5 years

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Day 31: Where do you see yourself in five years?

Maybe in five years, I'll be closer to retirement.

w.w.w. wednesday

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

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading The Funeral Makers by Cathie Pelletier for my June book group, and at school: The Strategic Teacher by Harvey Silver and listening to Opening Belle by Maureen Sherry.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

unraveled wednesday

Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

I'm knitting the Photography Hat and I'm listening to Opening Belle.

new food

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Day 30: What is a new food to you?

I'm a creature of habit, in that I can (and do) eat the same things for breakfast and lunch without thinking too much about it. I just... don't think about it. Nor do I care. Especially during school. But, I did try Chobani "flip" yogurts to kind of switch my daily yogurt up. I like the Almond Coco Loco, Coffee Brownie Bliss, Chocolate Haze Craze, Salted Caramel Crunch, and Peanut Butter Dream flavors.

ten things tuesday

Ten things I did this weekend:

1) Manicure time! It's a fun French tip with a glittery twist. See the post below for the pic.

2) Lunch at my favorite place with a dear friend.

3) Finished the book Hillbilly Elegy for my June book group.

4) Finished a test knit hat, Helix the Hat. It needs a pom pom.

5) A quick trip to Augusta--a gorgeous day for a drive!

6) Barnes & Noble! I touched the books and looked for some gifts for graduating students.

7) Lunch with the Breakfast Club. I got the most amazing coconut cream pie for Dad (and chocolate cream pie for Barb).

8) Visited with my parents and Maggie. Although the furry beast snubbed me big time.

9) Chatted online with my Virginia Sister.

10) Got caught up on some DVRd shows.

treat yo' self

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Day 29: Treat yourself today.

I treated myself!

currently

I am...

Reading: blogs

Watching: a former student's SnapChat story from Ireland

Listening to: the clock ticking

Wanting: someone to cook supper for me

Needing: a nap

Loving: this leisurely day

Thinking: about my sisters' visits in July

Feeling: content

Celebrating: there are two Mondays left until summer break!

Grateful for: my Breakfast Club friends

A quote I want to share:

my hometown

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Day 28: Share tips to be a tourist in your hometown or city.

I live in a quaint little city. There are some nice shops on Main Street. There is a lovely historic walk around town, with guides and everything.

sunday stealing

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The Procrastination Tool Questions


1. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? a local cafe: Cafe Sorpreso

2. What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it? I eat the same breakfast every day and have for a few years

3. Have you ever had anything removed from your body? no

4. What is the last heavy item you lifted? I suppose myself doesn't count?

5. Have you ever been knocked unconscious? no

6. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die? I don't really care

7. If you could change your name, what would you change it to? I might change to my middle name

8. What’s your goal for the year? get out of this financial disaster (it's not really that bad, but it feels like it)

9. Last person you hugged? a former student who came to visit

10. First place you went this morning? to the bathroom

11. Do you always answer your phone? no

12. It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it? spam

13. If you could change your eye color what would it be? lighter green

14. What’s on your wish list for your birthday? chocolate cake

15. Does the future make you more nervous or excited? excited

16. Do you have any saved texts? no

17. Ever been in a car wreck? no

18. Do you have an accent? in this part of the country, we are fond of our hard Rs, so I suppose I do

19. What was the last song to make you cry? Mary J. Blige "No More Drama"

20. What did you do last night? watched some tv and chatted online with my Virginia sister

21. Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom? no

22. Current hate right now? I can't think of anything

23. Met someone who changed your life? several someones

24. How did you bring in the New Year? with my bestie

25. What song represents you? John Lennon's "Imagine"

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.

just finished

I can't quite figure out my reaction to this book. I listened to the audio version and JD Vance narrates--and he's pretty good but he's not a professional voice actor. It is the June selection for my book group and I suspect there will be a lively discussion.

From the publisher:

From a former Marine and Yale Law School Graduate, a poignant account of growing up in a poor Appalachian town, that offers a broader, probing look at the struggles of America’s white working class. Part memoir, part historical and social analysis, J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy is a fascinating consideration of class, culture, and the American dream.

Vance’s grandparents were “dirt poor and in love.” They got married and moved north from Kentucky to Ohio in the hopes of escaping the dreadful poverty around them. Their grandchild (the author) graduated from Yale Law School, a conventional marker of their success in achieving upward mobility for their family. But Vance cautions that is only the short version. The slightly longer version is that his grandparents, aunt, uncle, and mother struggled to varying degrees with the demands of their new middle class life and they, and Vance himself, still carry around the demons of their chaotic family history.

Delving into his own personal story and drawing on a wide array of sociological studies, Vance takes us deep into working class life in the Appalachian region. This demographic of our country has been slowly disintegrating over forty years, and Vance provides a searching and clear-eyed attempt to understand when and how “hillbillies” lost faith in any hope of upward mobility, and in opportunities to come.

At times funny, disturbing, and deeply moving, this is a family history that is also a troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large portion of this country.

laugh

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Day 27: What makes you laugh?

My students' antics. My family, we are always laughing about something. Being nervous or uncomfortable. George Carlin. Parent-teacher conferences. When I catch myself being too serious.

saturday 9

Stars and Stripes Forever by The Muppets


1) Memorial Day was introduced after the Civil War. War memorials, as well as the graves of veterans, are to be decorated with flags and flowers on this day to show our appreciation. Is there a war memorial in your neighborhood? if we expand my neighborhood a bit, yes

2) Andrew Johnson, our 17th President, was in office the first time Memorial Day (then called Decoration Day) was celebrated. Have you ever met one of our 45 Presidents? I have not

3) According to the AAA, 36 million Americans will hit the road this weekend and drive more than 50 miles. Will you be traveling far from home this weekend? not far, but a quick down-n-back trip to Central Maine for some shopping tomorrow

4) Memorial Day kicks off the summer season. What's your favorite picnic food? chips or potato salad

5) Have you packed away your winter clothes? Or is the weather still so changeable that you still may need something warm? I packed away my winter clothes during spring break--but I have many lighter cardigans that I've still been wearing

6) As you answer these questions, is there an air conditioner or fan on? no, it's not that warm

7) This week, we are featuring the Muppets. Jim Henson made the first Muppet out of an old coat, and he used ping pong balls for the eyes. Do you have a talent for do-it-yourself/arts and crafts projects? well, I enjoy crafty things--I am a knitter, though

8) Random question: Think of the last thing you bought. Did you get a good deal? orange juice and no, I thought it was expensive

9) Crazy Sam needs your help: What song or a performer would you like to see featured in a Saturday 9 this summer? You'll begin seeing your suggestions as Saturday 9 themes in mid-June. Thanks! Glen Campbell, Linda Ronstadt, The Rolling Stones, Hanson (I kinda like their new song), One Republic, Lana Del Rey, Marc Cohn, Indigo Girls, Seal, The Cardigans, The Cranberries ... that's it for now...

love is...

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Day 26: Love is...

The things that make me my best self. I love my life, I love my family, I love my friends, I love my car, I love reading, I love knitting, I love chocolate & pizza. I love puppies and George Clooney.

the friday 56

The Friday 56

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.

I'm reading My Name Is Lucy Barton.

So I was like my mother, we did not want to be judged by what we read, and while she wouldn't even read such a thing, I only didn't want to be seen with it. This strikes me as odd, so many years later. I was in the hospital, essentially so was she, so what better time to read anything that takes the mind away?

think write thursday

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Write about the contents of your purse. Are you a minimalist? Or do you carry around a knapsack? And say, what's in there, anyway? Tell us what you've got in your purse and why!

I've switched to my summer bag--a cross body Haiku bag. That means I'm not lugging around much "stuff." I have three purse packs of tissues (allergies be gone!), three pens, my wallet, eyeglass lens cleaner cloth, iPhone charging cable, notebook, passport, comb, and keys.

brave

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Day 25: How are you brave?

w.w.w. wednesday

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

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance, and at school: The Strategic Teacher by Harvey Silver and listening to Superficial by Andy Cohen.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne.

• What do you think you’ll read next? The Funeral Makers by Cathie Pelletier for my June book group.

3 things

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Day 24: Share 3 blogging tips.

1) Write for yourself. Blog about what interests you, so you'll stick with it.

2) Be consistent--even if you change over time, be consistent with the content.

3) Have fun! After eleven years of blogging, I still blog daily--whether a meme, an image, or talking about books or knitting.

unraveled wednesday

Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

I'm knitting a test knit hat: Helix the Hat in Malabrigo Rios and I'm listening to Hillbilly Elegy.

summer bucket list for my ten things tuesday

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Day 23: What is your summer bucket list?

Combining this with ten things Tuesday

In no particular order:

• the Whoopie Pie Festival
• a workshop at the end of June
• Pennsylvania & Virginia sister visits
• Dad's family 80th birthday party
• road tripping
• reading challenge reading (maybe even Bingo!)
• charity hat knitting
• Summer Knit-Along
• mani-pedis!
• a major de-cluttering project which incorporates buying a new bed

always on my

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Day 22: Something that crosses my mind often.

I get a lot of earworms. So I'm going to say that music crosses my mind often. In the noise that makes the background of my internal monolog, there is constantly a soundtrack. Songs float through my consciousness all day long.

currently

I am...

Reading: proofreading a student's application

Watching: kiddos walk the loop of the hallway

Listening to: the register blowing air

Wanting: a gentle end of the school year

Needing: a more comfortable chair

Loving: my fancy pants

Thinking: about lesson plans for today

Feeling: organized

Celebrating: the last week with my seniors

Grateful for: the photocopier didn't jam this morning!

A quote I want to share:

finished reading

A rom-com romp of a book. Melissa is a bit too naive, and her family is quite stereotypically dysfunctional, but I had fun with this book and will definitely read more in the series!

From the publisher:

When sweet, naive Melissa seeks a job with her old Home Economics teacher she is half way through the interview before it dawns on her that Mrs McKinnon isn't interested in her cookery skills, but is in fact running an escort agency. Melissa panics, but she needs the cash - and what harm can providing lonely men with stimulating conversation over dinner do? More exciting still, she'll get to wear a disguise...Enter her alter ego: Honey. As flirty and feminine as a Bond girl, as confident and sexy as Mary Poppins in silk stockings, Honey brings out a side to Melissa she never knew she had. A side that will get her into hot water, (and out of it) and that she'll never want to lose...

whoa

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Day 21: My "Whoa" experience.

Learning to knit was a "whoa" experience. It has enhanced my patience--I will work to untangle yarns instead of tossing it out. I love fibers and patterns and the feel of the fabric I knit. It opened up a new community.

sunday salon

Joining in Sunday Salon.

Time: 10:29 am

Scene: sitting in my comfy recliner in the living room

Today's plan: Dad's birthday party with local family at 2 o'clock

Listening to: Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey

Reading: I need to get going on book group books

Drinking: Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee

Pondering: nothing particular

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.

crazy time meme

Boosted from Cat:
started at 8:09pm

1401. Do you like your movies and books to be more lighthearted or serious? lighthearted

1402. What's more important, first impressions or lasting impact? lasting impact

1403. Order these areas of psychological health from what you need the least improvement into what you need the most improvement in: physical, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, spiritual intellectual, spiritual, social, emotional, environmental, physical

1404. Do you react appropriately to things and control your feelings? mostly

1405. Do you have stable relationships? mostly

1406. Do you need to be in a relationship to feel good about yourself? lasting friendships are important

1407. Which is the most clear and concise, your thoughts, your speech or your writing? Which is the least clear and concise? most = writing; least = thoughts

1408. Are you always trying to learn new things? yes

1409. Do you feel at peace? yes

1410. Do you have strong morals and ethics that you believe in and adhere to? yes

1411. Are you over or under weight? over

1412. Do you think of the needs of all humanity or just the needs of yourself and those you know? depends on the needs

1413. Do you recycle? I try to

1414. Are you active in your community? I am

1415. Are you sensitive to the needs of others? I try to be

1416. Do you dress up to go to the mall? I don't go to the mall

1417. Have you ever been on anti-depressants? I am

1418. Name a part of your body. fingertips
Give that part of your body a name. Fingertips

1419. Is fourteen your lucky number? it is not

1420. What could make you lose respect for someone? consistently shitty behavior

1421. Is ignorance really bliss? no

1422. What can be described as 'even better than the real thing'? U2

1423. Are you jealous that dog can lick their own genitals? uh, no
If you could do that would you ever leave the house? uh, no

1424. What's in your wallet right now? I have some cash, my license, a pen

1425. Do you write letters that you never send? I used to

1426. Do you ever get the feeling people are laughing at you? I teach high school--so yes, daily

1427. Who's the one person you'd like to drop a house on? that would be seestra numero uno

1428. Have you ever been swept off your feet? nope

1429. Tell me why you don't like Mondays: because Bob Geldof and the Boomtown Rats says to

1430. In the Harry Potter series, the books have gotten darker and more serious with each new release. Do you like this change or do you prefer the story to be light? it's the evolution of the story

1431. How often do you update your diary? my blog = daily

1432. What do you mostly write about in your diary? my blog = daily memes, books, knitting

1433. How many quizzes and/or surveys do you have in your diary as entries? a lot

1433. How many forwards does your diary contain? none

1434. What is your writing style like? sort of stream of consciousness

1435. How honest are you in your diary? very

1436. Why do you write in your diary? it's fun

1437. Do you have a comet cursor on your diary description? no

1438. Do you ever chat online? daily

1439. Have you ever met someone from online? yes
How'd that go? great

1440. What's your favorite horror... Stephen King
Movie? The Shining
Book? It

1441. Have you ever caught a mistake in a movie? hahaha

1442. Have you ever seen that munchkin who supposedly hangs himself in the Wizard of Oz? no

1443. If you had to give yourself a letter grade (A, A-, B, B-, C, C-, D, D-, F) for things how would you grade yourself on:
Happiness: B+
Being a decent human being: A-
Being serene (calm, peaceful): A
Kindness: A
Anger management: B+
Creative thinking: B+
Modesty: B
Being an original: A
Knowing yourself: A-
Being true to yourself: A
Getting along with others: B+
Liking yourself: A
Admitting your flaws: A
Self-improvement: B-

1444. Are you kinky? no

1445. How would you feel if twice a week you could wake up next to the person you love? eh

1446. Out of all the people you know who is most likely to be one of the great minds of our time? Alana

1447. Have you ever been to:
Church? yes
Temple? yes
A bar? yes
A house party? yes
A rave? no
A goth club? no
A punk show? no
A hip hop club? no
What sounds like the most fun out of that list? a bar on trivia night

1448. So far, have you changed around any of the questions on this survey? just some grammar

1449. Are you crying on the inside? no

1450. Are you afraid of the future? no

1451. What will you dress up as this year for Halloween (if you celebrate it)? a middle-aged woman

1452. Do you think of some people as not worthy of being your friend? not really

1453. If you won $1,000 every week until you die, would you still go to school? no

1454. What's the most difficult job you can think of? well, I think mine is

1455. If you could decorate your room with any theme you wanted what would you pick? I don't even know

1456. Of the following bands which would you be most likely to check out?
roxy music (70's glam) yes
the magnetic fields (current indie rock) sure
kraftwerk (experimental electronic rock) meh

1457. You and your boy/girlfriend have been together 6 months or longer.... One day s/he wants to go to a strip club with his/her friends to hang out. It's guys'/girls' night out and you aren't invited. Would you be upset by this? I would encourage it

1458. Can a person avoid dying if he or she does not believe in death? how do you not believe in dying??

1459. If someone sings songs that they don't write and they don't play any instruments or mix the songs or have any creative input at all..Are they a musician? yes

1460. What do the following stand for:
html? hypertext markup language or something similar
faq? frequently asked questions
fao? for attention of
imho? in my humble opinion
hiv? human immunodeficiency virus
aids? acquired immune deficiency syndrome
r&b? rhythm & blues

1461. What does the world owe you? nothing

1462. Do you read plays and books or just get the cliff notes? I do read them

1463. What do you want to get out of life? experiences and adventures

1464. Do you know what is really important to you? oh, yes

1465. What trend has been getting on your nerves lately? girls with "enhanced" eyebrows

1466. Do you forgive yourself when you make a mistake? eventually

1467. What tiny little very small thing has made you hugely happy? a random compliment from a student

1468. Can you read body language well? yes

1469. Do you look people in the eye when you talk? yes

1470. Do you notice if they aren't looking you in the eye? yes

1471. Are you alert to opportunities? mostly

1472. Puppet Yoda or digital Yoda? puppet

1473. Do you look like the person you want to be? huh?

1474. Do you behave like the person you want to be? yes

1475. Some children were asked 'how would you make your marriage work?' One child, Ricky, age ten, said: 'Tell your wife she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.' Is this good advice? this is very good advice

1476. Do you visualize your goals and dreams? I've always struggled with visualizing

1477. 4x + 3 = 15 What is the value of x? 3

1478. Do you keep yourself organized? yes, except my house is a cluttered disaster

1479. Does anyone really win an argument? no

1480. Have you ever had champagne? yes

1481. Do you strive for perfection? well--sort of

1482. Name one thing you understand. the knit/purl stitches

1483. Whatever it is are you afraid of it? no

1484. Do you dislike being told what to do? it depends on the setting

1485. If you had a cat would you have it declawed? I would not have a cat

1486. Do you prefer lobster, clams, or crab meat? meh, I'm not crazy about any of them and prefer any out of the shell

1487. What do you think about guys who don't wear underwear? nothing

1488. What do you think about girls who don't wear bras? their boobs will hate them

1489. Do you ask for what you want? generally

1490. What are you against? foolishness

1491. How many notes does your diary have? a bunch

1492. Ace of Base or Enya? Enya

1493. What makes you feel awkward? being awake

1494. Have you ever been to teenopendiary.com, and if yes, how does it compare to opendiary.com? I have no idea about either

1495. If you were going to switch to another diary website, which one would you go to? Wordpress

1496. Do you believe that certain books should be removed from high school libraries? I believe all books should be removed from the library, as long as they're returned or renewed on time

1497. How do you feel about gay and lesbian marriages? love is love--the world needs more love

1498. Can you rearrange the letters in your name to form any other words (check here if you aren't sure http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/)? Ordeals All Inn

1499. What is the sexiest moment in a movie? a kiss build up

1500. Do you have a favorite stand up comedian? George Carlin and Chris Rock

road trippin'

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Day 20: Have you ever been on a road trip? Where did you go?

In 2009 I took my first solo car trip to visit my Pennsylvania and Virginia sisters and their families. I had a lot of fun! Two years later, I took my parents and niece on that same trip. Two years after that, I went to my niece's wedding in Pennsylvania and road tripped with my eldest sister and niece. So those are my long road trips.

I also take road trips around the state, since it's so big. I've been all along Route 1 and 1A and have driven west, into the mountains, and south into the populous areas. I take lots of rides around the County, too. I love taking shopping day trips to Central Maine to the Barnes & Noble store.

saturday 9

Him or Me -- What's It Gonna Be?


1) In this song, a man pleads with his girlfriend to make up her mind. Do you consider yourself decisive? yes, once I think things through I make a decision and stick with it

Since this song is all about either/or, we're using that as our theme this Saturday ...

2) Choose a condiment: Catsup or mustard? catsup

3) Choose a sci-fi series: Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars (but the original trilogy)

4) Choose your spy: James Bond or Jason Bourne? ok, this is a toughie--James Bond tends to kill fewer people but Jason Bourne is more intriguing to me

5) Choose your winter sport: Football or hockey? well... hmmm... to watch live is definitely hockey

6) Choose your breakfast: Pancakes or waffles? pancakes

7) Choose your side: French fries or potato chips? with a burger = fries, with a sandwich = chips

8) Choose your chore: Washing dishes or doing laundry? I prefer laundry

9) Choose your nextdoor neighbors: Munsters or Addams Family? I liked the Addams family better but think the Munsters would be slightly less creepy neighbors

it's my blogoversary

be bold

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Day 19: Something you have accomplished in the past decade.

In the past ten years, I have grown bold. I no longer give a shit about petty, trivial things. I choose my battles. Taking road trips on my own took me out of my comfort zone and now I am working on being fierce!

the friday 56

The Friday 56

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
*Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it)
*Post it.

I'm reading The Little Lady Agency.

"My diary is quite clear, actually," I said, quite truthfully. There was only Nelson's pub quiz on offer, and I always felt such an idiot while he and his brainy mates were gaily scattering facts around like confetti.

build me up

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Day 18: Something that always cheers you up when your down...

Music! Especially bubble gum pop. Or oldies--like "Build Me Up Buttercup".

think write thursday

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What piece of advice would you give to five year old you? Sixteen year old you? Twenty-one year old you? Right now?

5 yo: play, sing, and dance with Mumma. As much as you can.

16 yo: march boldly to the beat of your own drummer. Boldly!

21 yo: tell them that you love them.

Now: don't let the lure of vacation make you slacken your standards at school.

daddy's girl

I insisted we take a selfie for his 80th birthday today!

excuses, excuses

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Day 17: What is holding you back?

I am. My fears. Perfectionism. Fear of failure. Not wanting to make an effort. Excuses.

w.w.w. wednesday

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at Should be Reading and revived here on Taking on a World of Words.

• What are you currently reading? I'm reading The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne, and at school: The Strategic Teacher by Harvey Silver and listening to Superficial by Andy Cohen.

• What did you recently finish reading? I finished Language Arts by Stephanie Kallos.

• What do you think you’ll read next? Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance for my June book group.

ten things tuesday

Ten things I'm currently into:

1) Knitting. I have a couple of projects on the needles and plans for more!

2) Reading. I love my Nook Glowlight.

3) Audiobooks. I love listening while knitting. It's a different experience than eyeball reading.

4) Lesson Planning. I am planning out the end of the school year. Trying to squeeze in all the activities so I can get my students to where they need to be in content for next year's course.

5) Gratitude. I downloaded an app called 5 Minute Journal. I love it! It's helping me focus positive thoughts for the day.

6) Lands End jeans. These seriously are the most comfortable jeans I've ever worn. Just a touch of stretch but not too baggy-stretchy.

7) Music. My students were working on the Soundtrack of My Life project and I'm discovering new music that's exciting me.

8) Planning. I've been planning my dad's 80th birthday party and the plans are coming together nicely. A family meal at his favorite restaurant. Today I'm meeting with a cake decorator. 80 years old!

9) My students. I'm trying to make sure the end of the year is fun.

10) Texting and messaging my sisters, nieces and great nephews. We have fun with silly voices and filters.

the struggle is real

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Day 16: What are you struggling with right now?

On a personal note, I'm struggling to balance my finances--but there is light on the horizon.

On a professional note, I'm struggling to keep my students engaged since it's the end of the school year and the end is approaching.

stamp me

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Day 15: What is your favorite stamp in your passport?

The stamp I got while on the train from Brussels, Belgium, to Paris, France. Usually, they don't stamp passports between those countries (especially when on the trains) but the conductor got talking to me and gladly stamped me.

currently

I am...

Reading: loan application paperwork

Watching: the local news

Listening to: my printer

Wanting: ice cream

Needing: water

Loving: my family

Thinking: about money

Feeling: anxious

Celebrating: my independence

Grateful for: options

A quote I want to share:

just finished reading

From the publisher:

Charles Marlow teaches his high school English students that language will expand their worlds. But linguistic precision cannot help him connect with his autistic son, or with his ex-wife, who abandoned their shared life years before, or even with his college-bound daughter who has just flown the nest. He’s at the end of a road he’s traveled on autopilot for years when a series of events forces him to think back on the lifetime of decisions and indecisions that have brought him to this point. With the help of an ambitious art student, an Italian-speaking nun, and the memory of a boy in a white suit who inscribed his childhood with both solace and sorrow, Charles may finally be able to rewrite the script of his life.

This is a complex story. It's a study of family, friendship, art, and love. But it's more than that. The narrative shifts between present and past, with different points of view--it takes awhile for the threads of the story to weave together, but stick with it because it's a lovely, beautiful book.

signs of spring

Finally!

important family secret

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Day 14: What is the most important thing your Mom/ Auntie/ Grandma taught you? {In honor of Mother’s Day!}

My grandmother told me the most important advice--Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom. And at the time I mocked the advice, with age comes wisdom.

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.