ten things tuesday

Ten things--five great, five not-so-great:

Five great things: 

1) My students LOVED the Abraham Lincoln CSI investigation today.  They analyzed different primary and secondary sources and put together indictments against some of the major players.

2) I got raves on today's outfit.  

3) Most of my lesson plans are finished--just the final details and to go over them with my substitute sometime next week.

4) One of my former students gave me a graduation announcement--I thought she didn't like me (she has a wicked rbf and is on the quiet side so I always thought she didn't like me)

5) Today is Dad's 85th birthday!!!

Five not-so-great things:

6) I may overdraft my checking account.  Ugh.  I forget about automatic payments sometimes.

7) It's rainy, overcast, chilly, and dreary.

8) I have to reschedule my lymphatic leg massage next week.

9) I have to go to an assembly that I don't want to go to on Thursday.  

10) In order to fix something for dinner I have to actually get out of my chair, dirty dishes, wash the dishes when I'm done... and... I'm not really feeling it.

currently

I am...

Reading:  The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson

Listening to:  Finding Me by Viola Davis--starting it tonight

Loving:  Dad's birthday is tomorrow and he loved the gift (watermelon gnomes)

Thinking:  I need to get serious about my trip to Tampa--I need to get organized

Feeling:  excited

Celebrating:  I spent yesterday with Dad and Barb--we had a great time

Grateful for: I asked for a specific substitute teacher and she'll be working with me!

Weather:  it is 65° and cloudy

Enjoying:  I got a ton of compliments on my outfit today 

A quote I want to share:

finished reading

I admit I do not know Chaucer's "Wife of Bath" from The Canterbury Tales but this reimagining was recommended to me and it intrigued me so I thought I would read it.  I'm glad I did.  This tale from the Middle Ages is of Eleanor's five very different marriages as each marriage takes her up a rung on the social ladder.  In the Middle Ages, being a wife is the pinnacle of expectation for females.  This turns that prospect on its ear.  

It's a complex story from a time I can't even fathom--the narration is light in tone although it tells a tale that ranges from suffering, heartbreak, and brutality to success, triumph, and love.  Eleanor's chief allies throughout the tale are Geoffrey Chaucer and her most loyal confidante Alyson both of whom encourage her to take advantage of her innate business sense.

My complaints are that it is very long and the trade Eleanor settled on at the end was contrived.

From the publisher:

A provocative, immersive medieval novel starring one of literature's most unforgettable characters in her own words--Chaucer's bold and libidinous Wife of Bath.

In the middle ages, a famous poet told a story that mocked a strong woman. It became a literary classic. But what if the woman in question had a chance to tell her own version?

England, 1364: When married off at aged twelve to an elderly farmer, brazen redheaded Eleanor quickly realizes it won't matter what she says or does, God is not on her side--or any poor woman's for that matter. But then again, Eleanor was born under the joint signs of Venus and Mars, making her both a lover and a fighter.

Aided by a head for business (and a surprisingly kind husband), Eleanor manages to turn her first marriage into success, and she rises through society from a cast-off farm girl to a woman of fortune who becomes a trusted friend of the social-climbing poet Geoffrey Chaucer. But more marriages follow--some happy, some not--several pilgrimages, many lovers, murder, mayhem, and many turns of fortune's wheel as Eleanor pursues the one thing that all women want: control of their own lives.

postsecret

 

PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. I like to post one that speaks to me each week.

sunday stealing

 

Click the icon to play along

Hodgepodge

1. Where do you get your news these days? online

2. Do you like crab meat? What makes you crabby? Yes, I like crab meat.  Being ill makes me crabby.

3. Does freedom mean more choices? Have you ever felt there were too many choices? Elaborate. Freedom means more choices, yes.  And there are too many choices for simple things--like which flavor of ice cream to get...

4. Barbara Millicent Roberts was introduced to the world on March 9, 1959...that's Barbie to most of us. Did you have Barbies as a kid, or did you let your own children play with Barbies? What well known Barbara (living or not) would you most like to meet? I had Barbies, yes; I would like to meet up with a high school friend of mine--we reconnected but lost the connection and I would like to cultivate that friendship again

5. What are three things you value most in another person? integrity, being able to laugh, and having things in common

6. How would you define “old.”  At what age is a person old? I think 75+ is old

7. A place you’ve been that’s “old.”  Tell us something about your visit there. I walked down a thousand-year-old street in Dublin, Ireland, and I felt like I was home

8. Something you miss about the “good old days.”  When were they? there are times I wish I could redo some of my college years to get more out of them--I would pay more attention in my classes and relish being a student

9. In what way are you a 'chip off the old block'? Or if you'd rather, in what way is your child a 'chip off the old block'? my parents are educators and I am an educator

10. Old fashioned, Old Testament, old timer, same old same old, old glory, good old boy, old wives tale...choose an 'old' phrase that relates to something in your life or the wider world currently and explain. I am old fashioned in my thinking about using marijuana--it makes me feel old that it is so casually used now

11. July 5th is National Hawaii Day...have you ever been to Hawaii? Any desire to visit or make a return trip? Pineapple, mango, or guava...what's your pleasure? I would go to Hawaii, it would be so different than Maine!  And pineapple is my favorite fruit (along with pomegranate, but that's not an option)

12. Last time you were 'thrown in at the deep end'? Explain. last week and I would rather not explain

13. Sun, sea, sand, salt...your favorite when it comes to summer? I like warm sunny days that offer lots of comfy shade to sit in

14. Bury your head in the sand, the sands of time, draw a line in the sand, pound sand, shifting sands...pick one and tell us how the phrase currently relates to your life in some way. the sands of time--because I'm awaiting a business trip and it feels like it's never going to get here but that it's coming all too soon

15. On a scale of 1-10 (1 = make your own rules and 10=like a warden), how strict were your parents? If you're a parent where on the scale do you land?  I grew up with a 2 and if I was a parent I would be about an 8

saturday 9

Give A Little Love

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

In memory of Naomi Judd (1946-2022)

1) In this week's song, the Judds tell us they aren't impressed by diamonds or foreign travel. If you had your choice, would you prefer a $1,500 diamond pendant or a $1,500 voucher from United Airlines? I would take the United voucher

2) In the video for this song, the Judds are shown having fun on the beach. Do you have any trips to the beach planned for the upcoming summer months? nothing planned yet

3) Early in their career, this mother-daughter duo performed in clubs venues around San Francisco, where they called themselves The Hillbilly Women. Have you recently been to a bar or restaurant with live music? I have not--not in a very long time

4) They moved to Nashville in 1979 in search of greater success. During the three years it took them to score a record contract, Naomi supported the family as a part-time nurse and occasional model. She enjoyed the flexibility so her schedule could accommodate auditions. Do you like having a pre-planned schedule? Or would you rather keep things loose? I enjoy not being the one to make the plans

5) Wynona sang the Elvis classic "Burning Love" in 2002 Disney movie Lilo and Stitch. What's the most recent Disney movie you've seen? the last show I watched on Disney + was Hamilton

 

6) In 2011, Wynona wrote her first novel, Restless Heart, about a country singer struggling with the price of fame. Have you ever tried your hand at writing fiction? I have not

7) Kid sister Ashley Judd is the only woman in her immediate family to not change her first name. Naomi was born Diana, and Wynona was originally Christina. Do you like your first name? I do!

 
8) In 1988, the year this song was popular, Sonny Bono went from entertainer to politician when he was elected Mayor of Palm Springs. Have you met the mayor of your town? yes, I have--as well as the City Manager

9) Random question: Were you a member of the Columbia House Record Club? I probably still owe them money 😁

friday 5

OMG 

1. Recently, when did you consciously decide to MYOB? today at school I avoided a gossipy conversation
2. In what area of your life is KISS your guiding principle? I'm making lesson plans for the rest of the school year (since I'll be gone for 8 days I am trying to be organized) and KISS is my motto
3. What caused you this week to LOL? oh, without a doubt my students
4. In the past several days, what’s the longest you were AFK? I was sick last week and took a social media break
5. Whom have you met IRL after being acquainted online? no one, yet

three on thursday

     

Click here to join in

Thing one:  One thing I've learned is that high school students prefer teachers who love what they're teaching--and they can tell when teachers fake it.

Thing two:  The second thing I've learned is that high school students love to celebrate their successes as well as their teachers' successes.

Thing three:  The third thing I've learned is that a little laughter goes a long way in changing the atmosphere of a classroom.

finished reading

I liked that this book was self-aware about its tropes.  I liked the bantering dialogue.  I liked the male romantic lead, Charlie's vulnerability. I liked a book about books and learning more about editing and publishing.  I liked the book references.  I liked that Nora, the female romantic lead, embraces her stereotype.  I liked the complex family dynamics.  My one complaint is that Nora was a bit overbearing in her martyrdom.  Otherwise, it's a clever homage to romance.  The audio is very well done.

From the publisher:

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens' life is books - she’s read them all - and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away - with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again - in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow - what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

w.w.w. wednesday

     

 

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! Hosted by Taking on a World of Words.

• What are you currently reading?  The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks, The Lives of Edie Pritchard by Larry Watson, and Book Lovers by Emily Henry

• What did you recently finish reading?   Talk Bookish To Me by Kate Bromley, Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena, and Our Country Friends by Gary Shteyngart

• What do you think you’ll read next? I'm not sure.

ten things tuesday

Ten things about today:

Two things that I am grateful for today:
1.  The cold and sickness are gone!  I feel back to my normal self.
2.  I write detailed lesson plans.  And play way ahead.

Two things that made today great:
3. I loved the dress I wore on this warm, perfect, spring day!
4. My APUSH students were rapt when I was talking to them about the Civil War.

Two things I did well today:
5.  Organized for a substitute at the end of the month.
6. Connected with my other students.

Two things that I could have done better today:
7.  I could have had better boundaries about my time.
8.  I forgot Jess' birthday gift for the week of gifts!

Two things I will do to make the rest of the day great:

9. Mindfully eat my dinner.

10. Spend time this evening reading and relaxing.