SOL17 Some assembly required?

I spent a good amount of time attempting to assemble a "toy car" that says, "Some assembly required!"

After 38 years on the market , there must have been TENS of THOUSANDS of these peddle-less cars assembled across this country! I am positive that exhausted parents as well as individuals who can barely read have assembled these. I am certain that some families have assembled more than one! I have an advanced degree in literacy and have assembled IKEA bookcases, a gas grill, and a picnic table!  "I can do this," I thought as I opened the box.

But, it's still wheel-less at one week  I am trying to persist; however, at this juncture, it is STILL not drive-able!

So, it was with trepidation, I opened the other Little Tykes box to find out how bad the other gift, for the other two-year-old was going to be! According to Amazon, it is a NUMBER 1 BEST SELLER!   I assembled it in minutes!  I was so excited.....

But I noticed something interesting as the two sat side by side.  The Cozy Coupe, hard as it is to put together, appears to be made to last a lot longer than the basketball hoop....that I suspect will likely have a life-cycle measured in months!

Of course, like so many life experiences, there may be a message gleaned from all this time with Little Tyke plastic: Things might be a little sturdier, a little more valued, and perhaps more stable if they are a little harder to achieve.  Or, perhaps I am just reading too much into this "some assembly required " Cozy Coupe challenge me during this once-in-a-lifetime-season of toddler birthdays!

Ready to take on this world

I missed this week's 

Slice of Life

Because of him,

But that is OK with me.

He already nuzzles into my shoulder

As if it were an old favorite.

He already gazes into my eyes

As if we were old buddies.

I gaze at him and wonder,

How can I love him 

As much as I love his sister?
As much as I love 

His cousins?

Is he an old soul?

Yet, brand-new, 

Fresh from the oven

Ready to take on this world.

He's still so tiny,

Yet, he's melted my heart,

Rocked my world,

Filled my soul

With scent-of-miracle.

I wonder, as I hold

My miraculous grandchild,

If my Grandmothers felt this way

As they held their

Children's children?

Were they too

Filled with happy tears

As they nuzzled, long ago, 

Each of us?

Then, I smile

As I nuzzle, because

I already know the answer.

Your heart grows 

As they emerge

Ready to take on this world.

#sol17 Day 10 Today

Someday soon, 

Tiny crocuses

Like those poking their heads up yesterday,

Will be joined by graceful tulips

And bold daffodils

They will dance in the spring breeze

Under sun-shiny skies

Amid fresh blades of green, green grass,

To be adored by walkers, joggers and runners,

Bike-riders and squealing children.

But, today,

It is still winter.

The ground is covered 

With a "lovely" fresh, wet, white, blanket,

The still bare trees are decorated

With white sweaters and jackets.

Our sweaters, mittens, and boots,

Are back in service 

While visions of shoveling,

Snow people and snow angels,

Resurface.  

The tulips on my windowsill

Are sitting amid the late-winter-white

 Reminders to embrace and enjoy today

Reminders of what is ahead 

Someday, soon.

   

@celebratelu Forces That Keep Me Balanced

Last week, I never got around to posting. I was busy, stressed, consumed with elder care and trying, hoping and praying that the storm bearing down on us would be easier (on them) than the week before, yet, I thought of how I really had a celebrate post in my crazy life experience! This week, even though there is another storm bearing down on us, things are brighter and a wee bit easier.
So this week , I want to CELEBRATE some of the "forces, inspirations, and caregivers" that make me smile, even when I feel differently, and keep me balanced over the rocky terrain.

• Family and Friends all of FB and Twitter

I joined FB and Twitter, initially, at the urging of family and friends and yet I could never have imagined the power of an image of a great game, a pile of snow, or of a pup napping on a cold dark, dreary morning.  Keep them coming!

• Humans of New York  https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork

I am not sure when these links started showing up on my FB page, but there are stories of teachers, people, leaders and humans that are changing the world one action at a time every day.  It's a reminder that everything we say and do matters.  It's a reminder, to me, to look beyond myself.  

• StoryPeople by Brian Andreas https://www.facebook.com/storypeoplebybrianandreas

I am sure where my links to Story People began (thanks Sandi) and since I love a catchy line, a powerful image created by words, and a good short story, I am grateful for these images and ideas that filter in through FB to make my think and smile.

• Home Health Care Providers like Senior Helpers

At times in our lives, we need a little help.  Asking, accepting, and acknowledging the need are all challenging and I don't think I will be a roll model of what to do when I am lucky enough to get to that stage of life; however, like tests and taxes, aging is part of life!  I am VERY grateful for a new caregiver who has joined my circle of support.  She listens, cleans, cooks, and is there for my mother now.  Everyone is happier and I get to be a daughter, again! 

•  Ruth Ayers http://www.ruthayreswrites.com/ and Two Writing Teachers https://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com/

I am very grateful for these writing forums that "give me permission" to take a few minutes and write because even though it took me a long time to practice what I preach, writing really is our link to reading, thinking and comprehension (of our always complex lives filled with many intersecting identities).

#sliceoflife2015 Why Not?

It's late in the day and I've been thinking of the many slices of my life I COULD write about since 4:45 AM (16 hours ago).  I could write about sliding down the steep slope we call a driveway and vowing to move BEFORE next winter or I could write about the slow, accident plagued trip to work (AGAIN) today.  It's been a tough stretch weather and commuting wise!

I could write about my wedding anniversary (today) or about the fact that while we are both grateful to NOT eat CYO hotdogs this year (we did that for about 5 years straight long ago), there were no flowers, no jewels and not even a card.  I did, however, restring some pearls that I hope to pick up soon and there was a wonderful hot meal of sautéed salmon and fresh green beans along with a smiling face to greet me when I finally got home, late.  

I could write about my insane schedule at work or the student who smiled, finally, today as we did a second grade style retrospective miscue analysis (second grade style).   "I did really good," he assured ME long before I could assure him! (I  think APPR would call that highly effective!)

Instead, I am going to share my Two Little Words that have been lurking for a while in my psyche.  I am NOT abandoning JOY as it has served me well.  I'm keeping that in my "backpack" and building on it rather than discarding it.  This year, I hope to find greater balance in the many intersecting identities of my life and to more effectively balance faith, friends, and family.  Rather than chose balance as my one little word (OLW) I am taking my TWT friend Terje's perspective (she chose WHAT IF?) and going with a phrase that is really a question, WHY NOT?

My life has been busy and full but not always balanced.  In order to help me find the balance between work, chores, responsibilities, and personal time, I will use the phrase WHY NOT?  For example, WHY NOT hike the Grand Canyon?  My knee is not likely to get better!  WHY NOT go out to celebrate a friend's birthday?  You could do that paperwork tomorrow!  Why not go to a movie?  You will never catch up on laundry anyway!  WHY NOT blog tonight? WHY NOT have a little fun?  Life is short and our days are fraught with challenges.  WHY NOT make the choice to smile and to find the JOY in each day? 

#celebrately2014 It will come without packages, boxes or bags.

This week, I could feel the stress building in the kids as the immense potential for food, family, time and gifts associated with Hanukkah, Christmas and a looming two week vacation converged in their minds. 

I could feel it in the office and hallways as my colleagues bemoaned the need to file report cards, shop for gifts, clean homes, bake cookies, and prepare end of the year budgets converged into the reality of the date.

I could feel it in my grad students as they begged for one more day to finish an end of the semester looming assignment.

I could feel it in my family as the reality of shopping, packing, and preparing for a major-life event seemed to get closer and closer every hour.

I could feel it in my heart when I realized I needed to do a time-consuming alteration (because I had rushed even though I know better) and when I decided I was the only person in North America without a tree or decorations (just kidding, I know I am not and I know that I feel this feeling every year). 

So today, even though I should be cleaning, shopping, sewing, and decorating, I am taking a moment to write and reflect.  Today, I am celebrating what I know in my heart, the words Dr. Seuss so powerfully penned:

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” 

I am 100% sure that the Theodore's central message generalizes to Hanukkah, holiday events, unfinished craft projects, unfinished baking, and even weddings; however, we all need to remind ourselves of this (at 15 minute intervals) in the days ahead! 

#celebratelu: I Celebrate Advent

Long ago, when my kids were young and the the hype-stress-frantic pace of the holiday season got out of hand, I put four candles on a plate and surrounded it with some greens from the shrubs in front of my house. It was not fancy, the candles were the wrong colors, but it worked magic, in my home, refocusing our energies on the season (such as fighting over whose turn it was to snuff out the candles) rather than on its "accouterments."  For some magical reason, it didn't matter that the house was not decorated (it wasn't, it's not) or that the presents weren't wrapped (or even purchased, not now either) or that the tree was not purchased or up (it wasn't, it's not) or that there were still papers to be graded (there were, there are), if the wreath was found (it was always found, but sometimes we started with a substitute wreath or candle).  Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were busy days spent on the road and filled with family celebrations.  Usually, although not always, our tree was up by then and the presents were wrapped ready to go.  But in our little house, in the weeks leading up the the main event, our nuclear family prepared by lighting our mismatched candles of Advent whenever we were lucky enough to be together.   

Over time, there were some magnificent wreaths gracing our table, with three fresh purple and one pink candles (the way it is supposed to be).  To be real, most years, like this year, Advent sneaks up on me and I am filling in with whatever candles, in whatever colors, in whatever level of freshness happen to be in the house!  

Fortunately, I've realized that the colors, length and freshness of the candles as well as the "realness" of the greens really doesn't matter at all.  It it the opportunity to take a few minutes each day to say a prayer, make a wish (even when you don't see a shooting star) and to prepare my heart.

My perfectly good, even if totally imperfect (like me) wreath.

(This year, it's three old reddish brown candles,

and one faded, light green candle,

nestled in a recycled "faux" wreath!) 

#celebratelu That old "ahhah" moment feeling

When I looked out the morning in the predawn darkness, the snow was everywhere.  My first impulse was to "sigh" with a realization that our color-laden-crispy-sunshiny-fall was morphing into a white-tipped-barren-dark-cold-to-your-bones-winter season. Perhaps, I wondered momentarily, if I should climb back into bed, pull the covers over my head, and forget this day!

Instead, I showered and dressed in layers, emerging in an old-favorite-wool sweater that had been waiting all summer for a chance to come back into the line-up. I fortified my insides with a bit of Quaker's finest that tasted surprisingly delicious as I shivered in the cold!

As I headed to work, the darkness gave way, somehow, to a glorious, early morning "ahhah" moment so lovely I wished I could have taken a picture while driving (so I borrowed this one from a Facebook friend!).  I celebrated the beauty, and the miracle, of thin branches carefully balancing inches of snow while the roads, still warm from the fall's sunshine, remained beautifully-bare!  

A few hours later, I was once again having one of those "I should have climbed back into be and pulled the covers over my head" moments as I coerced my first-period-amoebae-like first-graders into reading an old classic, Get In.

"Sure didn't plan this well," I thought to myself as I guided the amoebae through a short text where Mindy is encouraging her raccoon friend Buzzy to get in a blow-up pool!
"Point to those words," I implored them as word-to-word correspondence is still sporadic.
"Get your mouth ready for that word," I encouraged them.
"We have that word right here on our list," I said hopefully as I pointed to "you" on a short list.
"Now, read it again," I strongly encouraged one particularly reluctant amoeba as I wrapped my arms around him and placed my hands over his own, strongly, scaffolding the reading experience with my mouth moving for his and my heart not too far from his own.

"Will you get in?" we said together.
"I will not get in," he said softly, miraculously pointing to the words as I held him securely.
"Will you get in, Mindy," he continued, effortlessly getting his own mouth ready to say the words as if he had been doing this for a long time.
"See me get in," he said as if he had been doing this a long time.
My breathing slowed so I could hear every soft word coming from his mouth and I smiled from ear-to-ear as I felt that lovely "ahhah" moment-feeling for the second time in as many hours.

"I'm not sure who is more excited right now," the principal, who knew this amoebae quite well, offered as we celebrated our "ahhah moment rereading a page to him and to anyone else who would listen.

There is nothing quite as lovely as snow laden trees, except, if you teach beginning readers!

#sol2014 When you hold on tight

 

Long ago, when I Want to Hold Your Hand was the rage,

Before the The Long and Windy Road was clarified,

They took a leap of faith, 

Promising to love, honor, and respect

They could not imagine the piles of toys, 

Immense joys, 

The hills they would climb together,

The travels and travails they would share,

The breathtaking moments and 

Unimaginable heartaches, 

They would share.

They could not imagine the power of faith,

The love of family,

The guidance of friends

That would bridge the worry, 

Help them overcome their fears, 

Surround them in glorious moments

As well as the dark days of life. 

They could not have imagined

Holding each other more tightly now,

Than 50 years ago,

They could never have imagined 

Kenny Rogers would write their story,

Through all the good and bad

I knew how much we had...

I've always been so glad

To be with you...

As long as it's okay

I'll stay with you

Through the years

#celebratelu2104 Moments

Ruth Ayers continues to challenges us to take a few minutes each Saturday and Celebrate the Week.  I have a "to-do" list a mile long and laundry a mile high, but I have a few things I want to celebrate, anyway.  

• There were nine (9) accidents on the way to work one day this week and I was late for school. While traffic was a nightmare as we all struggled to regain time, they were just fender benders and thousands of us made it to work a bit stressed, but unharmed. It could have been much worse on a dark, rainy, leaf-strewn highway.  I told myself I deserved one (1) pumpkin flavored D & D coffee one (1) day this fall as a reward for my careful driving!  
• As I finished a reading record on one of my struggling readers, I realized he had grown from a level D (92%) a month ago to a level E (94%) now.  As is often the case with kids who struggle with reading, he was reading a text he had seen before.  The best part was his comment at the end.  "This used to be hard for me. Now I can read it."  He was too happy to see the tears well in my eyes as he reached for a pencil he knew he had earned.
• As part of my Beginning Reading and Writing class, I always teach one class around phonics.  I try to do hands on projects and use real materials that allow my grad students to try experience the subject outside of a theoretical framework.  Yet, they always seem to glaze over one hour into the class. This week, I brought some "concrete reinforcements" (candy) that I passed out throughout the evening for "hard work, great answers, and good effort" to make it fun!  I was reminded that even grad students, hungry ones in particular, will wake up and work much harder for a tiny Tootsie Roll!  One of my students will forever more be knows to me as "candy girl."  

#celebratelu Impulse Purchases and Little Voices in our Heads

This week, I celebrate "impulse" purchases 

and those little voices in our heads! 

"You don't need him," the practical side of my brain reminded me as I tucked a huge teddy bear into my already laden Costco basket. 

"The kids are going to love you," I thought as I buckled the seat belt around his soft belly Monday morning. 

"I hope you won't be too much of a distraction," the practical side of me wondered as we drove down the interstate listening to the morning news together.  

"Grandma's old rocking chair will be perfect for you," I thought as I nestled Beary into the rocker and put a book in his lap.  

"You can model what good readers do," I told Beary sternly as I got ready for the day, "no goofing around when the kids are here."   

It's been a few weeks now, and Beary has become an integral part of "Reading Club."  He's more focused than I could ever have imagined and is either busy with his own reading or busy watching over the readers and writers who come into and out of our room!
He's always has time for a "good morning" and to listen to the stories of his friends. He eagerly holds onto take-home-book-bags so kids can focus on their reading or writing!   Sometimes, he nestles comfortably next to reluctant or resistant readers and encourages them to take risks and stretch their own reading (I wonder if they can hear his voice in their heads?).  He listens attentively to reader responses and usually sports a "good job" sicker or two, gifts from his friends.
People stop by in the morning, on their way to lunch, and on their way home to check on his progress or to turn the page of his book for him (He may need some OT to help with fine motor issues).
On Monday, I'm told, he will begin writing Beary's Book Blog. I think his first post will be about that ol' familiar tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  I can hear his little voice (in my head) composing that first post!      

Garlicky in Saugerties

Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to believe what an exciting life I live!  

Just this weekend, we were at a GARLIC FESTIVAL to replenish "seed garlic." 

Supposedly, there were 50,000 crazy, garlicky smelling folks 

hanging out in the hot September sun.

We spent a lot of time at the garlic lectures!  

Seriously, there were people talking about the "botany" behind garlic growing 

as well as the science behind garlic cooking!  

Garlic vendors, from great big farms and family gardens at the side of the yard, 

from all over the Northeast, stood side by side. 

If you were adventurous, you could also buy cheeses, farm raised ostrich or deer!
I can assure you I did not come home with them,
but SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, who is hopefully working outside,
by themselves,
is eating Habanero pickled eggs and pickled garlic this week for lunch! 

It was near the end of the hot day in Saugerties,

when we came upon Mike and Dave, the mushroom men

Selling kits which would allow all of us 

to grow mushrooms on a log right on our kitchen counters.

Weird, different, call me crazy,

but I think it might make an unusual holiday gift for someone!

#sol2014 Walkway Over the Hudson Edition

We sat and watched,

Longer than we had planned,

Looking up through the maze of steel,

Watching cotton puffs that filled the sky,

Drift ever so slowly past

The old rail bridge spanning the Hudson.  

 We focused on the glass box,

It groaned under the stress of bikes and people,

Then it crept up and down those cables,

Ever so slowly.

Smiling people loading and unloading.

"Wanna try it?" he asked.

We entered slowly, cautiously,

Doors locked, the ascent began,

Past strong legs 

Planted in the Hudson,

Long ago transporting trains,

Connecting people.

 We went 21 stories in 90 seconds.

Right into those puffy clouds.

Emerging victorious

As if we had 

Conquered 

The biggest roller coaster on the Boardwalk

 Some worried when they talked of 

Restoring the old rail bridge.

"The costs, the risks, the dangers," 

They predicted.

 "The views, the history, the exercise,"

Is what we have.

Perfect for walkers, bikers, hikers, 

Accessible for strollers, wheelchairs, 

Entertainment for the young and old,

Available to the rich and the poor,

A magical, surreal Slice of Life

In the Hudson Valley

Walkway Over the Hudson State Park

 http://hikethehudsonvalley.com/walkway-over-the-hudsonhttps://www.facebook.com/walkwayoverthehudson

• The first train crossed Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge in 1888. 
• At the time, it was the longest bridge in North America.
• It was the first bridge across the Hudson River between Albany and New York.
• It carried freight trains and people, including students and shoppers from New Paltz to Poughkeepsie's famed Lucky Platt’s!
• During World War II the bridge was painted black to make it less visible in the event of an attack. 
• The fire that destroyed the tracks was probably started by a spark from a train’s brakes on May 8, 1974.  

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Enjoy Life: Even If It's Not Perfect

I woke up with a cold, 

But I woke up.

I slept fitfully,
Concerned about loved ones,
Praying for a plan, 

But I have hope.

I had many messages to respond to,
Work to do,
Excel spread sheets to finish,
Syllabi to post,
Bills to pay,
Errands to run,
But I was able to do so.

I was worried about "nesting,"
The cobwebs, the dust-bunnies,
The start of school syndrome,
Meals frozen at home,
Pinterest worthy classroom envy,

But I have plans.

I woke up realizing the summer was almost over,

Yearning for a day at the beach, a trip to a spa,
Bike rides, hikes, time with family,
Yet, excited about the "new" year.

I'm a year older and still unpublished,
Still not near perfect, still learning,
Still praying for patience, tolerance,

But more hopeful than ever,
More sure I must rely on prayer,
More sure that I am not in control.

With more 

Aches, pains, gray-hairs and wrinkles,
I woke up
Assured that even though I did not get to Europe,
Even though I did not get to the beach,
Even though my clothes are still a bit too tight,
Even though my house is still not clean
Even though there are weeds in my garden,
Even though my life is still not in order,
I do have 

The promise of this day!  

Planning another trip

Last summer, 

We rode 25 miles on bikes,

Burned a quarter-zillion calories (more or less)

Basked in the lush, green scenery.

This summer,

We came back for an eating tour,

Consumed a half-zillion calories (more or less),

Noticed the green scenery, again.

This winter,

We're coming back

To consume the other half 

(of the zillion calories)

 And to celebrate,

It's light and bright,

Sometimes white, 

And full of joy, here! 

A Complaint Free Day!

During the summer, I catch morning TV shows (like Good Morning America, The Today Show, or even Rachel Ray) as a sort of summer-cultural-literacy-awareness project.  It provides insight into what people are talking about and what people are wearing! This summer, I've learned that dresses are tighter and shorter! I guess it can be safe to say that most of what I hear goes in one ear and out the other! Yet the other day, as I worked on a tea-staining-paper craft project, I caught a "life-style" clip that has "stuck" with me.  It was about a Happiness Project where people pledged to NOT COMPLAIN for three months!  YIKES, that is harder than my old Lenten promise to NOT TALK "BAD" ABOUT PEOPLE for 60 days!  

Here is how it works in the www.acomplaintfreeworld.org/ourvision

Will Bowen, the promoter, seeks a day when people focus on what they desire rather than about complaining about how things are.  As a reminder, you wear a purple bracelet for inspiration to leave the toxic complaining behind and make an internal shift to being more hopeful and optimistic.

I must admit the timing of this "news" was timely.  I was complaining, to myself, that the summer was half over and I had not done "anything" (as in traveled to Europe, vacationed on the beach) yet!  Then, I hear there are physical and physiological changes in people who condition their thoughts to be more positive and less full of complaints!  

While I try to genuinely find the good in every situation, I do worry, complain and feel sorry for myself even when I do not "say" those thoughts out loud.  I've also been a teacher long enough to know that "we" teachers tend to complain "a lot."  

I am sure that it will take me a long, long while (perhaps until next summer), but I am going to make it a goal to go ONE WHOLE DAY focusing on what I desire and what is good rather than on complaints.  When I can make it through on day, I will try for two.....it does seem like something I should try in this second-half of my year when my OLW is JOY! http://drferreri.blogspot.com/2014/01/sliceoflife2014-my-olw-for-year.html 
To be quiet honest, there really has been a bumper crop of JOY in my life this year....not that I don' have some complaints.....
SIGH, RESET, START AGAIN....
Day 1......6:43 AM Saturday...

Stormville's "Storm"y Story

Stormville weather is legendary as ice and snow seem to descend on our mountain even when it goes nowhere else; thus, weather-reporters often assume, erroneously, that the name is weather-based.  It's not.  In fact, back in the 1700s, even before the Revolutionary War, the Storm family settled here. While it was originally named Snarlington by some local silversmiths, the Storm family must have grown enough to vote to rename it in 1826!

For centuries, this was a quiet, farm town with a tiny post office.  In the 20th Century, it gained a single gas station, a few commuters, and a tiny airport (long abandoned) that hosts the "infamous" Stormville Flea Market!

For many years, the popularity of the local 4 per year flea market has waxed and waned; however, the recent interest in shows such as The Pickers and Flea Market Flip seems to have brought our local site for socks and sockets into the 21st Century limelight!

Yes, that is some pretty heavy cloud cover in the background.  It is Stormville!

It's hard to think of our local flea market as a destination location or as a media focus; however, that is what it has become (insert snickers from my own children and those who grew up in sleepy Stormville).  Although we did not see Lara Spencer (ABC Special Events Reporter) this weekend, we did see the stars of the next Flip contestants and lots of really cool junk (I mean antiques) like baby blue dial phones, made in Occupied Japan sewing machines, made in NY Borden (milk) boxes, and the delicious grown in the black earth of Orange County, NY, radishes!