluctant readers. And any book that connects characters with libraries, poetry, reading, and writing, is a keeper for me. 

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

Alan Gratz books are always a hit in my classroom, and I believe Ground Zero will be too! My students have a high interest in 9/11 books, so this definitely fits a need. Gratz has become a master at weaving stories of different characters in different time periods and somehow connects them in the end! Brandon, the main character in Ground Zero is nine, however, I would have some concerns about placing this book in the hands of students that age due to some of the graphic scenes.

I know my middle school students are going to love this one!

Enduring Freedom by Trent Reedy and Jawad Arash 

(ARC provided by Netgalley)

Trent Reed, along with Jawad Arash, tells a story of two sides of the War in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks and two boys caught in the middle. I learned so much about the Afghan people, their culture, and their perspective on the presence of the United States military in their country. I love the way the authors show the importance of education and how education holds such power in overcoming our world's struggles. The authors' notes gave me a deeper appreciation for the book as they tell the real-life connection between the two authors. and how this connection is mirrored in the story of Joe and Baheer. I will have no problems finding readers for this book, which is due out in May. 

Nest. Flight. Sky. by Beth Kephart

After reading Handling the Truth by Kephart, I knew I wanted to read more from her. I found this book on Hoopla, an app that is becoming my new best friend! In this memoir, she writes about the death of her mother, her obsession with birds, and their connection.

On my reading radar for this week:

Untold Stories #SOSMagic

 

I recently finished a new book by Jeff Zentner, In the Wild Light. A line caught my attention where a grandfather in the story said "stories told just become ordinary."

I believe in the power of story and the strength of the ordinary, so what exactly did he mean? As I read on, I realized he meant that some stories are meant to be untold for fear of becoming ordinary. 

One of the characters in the book, Delaney, has a conversation with the main character's dying grandfather. Delaney tells Papaw what is on her heart and never reveals it to Sawyer (until the end!).

This story reminds me when we keep those untold stories tucked inside our hearts, they become extraordinary. Like...

• that first kiss
• when he asks you to marry him
• when you sit and watch her sleeping in your arms
• when he looks up at you and says, "It's a boy."
• when she looks at you with those distant eyes, and you know she remembers who you are

Maybe these stories are meant to be untold.

And maybe they aren't so ordinary after all.

I’m joining an open community of writers over at Sharing Our Stories: Magic in a Blog. If you write (or want to write) just for the magic of it, consider this your invitation to join us. #sosmagic

#IMWAYR ~ 2/1

In 2021 I'm trying to return to communities that support me as a reader, a writer, and a teacher. Not sure how regular I will be, but I am here today. 

Jen Vincent at Teach Mentor Texts and Kelle and Ricki at Unleashing Readers co-host It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Stop by and see what others are reading this week.

I have been taking a break from social media, and I am loving the reading time it is affording me. I've reacquainted myself with Netgalley again, and our library just made Hoopla available, so I am loving my reading life right now.

Here's what I read last week:

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner (ARC by Netgalley)

I loved The Serpent King and Goodbye Days from Zentner, and this one is just as amazing. I loved how Cash uses poetry to help him get through his grief and learn about what is important in life. The writing is absolutely beautiful. You will want to put this on your list for August.

Hooper by Geoff Herbach

Adam needed basketball. It saved him, and he knew it. Each year, I have students who need basketball maybe more than basketball needs them. It's books like this that teach kids being part of a team is more than just playing the game. Although this is written for young adults, I would have no problem handing it to my middle school students.

Hunter's Choice by Trent Reedy (ARC by Netgalley)

Hunter's Choice by Trent Reedy is a much-needed book in my classroom library. I have many boys who are outdoorsmen, and I do not have books to fill this need. Plus the female characters add even more appeal. The exploration of human life and our role in wildlife is appropriately done for this age group. It has just enough suspense to keep the reader's attention and keep them turning the page. I can't wait to purchase this one for my classroom library.

On my reading radar for this week:

I am struggling with Everything Sad is Untrue. I want to abandon it but giving it a little more time. If you have read it, please let me know if it's worth plugging away.

Thank you for always welcoming back the prodigal reader!