11.30.2018

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 Kingdom of the Blind.


"I know that poem," said Benedict, and all eyes swung to him. "But that's not the way it goes."

"Oh really?" said Ruth. "And you're a poetry expert?"

"No, not really. But I know that one," he said. If not oblivious to sarcasm, at least impervious to it. A useful trait, thought Armand.

11.29.2018

three on thursday

Click the image to play along!

Three songs that are on my Christmas playlist:

11.27.2018

ten things tuesday

Ten random things:

1) I am a chapter in on the new Louise Penny book and I'm thrilled to be back in Three Pines! I have both audio and ebook.

2) My Christmas decoration is in place. This little beauty was a Target find. And it makes me happier than any tree should.

3) We were released at noon again today because of the snowstorm--except it stopped snowing; it's changing over to mixed precipitation. And everything is going to glaze over and freeze and it's going to be the iciest world imaginable. I hate winter.

4) One of my Cyber Monday purchases is a class from Craftsy about Continental Knitting. I'm fascinated by the speed of it. I'm not used to holding yarn for tension, though, so it's going to be weird weird. (not just regular weird)

5) I *think* I might be done holiday shopping! Now it's a waiting game for things to arrive so I can package them up and ship them off!

6) Are leggings with a tunic too casual? I can't decide if it's too casual to wear to school. And I promise the tunic is long.

7) I rearranged the ceramic tree, it's in my sightline now. Much better.

8) When my Virginia sister was here, I introduced her to knitting. She's rabid about it but lacks patience. She wants to try complex patterns and gets quite wound up when her skill set doesn't match the project. But it's fun to teach her how to knit.

9) I like this Christmas To Do List...

10) I think I need a nap.

11.26.2018

currently

I am...

Reading: The Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop

Listening to: Tinsel & Tunes

Loving: no meetings after school this week!

Thinking: about finishing my Christmas shopping

Feeling: mellow

Celebrating: all my hard work writing lesson plans paid off--this week is smooth

Grateful for: my students--I missed them!

Weather: it's 29 degrees and cloudy

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TUESDAY TO 1 AM EST
WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8
inches, with localized amounts up to 11 inches, are expected.

Enjoying: anticipation of a snow day

A quote I want to share:

11.25.2018

finished re-reading




This was the kind of Christmas book I was looking for: a tale of friendship, love, family and cookies. The Christmas Cookie Club is the background for twelve women annually coming together and sharing their lives and cookies. The bonds of friendship are woven and tangled in believable bonds. I can easily see myself reading this every holiday season.

self-care sunday

I enjoyed the heck out of a pajama day today! My sleep was interrupted last night and I was awake until around 2:30, so I slept in. And slept in some more. Then I needed a nap. So I stayed in bed until around 1:30 pm and made the executive decision to lounge around. Which I did until around 3 when I needed a nap. I did, however, wash a sink full of cups and glasses--so I can claim that as being productive. And I need a nap. But I'll stay up until 8 or so.

finished reading

This is an unflinching look at the stories of urban Native Americans. It's in-your-face but poetic. It's moving but difficult. My only complaint was that there are a dozen people to keep track of and at times, listening to the audio, I was confused.

From the publisher:
There There is a relentlessly paced multigenerational story about violence and recovery, memory and identity, and the beauty and despair woven into the history of a nation and its people. It tells the story of twelve characters, each of whom have private reasons for traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow. Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life back together after his uncle’s death and has come to work at the powwow to honor his uncle’s memory. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil, who has taught himself traditional Indian dance through YouTube videos and has come to the powwow to dance in public for the very first time. There will be glorious communion, and a spectacle of sacred tradition and pageantry. And there will be sacrifice, and heroism, and unspeakable loss.


sunday stealing

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Hooked on Memes

1. How many states have you been in? 14

2. If a sexist Man is called a pig, what is a sexist Woman called?
unfortunately out of ignorance, a feminist

3. You see the one person who you absolutely despise. If you were guarentee'd that he/she couldn't say or do anything back to you.... What would you do??
ignore them

4. How many states are to the right of you? And don’t give us a map to look at. none, it's Canada and the Atlantic Ocean

5. You can go anywhere in the world for free. Where are you? Ireland

6. HOW MANY FINGERS AM I HOLDING UP? none, you're typing

7. Are you a boxing fan? no

8. What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten? probably something off my kitchen floor

9. Is it cloudy right now? yes, it's gloomy

10. Someone gives you a $500 gift card to WalMart or Target. What are you going to buy?
stuff I don't need

11. When you were little, what did you want to be "when you grow up"? And, how much different is your occupation now from where you thought it would be when you were younger? I wanted to be happy and I am

12. what was your favorite toy as a child? my teddy bear

13. What is the last place you had a good cry and why? in the car and it was because of the death of a friend

14. Which Sesame Street Character do you relate with the most and why? Big Bird--trying hard to do the right thing

15. Did you ever make what you believed at the time to be a horrible mistake - that in hindsight turned out to lead you on the best path in your life? not that I can remember

16. What’s your favorite show to watch on television nowadays? Below Deck

17. Do you believe there is life after death? I don't know

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.

11.24.2018

saturday 9





Black Magic Woman

1) Black is this week's signature color because Friday, November 23, was "Black Friday," when retailers cut their prices and consumers flock to the stores. Did you score any "Black Friday" bargains? I only grocery shopped

2) On busy shopping days, carts often litter parking lots. After loading your items into your car, are you careful to return your shopping cart to the store or the designated cart receptacle? I return my cart

3) Who on your gift list is hardest to buy for? I say my dad but that's only because he buys what he wants/needs when he wants/needs it

4) Feasting and football are also popular Thanksgiving weekend pastimes. Do your Thursday-Sunday plans include enjoying leftovers or watching a game? no to both--I didn't take any leftovers with me

5) Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is an annual event. It began in 1924 as a local event in New York. Today it's nationally televised. Did you watch it?
we watched it and I felt old because I didn't know many of the musical acts

6) What did you give thanks for on Thanksgiving 2018? family love and health

7) At the first Thanksgiving, there were no forks. Pilgrims ate with spoons and knives, and forks didn't become popular until the 18th century. Think about your Thanksgiving place setting. Did you have both a salad and a dinner fork? we did not have salad forks

8) Pies are a popular Thanksgiving dessert. What kind of pie did you enjoy? Or did you have ice cream? Or did you skip dessert? I actually forgot to have dessert! We were going to have apple turnovers (courtesy of Pepridge Farms)

9) This week's featured band, Santana, was named for its founder, Carlos Santana. He was born in Mexico. When at a Mexican restaurant, what do you usually order? I usually ask for the house special

11.23.2018

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 Cosy Christmas Chocolate Shop.


It was the night of the non-date date. Emma was filled with a sense of impending doom, but at least it was keeping her mind off the troubles her chocolate shop was facing.

Why exactly had she agreed to this?

11.22.2018

three on thursday

Click the image to play along!


1) I had so much fun with Dad & Barb today. Our Thanksgiving meal was minimal, we actually roasted a chicken instead of turkey. Our kitchen adventures are more laughter than anything, it's a wonder any food is edible.

2) "I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite - only a sense of existence." Henry David Thoreau from Letters to Various Persons, Ticknor and Fields, 1865, p. 145

3)

11.21.2018

just finished reading

This is so compelling! The book opens with aggressive questions at a trial and the exchange and flashbacks tell us the meat of the story. I loved how the characters talk about conscience and karma, their conversations make me want to join in. I love the village, I love the characters, I love the literary references, I love the relationshihps between all of the characters, and I love the descriptions of food! The end of this book had me in tears.

From the publisher:
When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. Through rain and sleet, the figure stands unmoving, staring ahead.

From the moment its shadow falls over the village, Gamache, now Chief Superintendent of the Surete du Quebec, suspects the creature has deep roots and a dark purpose. Yet he does nothing. What can he do? Only watch and wait. And hope his mounting fears are not realized.

But when the figure vanishes overnight and a body is discovered, it falls to Gamache to discover if a debt has been paid or levied.

Months later, on a steamy July day as the trial for the accused begins in Montreal, Chief Superintendent Gamache continues to struggle with actions he set in motion that bitter November, from which there is no going back. More than the accused is on trial. Gamache's own conscience is standing in judgment.

unraveled wednesday



Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

Knitting for Christmas the Back Porch Shawl. And I'm just listening to There There.

11.20.2018

ten things tuesday

Ten things:

1) Last night I had 17 parent-teacher conferences in 3 hours.

2) This afternoon I had 4 conferences in 3 hours.

3) I am very happy to be on vacation.

4) We have record-breaking amounts of snow for November. More than 20 inches.

5) I hate winter.

6) I am almost finished Christmas shopping.

7) Speaking of Christmas, Carole introduced me to Tinsel & Tunes!

8) I had a very nice visit with a former student yesterday. He visited for about 45 minutes we got caught up on college.

9) I'm going to finish Glass Houses just in time for the new book to come out next week.

10) I have a bunch of Christmas knitting to finish. I hope I can finish!

11.19.2018

currently

I am...

Reading: Glass Houses

Listening to: nothing

Loving: getting a ton of school work done today

Thinking: about the seventeen parent conferences I had tonight, my head is spinning

Feeling: completely exhausted and sort of sore

Celebrating: being home--I had a thirteen hour school day

Grateful for: a short week

Weather: it's 24 degrees and cloudy--it's going to go down to 11 degrees tonight

Enjoying: sitting in silence

A quote I want to share:

11.18.2018

self-care sunday

I was feeling a funk coming on so I made plans with my bestie to go to the movies. Bohemian Rhapsody was amazingly well-cast and a great movie, I forget how much I love Queen. The self-care portion of today was reaching out to my bestie instead of hibernating and withdrawing from the world.

sunday stealing

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Swap Bot

1.What is your favorite animal? puppies (all doggos are puppies!)

I printed this to hang over my desk at school.

2.Your dream vacation? my Virginia sister and husband are planning a family tour of Italy--and I'm tagging along--in 2020

3.Last person's house you were in? Dad's

4.Worst injury you've ever had? I fell on my face on a gravel driveway and have a few small scars from it

5.Last play you saw? last night, the local high school's production of "Newsies"

6.Ever go to camp? a distant relative had a camp and I used to spend a LOT of time there

7.Were you an honor roll student in school? usually

8.What do you want to know about the future? it would be nice to know if this winter is going to be as snowy as it has started out to be. Record-breaking snowfalls for November and it's only the 18th!

9.Are you wearing any perfume or cologne? I am wearing Philosophy's Live Joyously

10.Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit? it's scheduled for January

11.Where is your best friend? I think she's at church

12.Do you have a tan? oh no, I don't tan--I burn or I freckle

13.What are you listening to right now? nothing

14.Do you collect anything? hugs and yarn

15.Who is the biggest gossiper you know? hmmm--the teacher directly across the hall from me is the biggest gossiper I've ever encountered

16.Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over? never

17.What does your last text message say? 😎 (that's what my last text message was, the smiley with sunglasses)

18.Do you like hot sauce? no

19.Do you need to do laundry?
yes, but I'm procrastinating until Wednesday

20.What is your heritage? Franco-American and Irish-American

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.

11.17.2018

saturday 9





Sentimental Journey

1) Doris sings that she has her bag packed. Tell us about your luggage. Is your bag easy to spot on the luggage carousel? It's orange and black, easy to spot.

2) The release of this song coincided with VE Day, and so it meant a great deal to troops returning home from Europe. What song has sentimental value for you? Why? "No More Drama" by Mary J Blige hits me where it feels.

3) As a young girl, Doris was passionate about dance. Concentrating in the studio and performing on stage helped distract her from heartache and embarrassment over her parents' divorce. When you want to escape from what's troubling you, what do you do?I withdraw into my own little world, in my apartment, in my recliner

4) Her dancing days came to an end when, at age 15, she was in a car accident and damaged her leg. During her recovery, she discovered how much she enjoyed singing with the radio, and was delighted to find others enjoyed hearing her. Tell us about a time you unexpectedly found happiness or success. I discovered I'm a really good knitter--I didn't expect to take to it as easily as I did but I love it

5) She moved from singer to actress in the late 1940s and was a major movie star for 25 years. She was paired with the most popular leading men of her time -- everyone from Clark Gable to Frank Sinatra to Rock Hudson. If you could share a kiss with any actor or actress, who would you choose? George 😍

6) 1968 was a terrible year for Doris. First, she suddenly became a widow. Then she discovered that her late husband and his business partner had squandered her money and she had to file for bankruptcy. Oh, wait! There's more! She also found that, in his role as her manager, her late husband had, without her knowledge, committed her to a weekly TV series. Do you have a 1968? What year you can point to and say, "Wow, I'm glad that's over"? 2004

7) After retiring from show business, she became an advocate for animal welfare. She has said we should be more sensitive to the loneliness, sadness and guilt people feel when they lose a pet. Think of a time you were grieving. What words or gestures helped you through? Conversely, what's something no one should ever say to someone who is hurting?
Hugs help me. And saying "It's God's will" is not helpful.

8) Doris' only child was her son, record producer Terry Melcher. Terry had a successful, years-long collaboration with The Beach Boys. Do you have a favorite Beach Boys song? I like "Surfer Girl" and "Kokomo"

9) Random question: What's one thing you've never done, but have always wanted to try? hmmm... maybe selling my knitted hats on Etsy

11.16.2018

le sigh


2 half-days due to snowstorms. It's November! I hope this isn't portending the winter to come! I mean, I hate winter on a good day.

Posted 3 minutes ago
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EST SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Snow occurring. Additional snow accumulations of 4 to 6
inches are expected.

* WHERE...Northeast Aroostook County.

* WHEN...Until 2 AM EST Saturday. Heaviest snow rates up to 2
inches per hour 2 to 4 PM.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on difficult travel conditions,
including during the evening commute. Expect significant
reductions in visibility at times.

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 Glass Houses.


Armand and Reine-Marie had returned home.

She was in the living room, going through a box from the archives.

Armand had fed the photocopy he'd made of the original cobrador into the scanner and emailed it off to Jean-Guy. He'd received a slightly rude reply, asking if he was bored. Or drunk.

11.15.2018

three on thursday

Click the image to play along!

1) Even though it's been a shortened short week (a half-day on Tuesday due to the storm), this week feels like the longest ever.

2) And we're supposed to get wallopped by the snowstorm tomorrow: 8-10 inches!!! What is that? It's November for cryin' out loud!

3) In spite of it being the longest week ever and my students' squirrelly behavior because of yet another snow storm, I've done some excellent teaching this week. Lots of super discussions among the students as well as whole group discussion.

11.14.2018

unraveled wednesday



Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

Knitting for Christmas the Back Porch Shawl. And I'm just starting to listen to Glass Houses.

finished reading

I don't know how Louise Penny does it--but this series gets better with each book. This one is set at the police academy and the main narrative twists and turns until everyone is a suspect. But there is another storyline that includes a mysterious map found stuffed into the wall of the bistro in Three Pines. These storylines intertwine the characters and develop so richly. I could gush and gush about this book and this series.

From the publisher:
When an intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, it at first seems no more than a curiosity. But the closer the villagers look, the stranger it becomes.

Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec to places even he is afraid to go. But must.

And there he finds four young cadets in the Sûreté academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map.

Everywhere Gamache turns, he sees Amelia Choquet, one of the cadets. Tattooed and pierced. Guarded and angry. Amelia is more likely to be found on the other side of a police line-up. And yet she is in the academy. A protégée of the murdered professor.

The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia, and his possible involvement in the crime. The frantic search for answers takes the investigators back to Three Pines and a stained glass window with its own horrific secrets.

For both Amelia Choquet and Armand Gamache, the time has come for a great reckoning.

11.13.2018

ten things tuesday

Ten things:

1. It's official.
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 AM EST WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...Snow occurring. Snow may become wet at times this
afternoon. Additional snow accumulations of 4 to 7 inches are
expected.

* WHERE...Northeast Aroostook, Northern Piscataquis, Northern
Penobscot and Central Piscataquis Counties.

* WHEN...Until 1 AM EST Wednesday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on difficult travel conditions with
moderate to heavy snow during the afternoon commute. Expect
significant reductions in visibility at times.

2. We did get out of school after lunch, but it took me about forty-five minutes to get home because we could only crawl along at 35 mph.

3. However, when I did peel my white knuckles off the steering wheel in my driveway, I had several packages waiting for me!

4. Stitch Fix is so much fun. If you're interested in a code, comment and I'll give it to you. You'll get $25 off. They have clothes that I never see on anyone else and their sizing is awesome!

5. I started Christmas shopping. In fact, I'm almost done!

6. I started wearing socks again. Now that there's snow, it's time for socks and shoes.

7. Have I mentioned that I hate winter?

8. A couple of books were released today. I can't wait to dive into them. One audiobook and I'm almost finished my current audio, so that's convenient.

9. Soup is on the menu for tonight. I've got a delicious tomato basil ready to go! And Ritz crackers--my favorite!

10. My sisters and I keep sending each other goofy filtered videos. They make me chuckle.

11.12.2018

currently

I am...

Reading: A Great Reckoning

Listening to: nothing

Loving: I spent some time with my eldest sister and we bonded, it was nice

Thinking: about Paul's funeral literally next door

Feeling: depressed--it's been a roller coaster of a week

Celebrating: I finished the blanket I knit for my great-nephew due in January, it's drying now

Grateful for: time for myself

Weather: sunny! and 30 degrees but it feels like 20

Enjoying: I received a copy of a commendation that was sent to my superintendent of schools thanking him for supporting my work on the state's standards of learning in social studies, it's quite a letter!

A quote I want to share:

11.11.2018

thank you

self-care sunday


Anxiety is on high alert for the calling hours tonight. I dread them in general and tonight will be very emotional and difficult. I'm trying to be gentle with myself since my body is on high alert. I've had anxiety sweats and am flushed.

Self-care Sunday will consist of being mindful of how my body feels, gauging my emotional barometer, and knitting--I should finish the baby blanket I'm working on today. Plenty of time for the shower.

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.

11.10.2018

saturday 9





The Middle

1) This song is about compromise. When did you recently give in a little and meet someone halfway? I do regularly

2) She sings that the floors are wet. Are there any floors in your home that could use a good scrub today? If you answered "yes," will those floors get cleaned this weekend? I am planning a scrub down of the bathroom--how glam!

3) She also sings that the cabinets are bare. What's currently on your shopping list? I am totally blanking out on my shopping list, I haven't made it yet

4) You may be familiar with this song from Target's TV commercials. Do you often shop at Target? I 😍 Target and it's a good thing the closest one is three hours away

5) The lead vocal is handled by Maren Morris, a Grammy winner for "My Church," which is all about singing with the car radio. What's the last song you sang along with? I've been singing along with the Billy Joel channel on Sirius (channel 30)

6) This past April, Maren married singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd and they have performed onstage together. Who is the last person you sang along with? I sang with Billy Joel

7) This song was composed by brothers Kyle and Michael Trewartha. With their bleached hair and sunglasses, they look like a pair of surfer dudes -- which they are, having grown up in Huntington Beach, CA. Is there a body of water near your hometown? my town has two a river and a stream on either side of it, it's almost an island

8) January 2018, when this song debuted, we had a total lunar eclipse. When things like that happen in the sky, do you go out of your way to watch?
depends on the weather

9) Random question -- They say we're all young at heart. In what way can you be childlike?
I have a child-like sense of wonder

11.09.2018

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 Meet Me at the Museum.


Dear Tina,
As I write this to you, I have the contents of my briefcase on the desk in front of me. That is: my laptop, my phone, my lunch, the Copenhagen Post, and your letter.

11.08.2018

three on thursday

Click the image to play along!

1) I'm looking forward to a long weekend. I'm trying not to fill it with too much.

2) I laughed long and hard this morning with my students because we were playing with the Behind The Name random name generator, creating names for ourselves using the ridiculous combinations available.

3) I think I've got lesson plans written until Thanksgiving.

so sad

I'm shocked and saddened that an acquaintance passed away this week. When I think of Paul, the first word that springs to mind is gusto! He lived life fully, exuberantly, and enthusiastically. I struggle to call him an acquaintance because he made everyone feel like a friend. I cannot fathom the shock his wife and family must be feeling.

11.07.2018

unraveled wednesday



Join Kat @ AsKatKnits for some fun!

Knitting for my next great nephew, Fletcher, a Garter Rib Baby Blanket--I'm on the last skein! And I'm listening to A Great Reckoning.

wordless wednesday

finished reading

I liked this book a lot. Nora, the main character is not charmed, she's flawed. And a whole lot of bad stuff has gone down but she's awkwardly funny about it. Quirky characters, Harry Potter references, a goofy dog, lots of Maine references and other details. The relationships between teenagers and adults are true to my experience as a teacher. My only complaint is that the different threads of the story are a bit too nicely tied at the end. (Trigger warning: there is sexual violence in this book)

From the publisher:
One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying? Two major steps back.

Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There's only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn't necessarily want her. At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments.

With a tough islander mother who's always been distant and a wild-child sister in jail, unable to raise her daughter--a withdrawn teen as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was--Nora has her work cut out for her if she's going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family.

But as some relationships crumble around her, others unexpectedly strengthen. Balancing loss and opportunity, a dark event from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise...and the chance to begin again.

11.06.2018

ten things tuesday

Ten random things.

1)
It took longer than usual for me to vote today. I had to wait for a booth to open and then I had to wait to process my ballot! I've never taken so long! It was so worth it.

2) I've got a janky nail. The polish bubbled, so I peeled it, then the nail broke. I feel so... so... basic.

3) I actually spent time during my planning period reading for pleasure. On the Nook app on my phone. I didn't feel guilty, either.

4) The SRO was a guest speaker in my AP Psychology class today. He talked about consciousness and the law, texting and driving (how the brain cannot handle both types functions at once), did the field sobriety test on a couple of volunteers, and generally answered all the kids' questions. I was so excited to have him in. It was intimidating to have him with his taser and gun and his full uniform that includes his vest.

5) My landlord was showing the vacant apartment to a potential new neighbor. Le sigh.

6) I did some Christmas shopping in earnest today. Online. Ho ho ho!

7) I'm so far behind on all my TV shows (A Million Little Things, This Is Us, the Rookie) that I'm tempted to delete them and not watch them at all.

8) I think I'm going to try knitting a blanket for my youngest niece for Christmas.

9) This explains why I'm always whining about being tired...

10) Hmmm... I forgot to call the garage to see if they have my tires. I'd like to get that done this week.

11.05.2018

currently

I am...

Reading: Now That You Mention It

Listening to: the Pentatonix holiday album

Loving: my local market is stocking my favorite La Croix water (cherry lime)

Thinking: about the lesson plans I have for tomorrow

Feeling: the time change really knocks me down

Celebrating: I finished my grades (early) and even helped a couple of colleagues finish theirs!

Grateful for: car service guy--he's getting me the best deal on new tires

Weather: 36 degrees and gloomy

Enjoying: Christmas music even though people will complain about it being too early--it makes me happy!

A quote I want to share: