#sol2015 You "gotta" be careful when you pick OLW (one little word)!

Last year, well rested and relaxed after a long, lazy, vacation when I spent more time reading and "vegging" than going and doing, I wrote, "I've.....begun this New Year with JOY in my heart."  At that moment, it was a bit of a stretch to think that I would find JOY even when I was tired, frustrated, or exasperated!  After all, there were the endless trials of care-giving for my not-always-cheerful, sometimes-despondent,and frequently-lonely, older-people. It was also a huge stretch to think I would find JOY in oatmeal, exercise, or reading stacks of reader responses!  Yet, last January, I could never have imagined the JOY as well as the challenges of a second career that required evenings, weekends, and applying a life-time of accumulated skills!

 I could never have dreamed of the potential for love and exercise in a rescued "puppy" who nibbles at pine needles and kale sticks!

I could never have imagined my year would culminate in "Bethlehem" in a wild and wonderful wedding weekend that formally enlarged my family!

While there were many, many, many stresses along the way, many frustrating moments, piles of prayers, buckets of tears, days of intense sadness, and some losses of friends and family so deep that the scars will last forever, somehow, the JOY I hoped for, really did find me in 2014!  As I reflected, I wondered if JOY found me, in spite of the inevitable sad times of life, or if I sought JOY, in spite of the trials of life!  No matter which way it happens, I do think this means that OLWs can be powerful!

So, what do I do for THIS YEAR?  I think I know, but I am not willing to post it, just yet. This much I DO KNOW: You have to be really careful in picking a "OLW" because you just might find what you seek!

Life is Like a Dagwood Sandwich!

Sometimes, life is like a Dagwood Bumstead sandwich!  Lately, that's the way it has been around these parts.  Our days, evenings, minds and hearts have been filled to the brim contributing to a life that has many delicious, wonderful, busy layers!  It's been frenetic and hectic, but filled with joy that I could not even have imagined when "they" picked a date figuring they would "save" on decorations (lol)!

The holiday season is always a busy and stressful time, and teachers, along with everyone else, packs as much as we can into those "days" off.  We start making those lists of must-dos, should-dos, want-to-dos, hope-to-dos, and need-to-cleans long before we get "out" of school. We start with piles of gifts to wrap and follow that with stacks of returns and bargains that "need to be" gotten. We schedule visits, play dates, game nights, skating, movies, puzzles, and then stay up way late into the night, knowing that the alarm will not ring, working on that stack of books we want to read!  This year, we "sandwiched" a wedding between Christmas and New Year's Day!

In retrospect, focusing on the big picture, JOY, was the real gift this holiday. There was "environmentally friendly" wrapping paper (Amazon boxes), but there was no less JOY in giving. There was last minute altering of dresses, but there was great JOY in watching them swirl around the dance floor.  There was last minute tying of tags on pine cones, but there was intense JOY knowing that each one was tied with love. There was concern, worry and stress about what mother nature would send our way; yet, somehow she must have collaborated with the ghosts at the Hotel Bethlehem to provide us with the mildest weather imaginable!  She also collaborated with a host of guardian angles to assure the Feast of the Holy Family would be filled with the happiest celebration with the wildest dancing, sandwiched-between-the-holidays/ We were all reminded of what really matters in this life: finding joy, holding tight to family, embracing our faith, appreciating friends, and celebrating the miracle of love.  Like Dagwood has said for years, there is no JOY greater than a "full" plate. I'll take my plate filled with family, friends, faith, love, and JOY.

PS So glad I chose JOY as my OWL:)

Share from Grammarly: Preparation for a new semester underway

#celebratelu Game Day

You know the feeling.

Kids feel it on the eve of the first day of school,

Teachers get year after year, on the eve of the first day of school.

It's a butterfly-like excited,

Yet unsure of what is yet unknown feeling.

It's filled with anticipation, hopes, dreams, and yes,

JOY.

Kids get it on Christmas Eve,

And on the Eve of their birthday,

Even if they are confident they have been good,

That their gifts will be plentiful.

It's the nervousness singers, musicians, actors feel

As the show is about to begin,

It's the anticipation athletes, their coaches, and even their fans feel

As they prepare for the big game.

I suspect the feeling is amplified

If you've worked for months or even years,

Stitching together a framework,

Honing skills,

Practicing songs, moves, plays,

Building resources,

Solving problems along the way.

I've got it,

The bride-to-be has it.

The groom-to-be has it.

The flower girls have it.

Their moms and dads have it.

The long awaited game-day is finally here.

We have a lot to celebrate.

 That butterfly-like excited,

Yet unsure of what is yet unknown feeling

Is just perfect this morning.

It's filled with anticipation, hopes, dreams, and yes,

JOY.

          

TIs the Season Spelling Quiz from Google,

I still have 2 papers to grade and the pressure is on to also prepare for Christmas, but like my students, I have been known to "escape" to some computer surfing as I settle into this final phase of the semester. 

Clicking on this morning's Google image takes you to this "Tis the Season" spelling quiz! 

http://whatis.techtarget.com/quiz/Tis-or-tis-the-season-A-grammar-quiz

Back to grading, now. 

Elkonin Boxes

http://bogglesworldesl.com/elkonin_boxes.htm

We learn from our students if we are listening and reflecting! One of my grad students shared this FABULOUS link for DIY Elkonin boxes!
Check it out!

@grammarly A gift that keeps coming and coming

This weekend is a busy one for most of us.  I'm nestled between my stacks of grad school papers, bags of unwrapped presents, glancing at the tree awaiting decorations, and praying my mother is better this morning; so, my guilty pleasure is hopping over to Twitter-Facebook-Amazon when I log on to post grades! 

The folks over (up?) at Grammarly have also been busy this weekend! Every time I check my Twitter feed, they have posted something witty and worthy!  It's a "free" gift that keeps coming and coming. Grammarly ‏@Grammarly 

Almost Forgotten Pre Holiday Post" Keep Calm and Enjoy the Show

During the bombing of England,

Way back in WWII,

Someone in Barter Books of Alnwick 

Created the now famous poster

Keep Calm and Carry On

While they were not Churchill's words,

The strong spirit was attributed to him.

                          http://www.winstonchurchill.org/learn/in-the-media/churchill-in-the-news/1405                               -keep-calm-and-carry-on-the-real-story

Back during that week of untold excitement,

Back when a much anticipated holiday break was near,

Back when I was so busy I forgot to finish / post this,

Back when Hanukkah, Christmas, Pageants, Parties, Concerts

Excitement filled the air,

There were many, many concerts

Attended by many, many doting parents, adoring grandparents, 

Loving aunties and caring cousins,

There were many, many calm students on the stages 

Waiting patiently for their parents to finish 

Their cell-phone-photo-capturing of the moment.

I watched and reflected, 

Of concerts attended long ago, 

Of standing on both sides of the stage.

I wondered, hoped and prayed

The throngs of fans would heel Churchill's spirit:

I hoped they would let their anxious offspring sing,

I wondered if I should call out,

"Keep Calm, and Enjoy the Show."

#sol2014 I thought about Finkelstein's

We drove past Finkelstein's on Sunday.

It was not the grand building that lives in my memory, 

but, it still took my breath away.  

I used to love going to the dentist, 

despite that awful drill and the pungent smells, 

because it meant a coveted trip to the library 

(across the street).

I thought about the dusty shelves in Finkelstein's

as a reluctant reader told me how much he enjoyed   

I hesitantly introduced the classic easy reader last week

aware that it's depiction of Native American's was cliche.

He read it again and again this weekend,
a predictable tale of a bear 

who learns that more is not always better
reminding me that books, in spite of cultural differences,
reflect timeless messages.

I thought about the dusty shelves in Finkelstein's

as an avid reader told me how much she enjoyed   

I probably wouldn't have picked this graphic novel it for her

aware of it's topic and depiction of 

how our society responds to those who are different.
Yet she devoured it's message that we can
overcome challenges and find joy,
 imploring me to pick up another children's book,
making me think of those dusty shelves in Finkelstein's,again.

#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!