Simple to Compound
Slice of Life. Using giant binder clips, I draped a pocket chart from a low easel at the carpet area. At the bottom of it, I fastened a chart of coordinating conjunctions showing the age-old acronym FANBOYS. I was ready when second graders tumbled into the classroom,...
Celebrate Week #17 with more
I flew six thousand miles from Pacific to Atlantic to Pacific to spend three wonderful days teaching in kindergarten through third grade classrooms in two Brooklyn schools. Travel ... Here are a couple views from my window in the sky: NYC skyline as we approach...
The Digester
Poetry Friday. In February, I joined a Facebook poetry-writing group created by Laura Shovan. The group writes poems to ten found words from news articles. On February 16, Ruth Lehrer culled words for #10FoundWords from "The Compost King of New York." Here are the...
Greenwood, Texas
Only those who follow the back roads and visit their lingering towns appreciate our sense of wonderment as we walk across the porch where old men once gathered to pass hot summer evenings playing dominoes, swapping stories and jokes; as we . . . step into the past.
Sing
Five Minute Friday and Celebrate this Week. I'm linking up with Kate Motaung for Five Minute Friday where bloggers post their 5 minute free writing inspired by a one word prompt. And I'm linking up with Ruth Ayres where bloggers celebrate each week. Today's Word...
Rain
Living in the northwest, I have developed a particular fondness for rain. Perhaps that is why I am drawn to a descriptive “rain passage” in Charlotte’s Web. It is in that passage that I found my poem “Rain.”
This I Believe
Jesus said, “I am he who lives, . . . This I believe.
Empty
00:00:00 (five minutes to write) GO Empty. So often empty precedes want, need, heartache, sorrow, barrenness, vacant, futility. A hungry child holds an empty plate. The milk jug is empty. The flour canister is empty. The cupboards are empty, bare. The gas tank is...
Poetry Notebook: Day Two
Poetry Friday. An Interactive Poetry Notebook. Last year, I shared a post about my interactive poetry notebook: Poetry Notebook: Day One. In this post, I'll share pointers for Day Two. Whereas Day One is about listening--letting the poem flow over you--and...
Lessons with EM
Slice of Life. Solving Problems Too often we give our children answers to remember rather than problems to solve. --Roger Lewin Big brother TM has been working on his math lesson at the table, and now Mom's checking his work with him. EM, the family's 4-year-old pink...
Celebrating Week #14
Celebrate this Week -- Palm Sunday. This week I celebrate with rejoicing as I remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus in a story-telling moment, in a music moment, and in a reflective moment. Small moments that are part of my life of faith. A story-telling moment:...
Whom are you seeking?
As Easter draws near, I am pondering Jesus’ question, "Whom are you seeking?" Have you ever experienced a time when your mind seems to open and in a fleeting moment, you clearly understand something in a deeper dimension? I had such an experience during a Bible...
Poetry Stirs Our Humanity
Poetry Friday. Just in case you have somehow missed it, April is Poetry Month! So, on this first #PoetryFriday of Poetry Month, I decided to share a poem about poetry that I found in words of Seamus Heaney. In case you don't know Seamus Heaney, here's a one-line...
It’s My Name
Slice of Life. Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. — Dale Carnegie I was very young when I learned that my last name was too hard. Before I entered first grade, my mama had taught me how to spell it,...
Celebrating Week #13
Celebrate this Week . Celebrating Completion of a Challenge This week, the 10th Slice of Life Story Challenge over at Two Writing Teachers wrapped up. For one incredible month, I blogged day after day with several hundred other writers. On Friday, over 100 of us...
Stop Making Sense!
Poetry Friday. Slice of Life March Challenge. No.31. During the March 2017 Slice of Life Challenge I have written nonsense verse on a couple occasions. I didn’t set out to write nonsense verse any one of the times. Perhaps if I had done so intentionally, I would have...
The Gossip of SOL17
Slice of Life March Challenge. No. 30. On my post yesterday Kevin (aka dogtrax) threw out a challenge in the his comment, and I took him up on it . . . in a way. This morning I gathered 112 blog names from Slicers who had posted for the 29th day on Two Writing...
Slicing Titles Make a Poem
Slice of Life March Challenge. No. 29. I stopped by Kim K's Blog post today and enjoyed her poem created from the titles of her March slices. Why not? I thought. And so, I crafted the titles of 28 slices into a poem. It was fun, and I must say I was doubtful at...
Crafting “Without Words”
Slice of Life March Challenge. No. 28. Backstory of yesterday and today's posts. Last year, during #SOL16, I revised a draft about a childhood memory, a first grade memory, "The Day My Teacher Died." The next day I wrote about how I revised that writing; that post is...
Without Words
Slice of Life March Challenge. No. 27. x This is my mother-in-law's story. Prologue. Over the course of several years, she suffered a series of strokes and finally one left her without the power of speech. While we were home for a visit, Carl and I took her for a...
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